An export-grade anti-fingerprint embossed back panel for refrigerators and freezers. The substrate is hot-dip galvalume — 55% aluminium, 43.4% zinc, 1.6% silicon — cold rolled and then given a deep orange-peel emboss of roughly 0.15 mm, supplied at a typical finished gauge of 0.30 mm, with an anti-fingerprint passivation layer over the coating.
The deep emboss is not decoration. The orange-peel pattern forms a continuous shallow profile across the sheet that lifts panel stiffness. Because that rigidity is already in the surface, a thinner substrate can still meet the same stiffness, flatness and assembly requirements — which is a direct cut in material cost, and one that compounds on high-volume models.
The face resists fingerprints and sweat marks, and the heavy aluminium-zinc coating plus passivation carries the panel through long service life overseas: sea freight, humid warehousing, tropical climates. It is the cost-effective backing material for refrigerators built for export.
A back panel is an invisible part — so every process step on it has to earn its cost.
Same assembly, same flat panel — on a lighter coil. The emboss puts the stiffness back, so gauge can drop a step and material cost follows. The saving scales with your volume.
The pattern works like shallow corrugation. A 0.30 mm embossed panel feels rigid in the hand and sits flat on the cabinet, where a flat sheet drums and oil-cans during assembly.
The anti-fingerprint layer lowers surface energy so sweat and oil sit on top instead of soaking in, and the matte texture breaks up what does land. Warehouse handling and line transfer leave no marks.
Photographed on our line and at a customer's plant — unretouched.
Back panel grades only — for construction or other uses, ask our sales team.
| Item | Range | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Galvalume anti-fingerprint orange-peel embossed back panel | For export fridges / freezers |
| Substrate | Hot-dip galvalume, 55% Al / 43.4% Zn / 1.6% Si | Heavy Al-Zn coating |
| Coating weight | AZ80 – AZ150 (AZ50 – AZ275 on request) | Back panel range |
| Emboss pattern | Deep orange-peel; fine leather and linen available | Matched to your sample |
| Emboss depth | Approx. 0.15 mm | Deep type — texture, not corrugation |
| Finished thickness | 0.30 mm typical (0.25 – 0.40 mm by model) | Can be thinned thanks to the emboss |
| Width | 200 – 1500 mm | Slitting available |
| Steel grade | DX51D+AZ, DC51D+AZ, DX52D+AZ and equivalents | Matched to the application |
| Surface treatment | Chromate-free passivation + anti-fingerprint (AFP) | Film 1.2 – 1.8 g/m² |
| Heat resistance | Continuous service up to 315 °C | Suitable near compressor bay |
| Supply form | Coil or cut-to-length flat sheet | Cut tolerance ±0.05 mm |
| Packing | Waterproof paper + steel strapping, palletised | Container optimised |
Both are used. The difference shows up two years into the field, not on the quotation.
| Property | Galvalume (Al-Zn) | Hot-dip galvanized (Zn) |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | 55% Al / 43.4% Zn / 1.6% Si | Zinc only |
| Heat resistance | Up to 315 °C — no discolouration | Degrades above roughly 200 °C |
| Heat reflection | About twice that of galvanized | Baseline |
| Cut-edge protection | Zinc sacrifices at the cut edge, aluminium oxide seals the face | Zinc only |
| Typical back panel use | Rear panel, compressor-side panels, premium models | Cost-driven models, internal parts |
| Coating adhesion | Paintable without weathering or pre-treatment | Normally needs pre-treatment |
The reason a refrigerator maker pays more for galvalume on a hide-away part is heat and corrosion. The compressor bay runs hot, and a galvanized back panel discolours and shows rust spots there long before a galvalume one does. Twice the heat reflection also keeps the rear panel cooler to the touch and reduces condensation in humid climates — a point buyers in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa raise in almost every enquiry.
Plain passivation stops rust. Oiling gives short-term protection and then has to be degreased before assembly. Neither changes the surface energy, so neither stops fingerprints. An anti-fingerprint coating is a functional organic film — 1.2–1.8 g/m², roughly 0.5–1.5 μm — applied over a chromate-free passivation layer and baked. It lowers surface energy so sweat and oil stay on top instead of soaking in, and it lifts surface hardness to the 3–4H range, which matters on a panel that gets dragged across a packing bench.
We use chromate-free passivation throughout, because hexavalent chromium is restricted under RoHS and REACH. If your customer audits for either, ask us for the material declaration with the order — we provide it on request.
What buyers ask us before placing a back panel order.
This product runs 0.30 mm finished as standard, adjustable between 0.25 and 0.40 mm by model. Because the emboss already carries stiffness, many models that used 0.35 mm flat sheet are satisfied by 0.30 mm here — that calculation is the most common one we do for customers. If the panel carries the condenser or is exposed at the rear of a chest freezer, stay at 0.35–0.40 mm.
A deep emboss changes the local thickness across the face, so stamped parts need a die clearance matched to the pattern. Bending and roll forming are essentially unaffected. For deep-drawn parts, send the part drawing or a sample and we will recommend a substrate-thickness and emboss-depth combination for your die — and send a trial sample before you commit.
The heavy aluminium-zinc coating resists corrosion on its own — zinc protects the cut edge, aluminium oxide seals the face — and the chromate-free passivation with an anti-fingerprint film sits on top. Sea freight and humid warehousing are within its range. Watch the packing: export orders ship with waterproof paper and steel strapping on pallets, and we recommend desiccant in the container. Tell us if the destination is tropical and the voyage is long, and we will upgrade the packing.
Yes. Send a 200 × 200 mm sample of the sheet you use now and we will match pattern and depth on our embossing rolls before production, then send a matched sample for your approval.
Both. Cut-to-length flat sheet is held to ±0.05 mm on length and deburred, ready to feed a stamping line. Coil is the cheaper option if you already run your own blanking line. State your preference in the enquiry and we will quote both.
Thickness, panel size, emboss pattern and monthly volume — we will come back with a gauge-reduction proposal, a matched sample and a price.
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