The Ultimate Guide to Expanded Metal Sizing

-11-29 Expanded metal grating is often used for flooring, shelving, security screens, and barriers. It is also a very affordable material used in industrial, architectural, and commercial settings.
Stainless steel expanded metal and grating products are available from Huijinmaterials. It is often difficult for customers to determine what measurements to provide when selecting the right mesh pattern for their application. Here is a guide to measuring and specifying expanded metal...  

What Are the Types of Expanded Metal?

  Common types of expanded metal include:   
This is the most basic and common type of expanded metal.It is produced by slitting and stretching a sheet of metal, creating diamond-shaped openings.Standard expanded metal is available in various materials such as steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and others.

2.Flattened Expanded Metal

After the standard expanded metal is created, it can be further processed through a flattening process, which reduces the thickness of the material and creates a smoother surface.Flattened expanded metal is often used when a flat and smooth surface is desired.

3.Raised Expanded Metal

In contrast to flattened expanded metal, raised expanded metal has raised ridges on the surface.The raised pattern provides enhanced strength and rigidity, making it suitable for certain applications where structural support is important.

4.Micro Mesh Expanded Metal

Micro mesh expanded metal has very small openings, making it suitable for applications where fine filtration or screening is required.It is commonly used in air filtration systems and other applications that demand a high level of precision.

5.Architectural Expanded Metal

Architectural expanded metal features a diamond design with distinct aesthetic elements. For a terrific mix of style and function, go with architectural expanded metal.    

Expanded Metal Sheet Dimension Introduction

  LWM: The distance from a point on a knuckle to a joint point on the following knuckle mesured across the long way.
SWM: The distance from a point on knuckle to a joint point on the following knuckle measure across the short way.
LWO: Long way of opening, the distance measured from the inside of the knuckle across to the inside of the knuckle LWO.
SWO: Short way of opening, the distance measured from the knuckle across to the inside of the knuckle SWO.
KNUCKLE: The intersection of two strands and it is always the width of two strands.
OVERAL THICKNESS: The actural measurement of the thickness of the mesh measured at the knuckle.
OPEN AREA: The percentage of open area is showing on the mesh.
STAG ENDS: Incomplete strands existing beyond the joints of mesh either LWD, SWD or both.
MATERIAL: The material is available in carbon steel, galvanized sheet, stainless steel, aluminum etc.
CUSTOMIZE: Customized is available.  

Raised or Flattened Mesh, What Is the Difference?

  The terms "raised" and "flattened" refer to two different types of expanded metal, and they describe the surface characteristics of the expanded metal sheet.  

1.Raised Expanded Metal:

 

• In raised expanded metal, the metal sheet is subjected to a process of slitting and stretching, creating a pattern of raised diamond-shaped openings.
• The metal strands are raised above the plane of the original sheet, forming a three-dimensional pattern.
• Raised expanded metal retains the thickness of the original sheet, and the raised pattern provides additional strength and rigidity to the material.
• This type is often chosen when structural support and strength are important considerations.

 

2.Flattened Expanded Metal:

 

• Flattened expanded metal is produced by taking the raised expanded metal and subjecting it to a cold-rolling or flattening process.
• This process reduces the thickness of the material and results in a smoother surface.
• The diamond-shaped openings in flattened expanded metal are flattened or compressed compared to the raised version.
• Flattened expanded metal is often chosen for applications where a smooth surface is desired, such as walkways or platforms.

  Key Differences:  

• Appearance: The most obvious difference is the appearance. Raised expanded metal has a textured, three-dimensional surface due to the raised diamond-shaped openings, while flattened expanded metal has a flatter and smoother surface.
• Strength and Rigidity: Raised expanded metal tends to be stronger and more rigid compared to flattened expanded metal due to the thicker strands and the three-dimensional structure. This can be a critical factor in applications where structural support is essential.
• Surface Smoothness: Flattened expanded metal is smoother, making it more suitable for certain applications where a flat surface is important, such as walkways, platforms, or architectural elements.
• Weight: Flattened expanded metal, having a reduced thickness, may be lighter than its raised counterpart. This can be a consideration in applications where weight is a concern.

 

How Do I Measure a Raised Mesh?

  The key measurements for a raised mesh are Longway Pitch (LWP), Shortway Pitch (SWP), Strand Width (SWDT) and Strand Thickness (STK).

LWP, measured horizontally from either knuckle to knuckle or centre to centre, is derived from the size of tooling used within the production process.

SWP, measured vertically from either knuckle to knuckle or centre to centre, is manifested through the overall expansion applied during manufacture.

SWDT is a measurement of the width of the resulting angular strand created during manufacture.

In contrast to popular belief, the expanding process does not alter material thickness directly. STK, or starting raw material thickness, is a measurement of raw material thickness. Generally, mesh height is 1-2x the measurement of SWDT. Strand Thickness should not be confused with overall height and depth.  

How Do I Measure a Flattened Mesh?

The key measurements for a flattened mesh are Longway Aperture (LWA), Shortway Aperture (SWA), Strand Width (SWDT), and Strand Thickness (STK).

LWA is measured horizontally from internal aperture point to point.

SWA is measured vertically from internal aperture point to point.

SWDT is a measurement of the width of the resulting angular strand created during manufacture.

STK is a measurement of starting raw material thickness.

The expanding process does not alter material thickness; however, the flattening process does. The average material thickness is reduced by 10-20% after flattening. Considering that the mesh becomes completely two-dimensional after being flattened, the overall height measurement is the same as the starting material thickness plus an additional 10-20% reduction.  

How Do I Specify Sheet Size and Orientation?

  The mechanical and aesthetic properties of expanded metal mesh are influenced by the angle at which the sheet size is oriented, whether the sheet is oriented vertically or horizontally.

As a result, when specifying sheet dimensions, one should also take into account the orientation of the diamonds with respect to the sheet size in order to achieve an optimal result. These orientations are described using the terms Longway Mesh (LWM) and Shortway Mesh (SWM).   For example, when raised mesh is used as a walkway ramp platform, the surface grip is strongest when the diamonds run left-to-right underfoot.

In some applications, such as ramp platforms and walkway ramp platform surfaces made of raised mesh, the diamonds run left-to-right underfoot to provide the best surface grip.

As an alternative, it is common within the security fencing industry to mount expanded mesh fencing panels with the diamonds pointing longways toward the sky. This creates narrower openings, which prevents climbers from being able to climb and scale it.   There is a wide range of expanded metal mesh sizes and plate thicknesses available at huijinmaterials.com; you can find many specifications available there. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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