Expanded metal mesh

Metal Thickness

Galvanizing - Hot dip galvanizing is primarily a protective coating and may have a rough uneven appearance. Where smooth finish is required, other coatings and protective methods should be used. Certain small expanded metal styles do not lend themselves to hot dip galvanizing because the openings become filled with zinc. Warping or distortion may occur during hot dip galvanizing due to the heat of the molten zinc.For these reasons patterns lighter than 18 gauge, with openings of 1/2" or less or any patterns with a weight per square foot of 0.45 lbs or less are not recommended to be galvanized.

Painting, Lacquering, Plastic Coating - Be sure the coating used has good surface tension or wetting properties and viscosity to prevent any pullback from metal edges and webbing-in of diamonds.

Porcelain Enamel - Porcelain enamels can be readily applied to expanded metal. Forming, cutting, welding and drilling should be done before applying the finish. All surfaces should be covered.

Anodizing - A surface treatment for aluminum where an oxide coating is added electrochemically to the metal. For interior abrasion resistance a .0025" coating is necessary. Medium abrasion applications for interior or maintained exteriors need a .0004" coating. Use a .0008" coating for exteriors.

Cleaning - Carbon expanded metal is lightly oiled and should be cleaned before finishing. The most common cleaning method is an acid or solvent bath with a water rinse. For aluminum, use a non-etching chemical or detergent, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

Finishes:

Bond shearing can sometimes be performed, with limitations. This is a secondary process.

Bond Shearing

Stock size sheets can be random sheared when a closer tolerance is required. This is a secondary process.

Random Shearing

Where tolerances permit, machine run non standard sheet sizes are manufactured to the same tolerances as stock size sheets

Machine Run

Non Standard Sheets

Flattened sheet thickness shall be plus or minus 10% of published thickness or strand thickness

Flattening

Sheets That have to be perfectly square must go through a secondary process of shearing.

LWD: 1/16" per foot of length

SWD: 1/16" per foot of Width

Expanded metal sheets are not perfectly square as manufactured. Stock size sheets and machine run non standard size sheets will be produced to the following tolerances

Out of Square

3/32" per foot of length

Flattened Mesh

1/16" per foot of length

Raised Mesh

Measured by placing a straight edge along the concave side of the sheet parallel to the LWD, touching both ends. The maximum distance from the edge expanded metal to the straight edge is the camber

Camber

SWD: Plus 1/4" minus 0" per foot of width

Grating

LWD: Plus 3/4" minus 0"

SWD: Plus 1/4" minus 0" per foot of Width

Flattened Mesh

LWD: Plus 3/4 minus 0"

SWD: Plus 1/4" minus 0" per foot of width

Raised Mesh

Expanded metal: