Sanmei fabricates water ripple stainless steel sheet for ceiling installations — a stamped, three-dimensional wave texture that scatters overhead light into a soft, moving-water effect. Based on your ceiling layout, we plan the panel arrangement to keep the ripple pattern continuous across the full ceiling area, fold each panel's edges to size, and label every piece for on-site assembly — so your installer can match and fit panels without guesswork.
subtle, calm ripple, better for close-viewing accent areas within a ceiling design
recommended default for ceilings — clear movement without dominating
bold relief, works for statement ceilings with skylights or strong directional lighting
| Visual Grade | Spec Name | Depth | Pitch | Recommended Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow | Small water wave | 2mm | 10–30mm | 0.6mm / 0.8mm / 1.0mm |
| Medium | Medium water wave | 4mm | 30–60mm | 0.6mm / 0.8mm / 1.0mm |
| Deep | Big water wave | 3mm | 40–70mm | 1.2mm / 1.5mm / 2.0mm |
For ceilings, Medium is the most common choice: ceilings are typically lit by diffused overhead light rather than strong directional light, and Medium reads clearly under that kind of even illumination without needing angled accent lighting the way Deep does. Read the full depth-and-lighting breakdown →
We source stainless steel directly from leading mills such as TISCO, Baosteel, and POSCO. For most indoor ceilings, 304 is the standard grade. For humid environments — pool enclosures, spa ceilings, coastal properties — we recommend 304L or 316 for better long-term corrosion resistance.
Ripple depth doesn't just depend on the room's artificial lighting — the region's natural daylight quality matters too, especially for ceilings near windows or skylights.
Strong, direct daylight regions (Middle East, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean coastal areas) — daylight comes in at a steeper angle with higher intensity. Deep ripple performs well here: the directional light needed to make its broad, sculptural relief read clearly is naturally available for more of the day.
Diffused daylight regions (Northern Europe, UK, Pacific Northwest) — overcast skies and lower sun angles mean light is softer and less directional most of the year. Medium or Shallow ripple is the more reliable choice — both read well under diffused light without depending on strong directional sun.
Coastal / high-humidity regions — pair ripple depth choice with 316/316L grade selection (see Grade section above) for long-term performance alongside the visual effect.
From ripple pattern to PVD color, we fabricate the sheet to your ceiling grid dimensions — ready for your installer to fit.
Sheets thinner than 0.5mm are too fragile to handle and process reliably; sheets thicker than 2.0mm are difficult to process and impractical for most decorative applications — this matters more for ceilings than for other applications, since every additional 0.1mm adds weight the ceiling grid has to carry.
Standard sizes: 1000×2000mm / 1219×2438mm / 1219×3048mm / 1500×3000mm (custom sizes available to your project dimensions).
| Grade | Thickness | Finishes | Mill Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 / 304 / 304L / 316 / 316L / 430 | 0.5mm–2.0mm | Water Ripple (Random / Water Drop / Wave — Shallow / Medium / Deep) | 2B |
Water ripple ceiling panels are decorative, not structural — even at the maximum 2.0mm thickness, the sheet itself carries no load. The panel's own weight is what the ceiling grid (keel system) needs to support, so the ripple depth you choose has a direct effect on grid spacing and keel capacity.
Based on standard stainless steel density (~8.0 g/cm³), approximate panel weight by thickness:
| Thickness | Approx. Weight | Typical Ripple Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 0.6mm | ~4.8 kg/m² | Shallow / Medium |
| 0.8mm | ~6.4 kg/m² | Shallow / Medium |
| 1.0mm | ~8.0 kg/m² | Shallow / Medium |
| 1.2mm | ~9.6 kg/m² | Deep |
| 1.5mm | ~12.0 kg/m² | Deep |
| 2.0mm | ~16.0 kg/m² | Deep |
Deep ripple panels run roughly double the weight per square meter of Shallow/Medium panels. For large ceiling areas, that difference affects keel spacing and grid load capacity — share these figures with your keel supplier or structural engineer before finalizing ripple depth, especially for Deep on large spans.
Figures above reflect sheet metal weight only and do not include the keel, backing board, lighting fixtures, or other ceiling system components. They are not a structural engineering recommendation — confirm final grid spacing and load capacity with your project's structural engineer or keel supplier.
Ceiling installations are almost always lit by diffused overhead light rather than direct spotlighting. A few things matter more for ceilings than for wall applications:
Read the full lighting and installation guide →
share your reflected ceiling plan / grid layout drawing, keel spacing and type, and style preferences; if you don't have a keel plan yet, an approximate ceiling area and site details are enough to start
confirm pattern, ripple depth, grade, and PVD color; our engineers calculate panel weight for your selected depth and check it against your existing grid load capacity (see the Weight & Grid Load table above), adjusting depth or keel spacing recommendations if needed
onfirm the material list, formal quotation, and delivery timeline
based on your ceiling layout, we plan the panel arrangement to keep the ripple pattern continuous across seams, fold each panel's edges to its exact position, label every piece, and apply PVD color if specified — then deliver to your project site; your installer fits the panels following the layout plan and labels, with installation guidance from us on request
Pricing depends on grade, ripple pattern/depth, PVD color, thickness, and panel size. Contact us for a project-specific quote →
Random/Natural Ripple in Medium depth is the most common choice for ceilings, since it reads well under diffused overhead light without needing directional accent lighting.
Yes — for high-humidity or chlorinated environments, 316/316L is recommended over standard 304 for long-term corrosion resistance.
Headquarters:
Creating Center, No.142, Yuhe Road, Lecong Town, Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China. 528315
Factory: Liyuan Logistics City, Chencun Town, Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China. 528313
Australia Local Support Base: (Yatala, QLD) – Coming 2026
