Description of expanded metal mesh

Expanded metal mesh is an excellent option for custom wire baskets that need more tensile strength than wires can provide, and more open space than what sheet metal offers without wasting metal. However, there may be some confusion about how expanded metal mesh is measured. Stainless steel expanded metal mesh is made of a single solid sheet of material that has been compressed and stretched. The expanded metal grating is useful for heavyweight custom parts washing applications, as well as providing open space for air flow and drainage.

The application of expanded metal mesh

The choice between flattened and standard expanded metal mesh depends on the application. Standard expanded metal is often more useful for parts washing applications because the raised centers of the bonds prevent liquids from pooling in the basket. Flattened expanded metal, on the other hand, may be more useful for certain parts handling applications or for making larger custom mesh baskets slightly lighter by thinning out the metal mesh.

Expanded Metal Mesh Terms

• Strands. This is the term for the solid metal portions of the expanded metal grating. In the diagram at the top of the article, the strands are 0.107" wide.
• Bonds. This is the term for intersections of strands.
• Short Way of Design (SWD). The distance between the centers of bond strands in the mesh when measured along the short diamond diagonal. To illustrate this, in a diamond pattern shape like “<>,” the SWD would be measured from top to bottom. In the diagram above, the SWD would be approximately 0.372" (0.265" SWO plus 0.107" of strand thickness).
• Long Way of Design (LWD). The distance between the centers of bond strands in the mesh when measured along the long diamond diagonal. In a diamond pattern shape “<>,” LWD would be measured from right to left. In the diagram above, the LWD would be approximately 1.107" (1" LWO plus 0.107" of strand thickness).
• Short Way of Opening (SWO). The distance between the inside edges between bonds when measured across the short diamond diagonal. The difference from SWD is that SWO measures open space, while SWD measures the space from the center of one bond strand to the next. In the diagram above, the SWO would be 0.265".
• Long Way of Opening (LWO). The distance between the inside edges between bond strands when measured across the long diamond diagonal. Like with SWO, the difference between LWO and LWD is that LWO measures open space only, while LWD measures to the center of a bond strand. In the diagram above, the LWO would be 1".
• Strand Thickness. A measure of the thickness of a strand of expanded metal.
• Strand Width. How wide a strand of expanded metal is.