Expanded Metal Sheet & Grating

Expanded Metal Grate

MarCo Specialty Steel is a leading supplier of expanded metal sheet and expanded metal grating (grate). We inventory thousands of sheets of expanded metal and expanded metal grating and catwalk, ready for immediate shipment from our centrally located warehouse.

Our inventory is constantly evolving and expanding everyday to meet the changing needs of our customers around the country and around the world. All of our material meets the rigorous EMMA Standard 557-99 and ASTM F-1267. If required, most specifications are available as domestically produced and meet the “Buy American Recovery Act” provisions, or as DFAR compliant (DFAR Clause 252.225-7014.) Contact one of our experienced sales staff to discuss how we can work together to meet your specific needs.

Expanded Metal is one of our most versatile product lines and our most economical products as well. The applications for Expanded Metal are as endless as the benefits gained.

Expanded Metal is made from sheets or coils of solid metal that are slit and stretched with each stroke of the upper die, forming a raised diamond pattern. This pattern is called regular or standard. The pattern varies by the gauge and type of material and the size of the diamond. The sheets can also be flattened by rollers for an optional style by passing them through a cold, roll reducing mill.

1/4" x #18 Flat

1/2" x #13 Flat

3/4" x #9 Flat

The lightweight properties and open area percentages of Expanded Metal allow it to be easily formed for a variety of energy saving applications such as light diffusers, screens, grilles and filters. When you add it's quality of strength to this list, you also make it popular for panel security enclosures, guards, fixtures and more.

Uses for Expanded Metal Products

U-Edging for Expanded Metal

	DESCRIPTION	Strand Width (A)	Strand Width (B)	LENGTH (C)	Gauge	WEIGHT(Kgs)
	U-Channel 1/2x1/8x144 CS	1/8"	1/2”	144”	18	0.79
	U-Channel 1x1/4x144 CS	1/4"	1"	144”	18	1.88
	U-Channel 1x1/8x144 CS	1/8"	1"	144”	18	1.88
	U-Channel 1x1/16x144 CS	1/16"	1"	144”	18	1.88

Expanded Metal Grating and Catwalk

Grating is heavy duty expanded metal produced from carbon steel sheet and plate which contains no joints or welds, as each sheet is a single piece of sturdy steel. Lightweight and economical, expanded metal grating is ideal for use wherever a strong, durable, lightweight surface is needed. It is the standard product specified by engineers for use in catwalks, ramps, stairs, platforms, heavy duty shelving, truck-cab safety screens, ship and off-shore rig flooring and in partitions where high security is important. The high percentage of open area, characteristic of expanded metal grating, allows snow, water and oil to drain off easily, thus maintaining the excellent slip resistant surface. The same high percentage of open area also allows excellent passage of heat and light, and contributes to walkway cleanliness. Where building maintenance and safety are important considerations, these features are outstanding.

Expanded Metal Coils (Reverse Diamond)

Expanded Metal made continuous from coil in Reverse Diamond where the LWD is parallel to the width of the material and the SWD is parallel to the length. Reverse Diamond can be run in any width up to 60” wide. Many small diamond designs are only manufactured as Reverse Diamond styles. This is particularly suited for the manufacturing of filters, chimney caps, and gutter guards.

Architectural Expanded Metal and Green Building Design

As the use of expanded materials broadens in building construction, architects across the country collaborate with Marco daily for fresh ideas and leading technologies. As an added bonus, our Expanded Metal products can help you achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits and certification meeting the following objectives.

• Reducing energy in use.
• Minimizing external pollution and environmental damage.
• Reducing embodied energy and resource depletion.
• Minimizing internal pollution and damage to health.

Marco expanded metal, made with recycled content, can help you achieve any or all of these objectives while increasing design style and reducing your budget now and in the future. Whether you use metal to do a decorative and energy-saving building façade or canopy or incorporate interior metal into wall and ceiling panels to improve air quality, you have an incredible resource in Marco Specialty Steel.

Value Added Services

Fabricated Items:
Catwalk • Guard Screens • Shelving • Stair Treads

We offer the following additional "value added" services for your Expanded Metal:

Definitions

Diamond or Opening

This is the description of the open area formed by strands and bonds. Normally the open area is diamond shaped.

Bond

The point where adjacent strands intersect. The bond is always twice the width of the strand.

SWD or SWO

Short way of diamond, or short way of opening is the dimension measured across the sheet in a direction parallel to the smallest dimension of the diamond.

LWD or LWO

Long way of diamond or long way of opening is the dimension measured across the sheet in a direction parallel to the largest dimension of the diamond.

Mesh

This is the nominal distance from the mid-point of one bond to the mid-point of the next bond measured across the SWD. Mesh is expressed in inches.

Opening Size

The area enclosed by bonds and strands.

Overall Thickness

This is the finished thickness and often determines the selection of framing members.

Percent of Open Area

These important relative percentages are used by designers to calculate the degree with which light or air can pass through a piece of expanded metal.

Pitch

The measurement from a point on one diamond to the same point on an adjacent diamond.

Strand

The single metal strip which forms the border of the diamond, or opening. Strand width is the amount of material advanced for expanding as differentiated from strand thickness which is the thickness of metal from which the expanded metal is produced.

Style

The gauge or thickness of metal from which expanded metal is made. Usually, but not always, this conforms to manufacturer's standard gauges. Style is expressed by a number. Grating style is expressed in pounds per square foot.

Formability

Each piece should be able to take a 90 degree bend with a 1/4 inch inside radius in either direction, without fracture.

Leveling

All expanded metal products except grating are leveled after having been expanded.

Out of Square

Expanded metal sheets are generally not perfectly square when finished. Sheets must be re-squared by shearing on all sides for perfect squareness. Reshearing at the mill is not usually done since most sheets are sheared to size by the customer.

Camber

Bow in sheet. It is measured by placing a straight edge along the concave side of the sheet parallel to LWD, touching both ends of the sheet. The maximum distance between the edge of the expanded metal and the straight edge is the camber. A sheet may be within tolerance and still have camber.

Regular Expanded Metal

Sheet simultaneously slit and stretched into a grid, non-raveling open mesh. It is readily available in carbon steel, aluminum, and stainless steel.

Flattened Expanded Metal

Manufactured by processing regular expanded metal in a rolling mill. This rolling reduces the thickness of the sheet and provides a smooth flat surface.

Expanded Metal Grating

Sheet or plate expanded into a structural open grating ideal for catwalk and platform application.

Decorative Expanded Metal

Manufactured with unique shaped openings which posses great appeal for architects and designers.

Stair Treads

Expanded metal grating stair treads are fabricated using 4# grating, angles and bars. They are shipped ready for installation on the job.

Finishing

Limited finishes can be accomplished at manufacturing plants. This includes hot dip galvanizing and pre-galvanizing.

Sheet Size

While expanded metal can be manufactured in many varying sheet sizes, practical limitations are such that it is wise to select sheet sizes shown by catalog.

Please review the following Ordering Information:

Consider:

• Application or use of product
• Physical requirements
  A. percent of open area B. environment C. loading

Please Specify:

• Material: carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel 316 or 304, etc.
• Item No.: typically expanded metal or grating is specified like the following examples:
  • (1/2 #18 F 4' SWD x 8' LWD Carbon Steel)
  • 1/2 = short way of diamond dimension
  • #18 = gauge
  • "F" = flattened ("S" would indicate standard)
  • 4' SWD x 8' LWD = size of sheet width x length
  • Carbon Steel = material
  • (ie. 4.0# Catwalk 10' SWD x 2' LWD Carbon Steel)
  • 4.0# = wt/per sq. foot of catwalk or grating
  • 10' SWD x 2' LWD = size of sheet width x length
• Quantity: number of pieces - full size or cut pieces required.
• Shearing: bond or random . Please note tolerances.
• Finish: hot-dipped galvanized, special, if any
• Special Fabrication: circle shearing, cut outs, etc., if any
• Accessories: U-Edging (state part no.)
• Stair Tread (state style and size)
• Terminology & Shearing