MicroGrid® Precision Expanded Plastics

MicroGrid® precision expanded foils from Dexmet are widely used in the Aerospace, Medical, and Automotive industries where precision open area products are essential in the success of the end product.

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Product Overview

MicroGrid® precision expanded foils from Dexmet can be used in a wide variety of applications that require an open area product.  A superior alternative to woven wire or perforated products, Dexmet materials can be found in batteries as electrode materials, in aerospace for lightning protection or EMI shielding, or even automobiles for air and hydraulic filtration application. All the materials can be tailored to meet mechanical and electrical performance parameters.  Whether it's shielding effectiveness for EMI protection or conductivity for ligtning strike midigation, the infinitely variable process of expanding can be fine tuned to meet specific performance criteria. Expanded foils are available in most ductile metals or we can work with your proprietary materials. Metals we regularly produce include: aluminum, copper, nickel, cold rolled steel, stainless steel (302, 316, 409, 430), titanium, brass, zinc, Monel™.

  • One-piece, single-unit structure
  • Eliminates unraveling and contact resistance of woven mesh
  • Superior shielding, electrical and heat transfer properties
  • Wide range of sizes, patterns, angles and materials
  • Specialized process variations, such as flattening, pulling, and annealing available

Dexmet's typical standard expanded metal range can have diamond mesh sizes from .031" to .500″ (LWD). Open Area can range from as low as 30% to as high as 95%. The wide range in open areas can facilitate the use in laminations or coatings with a variety of other materials which may require a material to expand, contract or flex. Applications with unique parameters and requirments are perfect for expanded materials. Dexmet’s extensive manufacturing resources can accommodate many process variations for metal materials in a range of finished thicknesses.

How Expanded Materials are Produced

Expanded metal is made by a process of "slit and stretch". Solid foils are fed into the machine and the tool die slits the material and pushes it away from the solid sheet in a single stroke of the machine. A single stroke of the machine produces half the diamond geometry. The material is then processed through a set of calendering rollers which can be adjusted to the desired final thickness. The shape, form and number of openings are dictated by the tool geometry and the feed rate of the material.

LWD and SWD technical chart

Configurations and Specifications

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View Chart in Inches     View Chart in Millimeters

Investigate The Wide Range Of Tool Codes Available For A Fully Configurable Expanded Product

Dexmet has a wide variety of tooling configurations. Download a full list of tool geometries and the range of opening sizes, percentages of open areas and thicknesses that can be achieve with each of these Tool Codes to dial in on a product that meets your requirements.

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Don't Just Take Our Word for It

“Chris Haiss, Michael Marinaro, Bill Walter and Jeremy Weisinger—along with others we work with—are always willing to roll up their sleeves and dive into problems. Their willingness to get really involved in our business—which is not a trait of every consultant out there –is what keeps us a happy customer.”

Phillip Kennedy, IT Manager, North America
Pandora Jewelry

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