Pleated (plissé) insect screen doors deliver the highest gross profit per unit of any product in a window fabricator's catalog. By replacing bulky swinging frames with a crisp 20 mm accordion mesh stack inside a sleek 22 mm or 27 mm aluminum perimeter, workshops serve premium bi-fold, lift-and-slide, and roller-shutter openings. Below is the industrial assembly protocol used across high-output European screen plants.
1. Bill of Materials (BOM) for a Standard 27mm Pleated Door
To fabricate one single-leaf horizontal pleated patio door (e.g., 1,000 × 2,200 mm finished outer reveal) using our Blue-Moon 3592/3595 or Princess 3060/3059 series, prepare:
- Outer Perimeter Frame (Die 3592 or 3060): Top head rail + vertical hinged/docking jambs (~5.40 linear meters).
- Operating Pull-Handle Sash (Die 3595 or 3059): Vertical moving pull bar (~2.15 linear meters).
- Barrier-Free Bottom Guide Track: Low-threshold PVC/aluminum bottom rail (~0.96 linear meters).
- 20mm Hydrophobic Pleated Mesh (MSH-PL20): Pre-pleated thermo-fixed polyester pack cut to height.
- Hardware & Cord Pack (SET-PLIS + IP-500 + SRT-450 + KG-17): 4 virgin PA6 outer corner joints, POM acetal roller guide shoes, perforated mesh carrier strip, No. 17 brass eyelets, and 0.9 mm braided Kevlar/polyester cord.
2. Precision Miter/Straight Cutting Deduction Formulas
Unlike 45° mitered casement windows, modern 27 mm pleated systems utilize 90° straight square saw cuts seated into external-shoulder PA6 corner blocks—cutting saw setup time in half and eliminating miter gaps:
- Vertical Outer Frame Jambs (×2): Finished Height
H − 42 mm(accounts for top + bottom corner block shoulders). - Top Outer Frame Rail (×1): Finished Width
W − 42 mm. - Bottom Barrier-Free Track (×1): Finished Width
W − 42 mm. - Moving Pull-Handle Sash (×1): Finished Height
H − 58 mm(allows smooth roller-shoe clearance inside head and sill tracks). - 20mm Pleated Mesh Cut Height: Finished Height
H − 64 mm.
3. Kevlar Tension Cord Routing & Mesh Carrier Assembly
Uniform cord equalization is what makes a pleated door glide effortlessly with one finger and stay parked at any intermediate position without snapping back:
- Punch & Eyelet: Punch clean cord holes along the perforated carrier strip (SRT-450) + folded mesh stack every 300–350 mm vertically (typically 5 to 6 horizontal cord lines on a 2.2 m door) and press No. 17 brass eyelets (KG-17) to eliminate friction cutting.
- Counter-Cross Cord Routing: Route top cord pairs downward through the moving sash's POM acetal bottom roller out along the sill track, and route bottom cord pairs upward through the top roller out along the head rail. This counter-balanced geometry keeps the pull bar strictly vertical even if pushed from the bottom or top corner.
- Spring Calibration: Anchor cord ends to stainless coil tension springs inside the stationary jamb so the mesh withstands coastal gusts without slackening.
4. Workshop Unit Cost & Profit Margin Breakdown (1000 × 2200 mm Door)
| BOM Component | Quantity Used | Wholesale EXW Unit Cost | Component Total (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
27mm Outer Frame (Die 3592) |
5.40 m (incl. 5% kerf/offcut) |
$2.27 / m (Tier 4) |
$12.26 |
Pull-Handle Sash (Die 3595) |
2.20 m |
$2.67 / m (Tier 4) |
$5.87 |
20mm Pleated Polyester Mesh |
2.30 m² |
$2.45 / m² |
$5.64 |
Hardware, Kevlar Cord, Strip & Brush |
1 Complete Set |
SET-PLIS + IP-500 + SRT-450 |
$4.45 |
Total Raw Material BOM (EXW) |
1 Finished Patio Door |
Ready for Trade/Retail Sale |
~$28.22 USD |
5. Scaling Faster with Pre-Stringed RTA Kits
During peak spring/summer demand when skilled assembly labor is tight, many distributors supplement bulk 6.0 m bar fabrication with our Pre-Stringed 27mm & 22mm RTA Patio Kits ($22.80–$26.50/set at 50–300+ MOQ), cutting workshop time down to 5 minutes per door.