How Do They Make Expanded Metal Sheets

Expanded metal is manufactured through slitting and stretching by a set of die with upper blade and lower blade while the diamonds may vary and this drawing just shows how a solid metal sheet becomes expanded metal without waste.

How do they make expanded metal sheets.

Expanded metal is produced by an expanding machine which turns solid metal sheets and coils into an expanded metal mesh. As the metal is fed through the expanding machine it is cut and stretched simultaneously using a pressured slitting and stretching process. Flattened expanded metal sheet with smooth and safe surface is widely used as storage basket safety gate furniture and shelves in our daily life. Micro expanded metal is widely used as filter screening and covering in medical automotive industries with good ventilation filter and protect properties.

The sheets coils are fed into the expanding machine and the precision die cuts and stretches the metal in a single operation. To create expanded metal sheet metal is passed through a device called an expanding machine which is similar to a plate rolling machine but fitted with cutting edges that punch holes into the metal plate as it passes through the machine. It is commonly used for fences and grates and as metallic lath to support plaster or stucco description. Expanded metal is a type of sheet metal which has been cut and stretched to form a regular pattern often diamond shaped of metal mesh like material.

The expanding machine is fitted with a knife which determines pattern for the mesh. Because no metal is lost in the expanding process expanded metal is cost effective and saves energy by conserving material and allowing the fabrication to go further and do more. This process expands the cuts into diamond shaped holes of uniform size and shape.