Our customers sometimes find themselves confused over what measurements they should provide in order to select the most suitable mesh pattern for their application. Ian Hutchinson, Product Manager at The Expanded Metal Company, provides a guide on how to measure and specify expanded metal...
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Raised or flattened mesh, what is the difference?
When measuring expanded metal mesh, one of the first things to determine is whether the mesh is raised or flattened. Each form has its specific set of terminologies related to their measurements. Expanded metal in its original form appears raised due to the characteristic 'slit and stretch' manufacturing process, creating angular strands that stand out from the sheet plane.
Raised mesh is valued for its angular aesthetic, providing functional advantages like enhanced grip underfoot, direction control for air, liquid, and light, and strong adhesion when used as a substrate. Common applications include walkway ramps, security fencing, decorative building cladding, and laths for render and plaster. Flattened mesh, achieved by applying heavy rolls to compress the angular strands, results in a two-dimensional sheet. This type is often preferred for applications requiring a smooth surface, such as security partitions, conical air filters, and machine guards.
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 knuckle to knuckle or center to center, is determined by the size of the tooling used in production. SWP, measured vertically, results from the overall expansion process. SWDT measures the width of the angular strand created during manufacture, while STK is the thickness of the starting raw material. Notably, the expanding process does not change material thickness directly, but mesh height can be one to two times the SWDT.
How do I measure a flattened mesh?
The primary measurements for flattened mesh include Longway Aperture (LWA), Shortway Aperture (SWA), Strand Width (SWDT), and Strand Thickness (STK). LWA measures the horizontal distance between internal aperture points, and SWA measures the vertical distance. Despite the expanding process not changing material thickness, the flattening process often reduces thickness by 10-20%, making the final height similar to the starting material thickness minus this reduction.
How do I specify sheet size and orientation?
Expanded metal mesh's mechanical and aesthetic properties vary with sheet orientation. When specifying sheet dimensions, consider the diamond orientation relative to the sheet size, using terms like Longway Mesh (LWM) and Shortway Mesh (SWM). For instance, using raised mesh in walkway ramps produces the best grip with left-to-right diamond orientation underfoot. Conversely, in security fencing, aligning the diamonds vertically creates narrower openings, making fences harder to climb. The illustrations below clarify how 2440mm LW x 1220mm SW differs from 1220mm LW x 2440mm SW.
View an example of our 2076F flattened steel mesh in a horizontal orientation here and in a vertical orientation here. You can also view our 2089 raised steel mesh in a horizontal orientation here and a vertical orientation here. Additional reading:
Dongfu Barbed Wire - Wholesale Custom Manufacturing
Perforated Metal Warping 3
How to choose the best 358 mesh fencing?
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Expanded metal baskets can be a great alternative to using sheet metal or custom wire baskets in many situations. Baskets made with expanded metal offer better durability and tensile strength than steel wire while having better drainage and airflow than sheet metal baskets. This makes expanded metal baskets almost perfect for heavy-duty parts washing processes where thin custom wire baskets wouldn’t suffice, but sheet metal would interfere too much with parts finishing processes.
However, not all expanded metal baskets are identical. When building an expanded metal basket, it’s crucial to carefully consider the mesh size—how much open space there is between solid surfaces (strands) in the expanded metal sheet, and the size/thickness of those surfaces.
If the expanded metal mesh size is too tight, it might interfere with wash processes or allow water (or other chemicals and process runoff) to collect in the basket. Too open, and parts may fall through, or the basket might be too weak. So, how can you pick the right expanded metal mesh sizes for your custom parts washing baskets? Here is a quick guide:
The Factors Behind Your Mesh Size Choices
When creating a sheet of expanded metal mesh, the manufacturer will need to consider the:
- Weight of Held Parts. Naturally, the weight the basket will be designed to hold plays a factor in how wide the space between strands can be, as well as how thick each strand needs to be. The heavier the expected load, the thicker the strands of the expanded metal mesh will need to be.
- Type of Metal Used for the Mesh. The type of metal used in the expanded metal mesh also plays a role in determining how thick or thin the strands can be and how much open space there can be between strands. For example, 304 stainless steel is sturdier than aluminum at the same sizes, so 304 SS can be made thinner and wider for the same weight tolerances. High-carbon steels are even stronger, so carbon steel expanded metal mesh can take even more weight than 304 SS mesh of the same size.
- Needs of the Wash Process. The wash process itself will heavily influence the design of a custom expanded metal mesh basket, right down to the spacing of the mesh. Many aqueous wash processes require a lot of open space to facilitate water/airflow and keep runoff from collecting in the basket (this is why custom wire baskets are usually the first option for these processes). So, for water- or chemical-based wash processes, thinner mesh with more open space is usually the go-to option. Additionally, the chemicals and temperatures used in the wash process may influence the material choice.
Some Examples of Different Mesh Size and Material Choices
Special thanks to Alro Steel for the following examples of metal mesh sizes for stainless steel, aluminum, and carbon steel:
Metal Type
Strand Width (inches)
Strand Thickness (inches)
% Open Area
Weight Capacity Per 100 Sq. Ft. (lbs.)
Carbon Steel
.072
.036
45
86
304 Stainless Steel
.080
.037
70
50
Aluminum
.094
.051
70
27
As you can see, the carbon steel example, though possessing the thinnest strands, had the highest weight capacity of all the expanded metals in the Alro Steel list. This may have been bolstered somewhat by the fact that it had the least open space, but the difference is still significant.
304 stainless steel serves as a great “all-round” option, with its ability to resist chemical attack/oxidation and moderately high tensile strength—being able to take nearly twice the weight of the aluminum expanded metal example. In most cases, the stainless steel would be the better option, unless the chemicals in the wash process were severe enough to corrode it but would not affect aluminum.
Some manufacturers may even choose to use a specialized polymer coating to protect their expanded metal baskets from corrosives so they can use stronger metals while prolonging the useful life of the basket.
Need help finding the perfect expanded metal basket for your heavy-duty parts washing and handling needs? Reach out to the experts at Marlin Steel for help and advice today!
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