What if I only know the open area I need?

That is enough to start. Open area, hole size and pitch are linked by one equation — tell us the open area and either the hole size or the pitch, and the third follows. If you know none of them, describe the application and we will propose a pattern.

How long does a quote take?

Same working day for a complete enquiry. Longer if the job needs new tooling, because we would rather establish the tooling cost before quoting than revise the price afterwards.

Can you quote from a sample rather than a drawing?

Yes, and for replacement parts it is often more reliable. Send photographs with a scale reference and the key dimensions, or the part itself.

How to write a perforation spec that can be quoted

Most enquiries arrive missing the same four things. Here is what to include, and the three rules that quietly decide whether a drawing can be made at all.

5 min read · updated 30 October 2026

A perforation enquiry that contains eight pieces of information gets a price the same day. One that contains three gets a phone call, and then a price two days later. The list below is in the order we need it.

What a complete enquiry contains

Item	Example	Why it matters
Hole shape	Round	Determines tooling
Hole size	Ø5 mm	With thickness, decides feasibility
Pitch and arrangement	8 mm, 60° staggered	Fixes open area and ligament
Material and grade	SS 316L	Drives both price and corrosion life
Thickness	2 mm	Governs the minimum hole size
Sheet size	1250 × 2500 mm	Must sit within 2200 × 4000 mm
Margins	20 mm unperforated border	Affects hole count and net weight
Quantity	40 sheets	Changes the rate, sometimes substantially

The three rules that decide feasibility

1. Hole diameter must be at least the sheet thickness

A punch narrower than the material it is driven through takes a bending load it was not designed for, and snaps. So a 6 mm plate takes a 6 mm hole, not a 3 mm one. This is the single most common reason a drawing has to be revised. Below this ratio the answer is laser cutting, not punching.

2. The web between holes must survive

Ligament — pitch minus hole size — should be at least about 0.7 times the sheet thickness. Thinner than that and the tooling breaks. Between 0.7× and 1× it is workable with slower feed and a lead-time premium.

3. The sheet has to fit the machine

Maximum 2200 mm wide by 4000 mm long, punching to 12 mm and laser to 14 mm. Beyond that the part has to be split and joined, which is a different conversation and should happen before detailing rather than after.

Things worth stating explicitly

Finish — mill, powder coat, anodised, galvanised or polished. Coating is applied after perforation, so cut edges are covered.
Deburring, if the part is in product contact or handled by people.
Tolerance, if the process genuinely depends on it. Put it on the drawing rather than in the covering email.
Grain or pattern direction, if the panel is visible.
Whether you need the part formed — sheared, bent, rolled or framed — or flat.
Material test certificates, if your own customer will ask for them.
Delivery location, which affects packing more than most people expect.

Sending a drawing

DXF and PDF are both fine. For a one-off or a replacement part, a clear photograph of the worn original with a few key dimensions is often a better brief than a redrawn sketch — it carries detail that gets lost in translation.

You do not have to do this by hand — we built the calculator that runs these numbers.

Check your pattern

Common questions

What if I only know the open area I need?: That is enough to start. Open area, hole size and pitch are linked by one equation — tell us the open area and either the hole size or the pitch, and the third follows. If you know none of them, describe the application and we will propose a pattern.
How long does a quote take?: Same working day for a complete enquiry. Longer if the job needs new tooling, because we would rather establish the tooling cost before quoting than revise the price afterwards.
Can you quote from a sample rather than a drawing?: Yes, and for replacement parts it is often more reliable. Send photographs with a scale reference and the key dimensions, or the part itself.