The core is one piece of product information
The insulation material name is not enough to approve a panel in a design. Product designation, thickness, facings, coating, installation arrangement and performance documents are needed. Record the facility’s requirements first, then compare products for the same application. Comparing an arbitrary roof panel with a cold store panel usually leads to misleading conclusions.
ArcelorMittal’s catalogue distinguishes wall and roof panel families and PIR and mineral wool solutions. This shows why brand and core do not constitute a complete purchase specification. ArcelorMittal — sandwich panel families.
Read performance parameters together
- Thermal performance: compare values for the specific thickness and stated parameter basis.
- Fire: distinguish product reaction to fire from envelope fire resistance.
- Structural performance: check span, support arrangement, loads and required fixings.
- Use: consider the internal environment, moisture, washing and coating.
- Installation: check weight, length, handling requirements and available details.
Kingspan’s published fire resistance tables relate results to factors including thickness, orientation, span, fixings and seals. There is no single EI classification for all panels with a given core. Another configuration’s performance does not automatically validate the design. Kingspan — fire resistance and classification matrices.
An example comparison for an enquiry
A working example: the client needs a wall between two hall zones. Instead of ‘PIR or mineral wool panel, cheapest’, provide fire requirements, wall dimensions, supports, openings and operating conditions. Suppliers can then propose specific solutions for the designer to compare on a common basis. A reliable material and installation schedule follows approval.
Leave space in the purchasing table for a document reference supporting each property. A missing catalogue field should not be filled with a result from a similarly named product. Substitution requires a fresh detail check, not merely confirmation of matching thickness and colour.
What the installation contractor contributes
The contractor helps assess work organisation, access, phasing and completeness of delivery information. Structural, fire protection and process performance selection belongs to the relevant design participants. At Panel Montage, installation experience does not replace the designer’s calculations.
Prepare the facility requirements and products under consideration. If panels are already ordered, provide exact designations and the delivery schedule. This helps identify missing documentation and whether the scope can be quoted.
Avoiding misleading price comparisons
If a product has a different coating or span conditions, mark the difference before comparing prices. Do not treat an empty field as zero or proof of compliance. Ask the supplier for the exact designation and supporting document. A good comparison sheet explains differences without judging a brand from one example. The installer receives a specific system to assess organisationally, and the client sees which decisions are settled and which remain with the design team.
Sources and documentation
Editorial update: 9 October 2026. The manufacturer and institutional sources used to check this information are listed below. The checklists and workflow examples were prepared by Panel Montage.
Information about the team's work is based on project documentation from 2025–2026. The public list of locations and scopes is available on our project map.