Pre-Insulated Ducting Sheet

The procurement logic of traditional duct systems (such as galvanized iron sheets) overly focuses on unit prices, while the value of prefabricated insulation panels lies in the structural compression of the total installation cost (Total Installed Cost). Industry data shows that the on-site installation of traditional duct systems involves multiple processes such as "measurement - cutting - joining - wrapping insulation cotton - wrapping protective shell", and the proportion of labor costs in the project total cost has risen from about 30% ten years ago to over 45%. While prefabricated panels combine "structural formation" and "insulation layer construction" into one. Although the unit price of the panels (such as PU panels about $6 per square meter) is slightly higher than that of the same specification iron sheets, their installation efficiency can be increased by 2-3 times, and due to their self-weight being only about 30% of that of metal ducts (about 1.3-1.4 kg/m² compared to 8.3 kg/m²), the cost savings for ceiling load-bearing and supporting structures are implicit but significant. This shift from "calculating material costs" to "calculating labor and measure fees" is the core driving force for the penetration of this product into the mid-to-high-end market.

Common market products are divided into three categories: PU (polyurethane), PIR (polyisocyanurate), and phenolic. From a re-examination perspective, PIR is gradually replacing PU as the technical benchmark in the high-end market. Although their densities are similar (about 40-50 kg/m³), PIR has a higher oxygen index (>33%), a higher ignition point, and carbonizes rather than melts at high temperatures, making its fire resistance level naturally superior to ordinary PU (B1 vs B2). More importantly, the thermal conductivity of PIR foam can be as low as 0.018 W/m·K, which is about 20% lower than the conventional value of PU (0.022-0.024). Under the "dual carbon" target, this 0.003-0.005 W/m·K difference means a significant reduction in building's cold and heat loads. However, the choice of aluminum foil on the surface of PIR panels (such as 80 microns for indoor use, 200 microns or pre-coated color steel plates for outdoor use) determines the actual service life of the product. Many projects have suffered from outdoor pipe plates being damaged by ultraviolet rays due to incorrect surface material selection, which reminds the industry to pay more attention to the triad matching of "surface material - core material - working conditions" rather than simply focusing on the performance of the core material.