Common Uses for Expanded Metal

Expanded metal is a material that many people have seen throughout their daily lives, but may not be aware of how beneficial it can be for several different building and construction applications. At Wasatch Steel, we have a wide selection of expanded steel that you can choose from to meet pretty much any need you might have. Here is a brief overview of expanded metal, how it’s made, its uses, and its benefits.

Making Expanded Metal
When you see expanded metal, you might be under the impression that it started out as a large piece of sheet metal, then a machine poked holes in it to get the mesh look. While it is true that it starts out as sheet metal, there is no process to poke holes in it (partly because it would be tedious, and partly because it would waste a lot of precious steel in the process).

To begin the process, a small sheet of metal is inserted into the expanding machine (since it’s going to be stretched, a small sheet of solid steel can make a large sheet of expanded steel). Inside the machine there is a knife pattern that cuts into the metal sheet. There are several different knife patterns available, generally in vary diamond or square shapes, and you may be able to get a custom knife pattern if you need something different.

The knife cuts into the steel and then the machine stretches the metal either vertically, horizontally, or both, to create a diamond mesh pattern. The machine ensures consistency so you get uniform metal cuts throughout the entire sheet. Shearing and stretching a small metal sheet into a large expanded metal sheet also saves a lot of steel and leaves very little waste, making it an environmentally-friendly and wallet-friendly process.

Advantages of Expanded Metal
There are hundreds of expanded metal uses in our daily lives, and many advantages to this type of metal:

• The process creates very little waste and eliminates scrap metal.
• Expanded metal allows air, fluid, or light to flow through so you can protect an area from intrusion without closing it off entirely. 
• Air, water, fluid, and dirt can easily pass through to maintain a safe non-slip surface.
• It comes in a wide variety of different steel and other metals to meet whatever specific needs you might have, whether it’s grating on the outside of an air conditioning unit, or a more durable metal that will be used for walkways. 
• Because it’s made of steel, it has an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, it is durable, and can withstand just about anything. 
• The process to create expanded metal uses a single sheet of steel from the beginning, so the finished product is seamless and won’t unravel.
• There are many different options for getting it cut to the shape and size that you need, especially when you buy from the steel supermarket at Wasatch Steel. 

Common Applications

Some of the most common places where you will see expanded metal include:

• Air or fluid filters
• Battery cells
• Ventilation systems
• Satellite and radar antennas
• Outdoor cooking or grills
• Speaker covers
• Securing walls, fences, ceilings, and floors
• Covering appliances, such as an air conditioning unit
• Reinforcing concrete
• Basement window well covers
• Stairs and walkways, especially in industrial settings
• Benches
• Heavy-duty shelving

There are so many uses for expanded steel, whether it’s for a small project around your house, a decorative accent piece in your yard, or a huge construction site, stop by the steel supermarket at Wasatch Steel to check out the enormous selection of different expanded metal available.