Expanded metal is a generic term that refers to products that have been formed into a plate or tube shape by rolling or other mechanical processes during the manufacturing process of a metal material.

As well as rolling, expanded metal can also be extruded, drawn, and forged in plastic working processes, and can be produced either cold or hot, depending on the temperature of production.

The use of expanded metal can be found in a wide variety of applications. In addition to sheet and gauge metal, expanded metal can also be formed into strips, bars, wires, and other shapes.

Here are the most common uses of expanded metal :

Security: Expanded metal is often used for security purposes like fences and gates because it keeps things safe.

Walkways and Steps: People use it for walkways and steps because it’s not slippery and water can drain through it.

Ventilation: In factories and big buildings, it’s used for floors so air can flow and things stay cool.

Decorations: Some folks like to use it to make things look nice on walls or ceilings.

Storage Racks: In warehouses, it helps make sturdy shelves to keep things organized.

Expanded metal has several distinctive characteristics that make it a popular material for various applications:

Open Design: Expanded metal is created by cutting and stretching a sheet of metal, forming a pattern of diamond-shaped openings. This open design allows for good airflow, visibility, and light transmission while maintaining strength.

Strength and Rigidity: Despite its open structure, expanded metal is strong and rigid. It can support heavy loads and is often used in applications requiring structural integrity, such as walkways and safety barriers.

Lightweight: Expanded metal is relatively lightweight compared to solid metal sheets of similar thickness. This characteristic makes it easier to handle and install, reducing overall structural weight.

Customizable: Manufacturers can produce expanded metal with various patterns, hole sizes, and materials to meet specific application requirements. This customization allows for versatility in design and functionality.

Material Variety: Expanded metal can be made from a wide range of materials, including steel, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, and more. The choice of material depends on factors like corrosion resistance, strength, and aesthetics.

 

The Huijin Company is a trusted provider of quality Expanded Metal Products. With their extensive knowledge and commitment to excellence, they have become a leading supplier to businesses across a variety of industries. They have the perfect solution for your needs, whether you need it for architectural, industrial, filtration, or security applications. At Huijin Company, they understand the varied applications of expanded metal. Among the kinds of expanded metals they manufacture and sell are flat expanded metals, standard expanded metals, expanded gratings, 3/4#9 expanded metal, galvanized expanded metals, steel expanded metals, aluminum expanded metals, etc. Regardless of your project specifications, size, pattern, or material, their comprehensive range of expanded metal products caters to them all.

 

 

With Expanded Technologies, you can get quality expanded metals for HVAC/IAQ filtration. Their expanded metals support pleats and form the basis for filters worldwide. In order to precisely customize any pattern, shape, or size, they design, engineer, and build our high-precision machinery, equipment, and tooling in-house. Expanded metals can be produced to your exact specifications and within tolerances of one eighth of an inch, which is one thousandth of an inch.

 

 

With over three decades of experience in the stamped metals industry, CThru’s management team identified an opportunity to address the specific needs of their clients in the aerospace, renewable power, automotive, filtration, and various other industries. These clients often required expanded metal for a range of applications, including air and liquid filtration, as well as electrical resistivity and conductivity as a foundational element for lightning strike protection.

Recognizing the paramount importance of quality and reliability in these critical applications, CThru embarked on a mission to revolutionize the expanded metal industry. Armed with their extensive engineering expertise, they sought to bring 21st-century precision and innovation to an industry with a century-old legacy. Their commitment to delivering top-notch products at cost-effective prices sets them apart as leaders in the field.

 

 

NEW METALS stands as one of North America’s largest expanded metal manufacturers, recognized for its expansive capabilities and product range.

Their production portfolio encompasses a comprehensive line of expanded metal, perforated metal, expanded metal grating, and fabricated assemblies. The convenience of readily available inventory allows for efficient product shipments, with distribution points strategically positioned in Steel Service Centers across the United States, Mexico, and Latin America.

NEW METALS distinguishes itself through an extensive offering of specialty materials and value-added services. Their expertise extends to welding and the fabrication of custom metal components and assemblies, providing tailored solutions to meet diverse industrial needs. With a commitment to excellence, NEW METALS serves as a dependable partner in the metal manufacturing industry.

 

 

Marco Specialty Steel is a leading supplier of stainless steel expanded metal in the U.S. and is capable of providing a wide range of high-quality expanded metal products containing 304 and 316 stainless steel with a variety of thicknesses, patterns, and design options. Additionally, they offer a number of expanded metal product lines, such as carbon steel, galvanized metal, aluminum, metal grating, and architectural products. They are always working to expand their large inventory to ensure they are meeting the ever-changing needs of their customers.

 

 

In 1962, Metalex, a company powered by UPG, was founded by two local entrepreneurs in Libertyville, Illinois. They built their company with one machine in a small factory on the east edge of town with a diverse and complementary set of salesmanship and engineering skills. Originally, Metalex occupied a former horse farm in south Libertyville, but moved into a larger facility in 1979.

 

As Metalex continued to grow, it added to the original building in 1983, expanding the total square footage to 150,000 and adding 23 lines, a full machine shop, and a secondary processing department that included shearing, stamping and plasma cutting. A manufacturer of perforated metal tubes and perforated metal tubes primarily for fluid filtration, Metalex acquired Arcor in 2005.

 

 

Their company was established over 60 years ago and has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of expanded metal filters. With over 100,000 square feet across three locations, Wallner Expac has evolved from a stamping shop into a state-of-the-art, world-class manufacturing company. Their success is based on quality craftsmanship, a highly skilled workforce, a dedicated management team, and their commitment to total customer satisfaction, as they are a 100% employee-owned company.

 

 

The expanded metal they manufacture can be either flattened or unflattened. This pattern is called standard or unflattened, because it is made from sheets of solid metal that are slit and stretched with each stroke of an upper die, forming raised diamond patterns. The pattern is determined by the gauge and type of material, as well as the diamond size. By passing unflattened material through cold reducing mill rolls, the sheets can also be flattened.