How are expanded metal sheets made? And what makes them such a widely used material?
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Expanded metal sheet fabrication is a highly efficient process that includes stretching, slitting, and rolling sheet metal. A machine stretches and then cuts the metal with an upper and lower blade to produce diamond-shaped openings. These openings provide structural bonding value without need for additional strengthening processes and give expanded metal a unique mesh-like appearance. Once the expanded metal sheet has been die-cut it is flattened with a rolling mill.
This fabrication process produces zero metal waste and fashions a strong, highly versatile, metal product that can be sheared into custom-sized sheets or wound into coils for various uses across industries.
Kloeckner Metals is a full-line stainless steel supplier and service center. Check out our stainless steel spec sheet to see what Kloeckner Metals routinely stocks.
Expanded metal sheet provides strength and versatility across industries. Since the die-cutting process is adjustable, expanded metal sheet is ripe with decorative possibilities, whether for sculptural artworks, architectural screening, or other commercial designs.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of expanded metal sheet applications:
There are three common types of expanded metal sheets:
Standard expanded metal is considered the most flexible and high value type of expanded metal sheet. It is widely available in a range of gauges and sizes and is characterized by a raised, slip-resistant, base. All strands and bonds are set at the exact same angle, made from sheet metal that has been pressed and die-cut. Raised expanded metal is commonly seen in stair treads, trailer ramps, shelving, and other applications where slip-resistance is beneficial.
Flattened expanded metal grating requires passing standard expanded metal through a cold rolled reducing mill. This process flattens the signature raised bonds of standard expanded metal and reduces thickness and weight to create a smooth, flat surface. This is a suitable material for many applications in the agricultural, commercial, and automotive industries.
Expanded metal grating is a low-maintenance product produced from a single metal sheet. Without joints or welds, this metal product is a heavy-duty, open-air solution ideal for fire protection, and to prevent dirt, snow, grease and other unwanted debris accumulation.
Expanded metal mesh is made of a single sheet of compressed and stretched material. It can be used to replace metal or wire mesh since doing so produces a material that is stronger than fine metal mesh. It also allows for improved airflow and drainage capabilities. It is often the go-to choice for wire baskets.
When expanded metal is used for mesh baskets it can go into several high-impact industrial applications. From shot peening parts to shot blasting parts, expanded metal mesh baskets will provide the impact resistance needed to endure constant exposure to high stress conditions.
Expanded metal mesh baskets are also selected for storage, stacking, packaging, and delivery processes. They also provide good surface quality which aids in overall durability and withstands exposure to outdoor settings. Expanded metal mesh also provides protection from fire and can be seen as a protective shield on fire pits, grills, heating devices, and other products requiring high heat tolerances and airflow.
There are various benefits of using expanded metals:
Expanded metal sheets are unique and include specific terms that will aid in understanding expanded metal sizes and expanded steel products in general. The above image shows standard expanded metal, with the gray areas indicating the raised, skid-resistant edge quality.
Bond: This is the intersecting point where adjacent strands meet. The bond is always twice the width of the strand.
Strand: This is the single metal strip which forms the border of the opening.
Strand width: The amount of material advanced for expanding.
Strand thickness: The thickness of the metal from which the expanded metal is produced.
Opening / Aperture Size: Typically the open area formed by bonds and strands is diamond shaped. Different die-cutting settings can alter the final material output characteristic, however.
SWO or SWA: Short way of opening, or short way of aperture is the dimension measured across the sheet in a direction parallel to the smallest side of the diamond, accounting only for the size of the opening.
LWO or LWA: Long way of opening, or long way of aperture is the dimension measured across the sheet, parallel to the largest side of the diamond, accounting only within the opening’s size and not the material edges.
Mesh: Expressed in inches, this is the nominal distance from the mid-point of one bond to the mid-point of the next bond measured across the SWA.
Percent of Open Area: Designers and engineers calculate the degree to which light, air, or other objects can pass through a piece of expanded metal.
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Pitch: This is the measurement from a point on one diamond to the same point on an adjacent diamond. In certain decorative designs this number may not be consistent throughout the expanded metal sheet.
Style: Expanded metal style is expressed as the gauge number for the thickness of the original metal prior to expansion. For metal grating, style is expressed in pounds per square foot.
4 x 8 is a standard size for expanded metal sheet. It provides weight and metal savings while conveniently fitting a wide range of common and specialty applications. Check out the 4 x 8 sizing chart below as a reference.
Looking for expanded metal sheets in a different size? Kloeckner Metals supplies expanded metal sheet to customer specifications and will work with you to meet your unique needs.
Expanded metal mesh is a plate or sheet cut from metal sheets and stretched into a mesh. It is made with a mesh with diamond-shaped cavities by stretching metal, but can be created in many other patterns as well. Many metal types can be expanded, including stainless steel, hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, aluminum, mild steel, and more.
The pattern of the mesh can be either staggered (providing the lightest area) or a flat pattern with all rows and columns aligned. The open area ratio determines the amount of space for air, water and light to pass through and will vary according to the intended application of the expanded metal.
There are many benefits of using the expanded metal mesh that we produce as ANB Metal, these are;
Cost effective: A small amount of metal can be stretched into a large piece.
Efficient Process: Very little waste is generated when producing and processing expanded metal meshes.
Good conductor: As our expanded metal braids are in one piece, they can be excellent conductors of electricity, magnetic flux, and heat.
Protective reinforcement: Our expanded metal mesh can be combined with glass, concrete and other materials for greater strength.
High strength: Our expanded metal mesh supports weight and withstand stress better than woven metals or joint welds.
Low weight: Our expanded metal mesh is lighter than conventional metal sheets.
Allows circulation: Our expanded metal mesh allows air and light to move freely.
Acoustic properties: Our specially developed expanded metal mesh, meshes can enhance acoustics and provide sound insulation.
As ANB Metal; We manufacture our expanded metal mesh by an expanding machine that converts solid metal sheets and coils into an expanded metal mesh. The expanding machine is fitted with a pattern setting blade for the mesh of expanded metal mesh. As the metal passes through the expanding machine, it is cut and stretched simultaneously using a pressure slitting and stretching process. The patterns created by the blade allow the metal to stretch, which creates smooth holes. To ensure a smooth pattern, the expanding machine is programmed or operated manually while the metal is fed. The finished expanded metal mesh is then wound into coils or cut into sheets.
The most common expanded metal mesh types we produce as ANB Metal are:
Standard expanded metal is extremely versatile and economical. It comes in a variety of gauge and opening sizes. It is often used to provide a hard, raised, non-slip surface. In standard expanded metal, strands and bonds are set at a proper angle. This provides extra strength and rigidity while allowing maximum air circulation.
Flattened expanded metal is produced by cold rolled expanded metal to flatten it. It is chosen when a smooth surface is needed. The flattening process generally extends the length of the sheet by 5%.
Hexagonal expanded metal has hexagonal openings instead of regular diamond ones. Its hexagonal shape gives the metal extra strength while allowing the passage of air, light, heat, sound and liquid. Hexagonal openings are preferred over diamond openings when the metal expands greatly.
Architectural expanded metal has a diamond pattern with additional architectural features. The result is a design that combines good aesthetics, increased security and privacy, and improved ventilation. Suitable for functional and decorative purposes or a combination of the two.
Micro expanded metal has small openings in light metal. Openings can be standard, flattened, hexagonal and square. This type of expanded metal is often used in filters.
You can look and examine our expanded metal meshes product models in the product catalog on our website and you can easily access all technical features related to the products. You can choose by looking at all the materials and technical features used in production, and contact us immediately to get information about expanded metal meshes products.
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