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Expanded Metals
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Expanded Metals For Grills / Smokers
Grill manufacturers throughout the world understand that AMICO expanded metal is a superior cooking surface. Let us design a custom Ex Metal stocking program for your company.
Trailers / Haulers
Need an EX Metal supplier that can keep up with your demand? AMICO is the largest Expanded Metal manufacturer in North America and can ship truckloads to your location daily.
Hunting / Tree Stands
Manufacturers of outdoor products require specific material and unique shapes. Let us custom cut your expanded metal and stock it for a just-in-time-delivery program.
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What is Expanded Metal?
Expanded Metal is a sheet of metal that has been cut and stretched with a regular pattern of diamond-shaped openings. The metal is then mechanically opened up to form a sheet that has a much larger surface area than the original metal sheet. This makes expanded metal an ideal material for use in a variety of applications, including fencing, screens, and grating.
How is Expanded Metal made?
Expanded metal is made from a flat piece of sheet metal, typically steel. The sheet is inserted into a machine and then the material is stretched in two different directions to form diamond-shaped openings. A blade then cuts through the openings in between each point on the diamond, producing a pattern that resembles fish scales.
Expanded Metal Applications
Expanded Metal has many uses and is becoming even more popular. Some of the most common uses are listed here.
- Security Fencing
- Screening
- Collars or Trusses for Metal Roofs
- Grating for walkways over tanks or stillages (docks) at manufacturing plants
- Tool Grinding Wheel Guards
- Chutes, Covers and Sifters
Different Types of Expanded Metal
There are a few different types of expanded metals. Each one has different sizes and shapes each with its own unique properties.
–Flattened Expanded Metal: This is the most common and inexpensive type of expanded metal. It is created by cutting vertical lines in between points to make diamond-shaped openings. While it is the least expensive, flat expanded metal does not have strength or durability because of how thin and light it is.
–Standard Expanded Sheet: This is a more expensive version of expanded metal. It is created by cutting diamond shapes within a square grid. The standard expanded metal has a high strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance while being cost-effective.
–Expanded Metal Grating: Expanded metal grating is an economical solution for industrial walking surfaces. It is made with a heavier-gauge metal and has a more open diamond shape that allows for better drainage and air circulation.
–Ribbon Expanded Metal: Ribbon expanded metal has a higher resistance to wear and tear because of the way it is made. The diamond-shaped openings are cut in horizontal lines, which gives it more stability and strength than flat expanded metal.
–Raised Expanded Metal: Raised expanded metal goes through the process of slitting and stretching in a longitudinal direction in order to increase its strength and stability.