Carbon fibre reinforced composites (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) have become the new substrates for perforated sheet. CFRP perforated sheet has a quarter of the density of steel, but far greater strength than traditional metal, and can be used in aerospace equipment housings to achieve a balance of lightweight and high strength, while perforated design meets the needs of equipment heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding. GFRP perforated panels have excellent corrosion resistance and can be used as an alternative to metal perforated panels in offshore and chemical facilities, solving the problems of rust and damage caused by salt spray and chemical corrosion and extending service life. The combination of intelligent substrates such as shape memory alloys (SMA) and electrochromic materials with perforation technology has given rise to intelligent perforated panels. SMA perforated panels can automatically adjust the shape of the perforation according to temperature changes, such as perforated panels for building facades. In summer, when the temperature is high, the deformation of the SMA elements causes the perforation to expand, thus enhancing ventilation and heat dissipation; and in winter, when the temperature is low, the perforation is narrowed down, thus reducing the loss of heat, and optimizing the building's energy efficiency in a dynamic manner. Electrochromic perforated glass, through the electric current to adjust the transparency of the glass, combined with the perforation pattern, to achieve privacy protection and lighting control intelligent switching, suitable for high-end office and residential space.

Nano titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalytic coating gives perforated panels self-cleaning and air purifying functions. The coating is applied to the surface of perforated panels of architectural curtain walls, and under UV irradiation, it decomposes organic stains and realises self-cleaning; at the same time, it catalyzes harmful gases in the air (such as formaldehyde and NOx), improves the micro-environment of the city, and adds ecological value to green buildings. The hydrophobic and oleophobic coating makes the surface of the perforated board with ultra-low surface energy, so that it is difficult for rainwater and oil to adhere to it, which is suitable for perforated decorative boards in kitchens and industrial workshops, and reduces the cost of cleaning and maintenance. Graphene coating brings superb protection to perforated panels. Graphene modified anti-corrosion coating forms a dense protective film on the surface of the perforated metal plate, increasing the anti-corrosion performance by more than 10 times, which is applicable to the guardrail of cross-sea bridges and marine platform facilities; wear-resistant coating (such as ceramic particle enhanced coating) enhances the hardness of the perforated plate surface, resisting sand and friction abrasion, and prolonging the service life of the perforated plate for the equipments in the desert, mines and other harsh environments.

3D printing technology enables the manufacture of complex structures of perforated plates. The 3D printed ceramic perforated plate can be customised with internal hollow and gradient perforation, which can be applied to acoustic baffles to accurately control the propagation path of sound waves and optimise the noise reduction effect; 3D printed metal perforated plate can be used to build bionic structures (e.g. honeycomb and tree-like perforation), which can increase the strength of the same mass by 50 percent, and is applicable to lightweight structural components in aviation and automobiles. The composite processing technology makes the perforated plate performance more accurate. Metal-non-metal composite perforated panels (e.g. aluminium-plastic composite panels), combining the strength of metal with the insulating properties of plastic, are used in the shells of electrical equipment, while the perforated design meets the demand for heat dissipation; by controlling the perforation rate of different material layers, it achieves gradient sound insulation and heat insulation, such as perforated panels for architectural heat insulation, with the inner layer of highly perforated plastic layer to enhance the ventilation, and the outer layer of low perforated metal layer to block heat, thus constructing a high-efficiency energy saving Enclosure structure.

In the future, perforated panel material innovation will focus on the construction of ‘synergistic ecology’. Substrate, coating and process enterprises will cooperate deeply to develop more adaptable material systems; industry-university-research collaboration will accelerate the research and development of cutting-edge materials, such as quantum dot coating to achieve the light regulation function of perforated panels, and intelligent response materials to achieve more accurate environmental self-adaptation; at the same time, the establishment of the material lifecycle evaluation system will promote the development of perforated panels in the direction of being more environmentally friendly, smarter and more valuable, and will continue to expand the boundaries of the application and reshape the pattern of material application in multiple industries. The material application pattern of multiple industries.