About Expanded Metal Sheet Making
- Expanded metal refers to stock metal sheared via a press. The shearing process stretches the metal, creating diamond-shaped voids between linking metal bars.
- Sheet metal first feeds through a machine containing a cylindrical roller with a cutting device beneath it. The cutting device uses spikes in a triangular configuration to penetrate the sheet metal. As the sheet metal continues to roll through, the spikes expand the holes.
- The cutting device in the press lifts and falls to cut the sheet metal, then turns right to left to alternate the diamond cuts in the sheet. Press machines can typically be programmed to alter the diamond patterns and shapes to customize them to the needs of a specific product.
