Comparing expanded materials to other open area products on the market.
Expanded material can be produced thinner than any other open area materials in the industry, making it the best solution for lightweight applications. The unique “slit & stretch” expansion process produces zero scrap and can achieve open areas up to 95% with very small, accurate, openings. In addition, the expansion process yields more material output than input, thus making it a very cost effective process.
Perforated material is better suited for applications requiring less than 40% open area. The process yields far more scrap than expanding because scrap is directly related to the amount of open area. The tooling is also more complex and costly to produce with higher rebuild costs making this process far more expensive.
Wire mesh and other woven products tend to be stronger than expanded materials but are limited on how thin they can be produced because of the over under aspect of the weaving process. Openings are inconsistent due to moving strands making it a poor choice for applications that require controlled openings. Woven material also has a tendency to fray or unravel during secondary processing making it difficult to cut patterns or shapes.