A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
Accessory
Components designed to be used in the assembly of handrail systems as accessory items. Includes items such as Anchor Plates, Saddles, Bracket Plates, Square Tube Corners and anodized aluminum pipe.
AISI
American Iron and Steel Institute.
Alloy
A material with metallic properties, composed of two or more elements of which at least one is a metal.
Anchor - Grating
A device by which grating is attached to its supports.
Angle
This accessory typically is a 90° angle with either equal or unequal legs. Used as a component for some types of stair treads as well as embed angle.
Annealed Wire
Wire that is cold-drawn to a smaller size, then softened through high temperature treatment (1200° F for low carbon steel). This reduces its unit strength and increases its elongation to its maximum.
Annealing
The heating and controlled cooling of a material to reduce hardness or obtain desired mechanical, physical or other properties.
ASTM
American Society for Testing Material. An organization for issuing standard specifications on materials, including metals and alloys.
Austenitic
Stainless steel with non-magnetic properties and is very resistance to corrosion due to its nickel content and higher levels of chromium. Austenitic stainless steels are hardened and strengthened through cold working rather than heat treatment and ductility is excellent. The two most common grades are 304 and 316.
B
Ball Screen
Wire cloth screen placed below a vibrating screen with steel or rubber balls or plastic discs, larger than the top and bottom openings, which are set in motion on this deck, clearing clogged material in the vibrating screen above.
Balls and Hemispheres
Decorative fittings, rounds or half-rounds, also known as spheres and hemispheres.
Band
A flat bar welded to a side or end of a grating panel or along the line of a cutout and extending neither above nor below the bearing bars.
Banding
Material which is cut to length and mounted to the end of cut bearing bars to give a finished appearance and protect the bearing bars from twisting.
Bar
Metal grating products constructed with a series of load bearing bars that are attached together in a specified pattern by cross bars.
Bar Grating
Treads for stairs made from bar grating products.
Beam Flange
The width of the flange that forms the top and the bottom of an I Beam.
Bearing Bars
Load-carrying bars made from steel strip or slit sheet or from rolled or extruded aluminum and extending in the direction of the grating span.
Bearing Bar Centers
The distance center to center of the bearing bars.
Bearing Bar Color
This characteristic identifies the color of the bearing bars that are used in pultruded fiberglass grating.
Bearing Bar Height
The bearing bar height, also known as bearing bar depth, is measured from the bottom of the bearing bar to the top.
Bearing Bar Shape
This characteristic is used in grating products to identify the shape of a bearing bar in metal bar grating and fiberglass pultruded grating products. The most common bearing bar shapes are rectangular, T-bar and I-Bar.
Bearing Bar Spacing
Center to center bar spacing is the distance from the center of one bearing bar to the center of the next bearing bar.
Bearing Bar Thickness
This characteristic identifies the thickness of each bearing bar for bar grating items.
Bird Screening
Term used in sheet metal and louver trades to designate a line of wire cloth materials used to keep animals and debris out of various spaces. Screening is usually a 2 mesh with wire sizes from .041 to .080 in alloys of aluminum, brass, copper, galvanized or stainless steel.
Blinding
Filling in and clogging of opening caused by entrapment of particles from the filtered material. The opening becomes "blind" to the process flow.
Bolt Size
The size of the bolt and /or length of stud in reference to the structural shapes of fiberglass studs and nuts.
Bolting Cloth
A group of industrial wire cloth specifications, woven of extremely smooth and durable stainless steel with a plain square mesh pattern. Wire diameter is lighter than mill grade and a high percentage of open area is typical. It is used for dry or wet sifting and separating.
Bond
The intersection of two strands in an expanded metal sheet.
Bond Shearing
Cutting sheets to size so that the holes are closed along the margins. Bond shearing is restricted by the spacing of the openings in the sheet.
Bottom Flange Space
Pultruded Fiberglass Grating is available in both "I-Bar" and "T-Bar" shapes which incorporate a top and bottom flange. This term refers to the space between the bottom flange of adjacent bearing bars.
Bracket
Also known as handrail brackets, they are used in the attachment of railings to adjacent walls or similar structures plus a variety of types and styles.
Bran Duster Cloth
Plain-weave steel wire cloth of medium mesh sizes in market grade diameters. Generally supplied in rolls of 24", 30", or 36" wide for use in flour mills.
Brinell Hardness Test
A standard method of measuring the hardness of materials. The smooth surface of the metal is subjected to indentation by a hardened steel ball under pressure. The diameter of the indentation in the material surface is then measured by a microscope and the hardness value is read from a chart or determined by a prescribed formula.
C
Calendering
A rolling operation which flattens the knuckles of wire cloth giving it a smoother surface.
Camber
A slight bow which can occur during manufacturing and results in an out-of-square condition.
Carbon Steel
Steel whose major properties depend on its carbon content.
Carrier Plates
Sold in pairs and typically punched with a slot and a hole for mounting to stringers, these accessories are "U" shaped to fit into the channel of plank grating and used to fabricate stair treads.
Chain Saw Spark Arrester Screen
Stainless steel wire cloth with .022" opening (26 mesh/.016" dia.).
Channel
A structural shape produced with two legs typically set at 90 degrees against a plate to form a channel.
Channel Depth
This characteristic identifies the depth in inches of the side channel for plank grating items.
Channel Size
The depth of a channel typically used in reference to the structural shape of channel.
Channel Width
The width of a channel typically used in reference to the structural shape of channel.
Clear Span
Clear span is the distance between the gratings supporting members measured from the inside point of one support to the inside point of the next support. Clear span is the unsupported section of the grating and is a critical factor in determining a gratings load characteristics.
Clips, Anchors
These accessories are used to attach primary products, typically gratings to a supporting structure.
Coarse Mesh
Wire cloth with wire mesh count of less than 30x30.
Coin
To stamp wire cloth in order to shape or compact it. Wire mesh discs can be coined at the edges to lock the wires together and reduce raveling.
Cold-Rolled Sheet
In perforating, a product produced from hot-rolled, pickled coil that has been given substantial cold reduction at room temperature. The resulting product usually requires further processing to make it suitable for most common applications. The usual end product is characterized by improved surface, greater uniformity in thickness and improved mechanical properties as compared with hot-rolled sheet.
Cold Working
Changing the structure and shape of steel by applying stress at low temperature.
Color
The standard colors are gray, yellow or green. Other colors are available.
Commercial Quality Steel
Steel with a carbon limit at 0.15 max. and a standard quality carbon steel sheet. The characteristics of commercial quality steel are defined by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).
Confinement Mesh
Durable wire cloth livestock flooring woven to a flat-top weave using galvanized wire. Designed with a high percentage of open space, flooring not only helps reduce time and labor costs, but also keeps a drier, healthier environment for animals.
Construction
This characteristic identifies how the bearing bars in bar grating are attached to the cross bars - welded, press locked, locked by swaging, riveted or clinched.
Construction Type
Identifies how wire mesh is constructed and identifies the type of weave for woven products.
Count
The number of openings per linear inch measured from the center of any wire.
Crimp
Undulations in warp and fill wires which hold each other in place.
Cross Bars
The connecting bars made from steel strip, slit sheet, rolled bars or rolled or extruded aluminum which extend across the bearing bars usually perpendicular to them. They may be bent into a corrugated or sinuous patter and where they intersect the bearing bars, are welded, forged or mechanically locked to them.
Cross Bar Centers
The distance center to center of the cross bars.
Cross Bar Color
Pultruded fiberglass grating is available in several colors that normally correspond to the specific type of resin system being used. Typical colors are gray or yellow.
Cross Bar Size
This refers to the size of the cross bar used in items of pultruded fiberglass grating. The size and type of cross bar may vary depending on the size, shape and spacing of the bearing bars.
Cross Bar Spacing
Center to center cross bar spacing is the distance from the center of one cross bar to the center of next cross bar.
Cross Bar Surface
Pultruded fiberglass grating is available with a flush top cross bar in some of the grating series. The cross bars have a flat top surface that is normally finished to match the bearing bars either with a smooth or grit surface.
Cross Bar Type
There are a number of different types of cross bars that are used in the manufacturing of bar grating and pultruded fiberglass grating. These vary depending on the size and spacing of the grating as well as the method of manufacture. Some common types are round, rectangular and twisted square rod.
Cross Wire
The wires in wire cloth that run parallel to the width (i.e. the short side of the roll or sheet) opposite of line wire.
Crushing
Size reduction of a material into particles that are still relatively coarse in dimensions.
Cure
To change the properties of a polymeric system into a more stable, useable condition by use of heat, radiation or chemical additives.
D
Decorative Expanded Metal
Manufactured with unique shaped openings which possesses great appeal for architects and designers.
Decorative
Perforated metal or expanded metal in a decorative pattern.
Decorative Mesh
Wire mesh products produced in a pattern designed for aesthetic value specifically for appearance.
Deflection
The amount of "give" or sag the grating undergoes with a given weight load. The standard acceptable deflection for most bar gratings is 1/4 inch.
Delinter Screen
Galvanized wire cloth in 8 x 8 mesh with .032 diameter wire. Used in cotton mills to polish lint from cotton.
Design Size LWD
LWD (Long Way of the Diamond) is the distance across the largest dimension of the expanded metal diamond measured halfway between the diamonds.
Design Size SWD
SWD (Short Way of the Diamond) is the distance from an outside point on a bond to a corresponding outside point on the following bond across the short distance of the expanded metal diamond opening. Sometimes called pitch. Also the distance across all of the short openings of all of the diamonds in the sheet.
Designer Textured Metals
Metal sheets with textured and/or colored finishes.
Diamond or Opening
This is the description of the expanded metal open area formed by strands and bonds. Normally the open area is diamond shaped.
Diamond Mesh
A popular expanded metal diamond-pattern cloth (commonly 1.5" opening) generally using .135" dia. wire (10 ga.) in an intermediate crimp weave. Used for window and machine guards or grilles.
Discs
Round flat components used on the end of a handrail. They are available in several different diameter sizes and thicknesses.
Double Crimp
Corrugations in both warp and shute wires to lock wire in position.
Double Shoot
"Slotted opening" screen which due to particular application and/or length of the slot requires two shute wires in adjacent crimps followed by the long slot - and repeated. Also referred to as "double bar".
Double Weave
Wire cloth with equal crimps in both warp and shute wires to lock the wires in position using pre-crimped wire. Also referred to as "over and under," "double crimp" and "regular crimp". Normally the material flow is at right angles to the deep crimp.
Drawing
In perforating, the shaping of a flat metal blank into the desired contour by causing the metal to flow over a draw ring and around a punch. The flow of metal is restrained by sufficient blank-holder pressure to prevent the blank from buckling.
Drawing
Mechanically forming metal by tension through or in a die.
Drawing Quality
(DQ) Flat-rolled products produced from either deep drawing rimmed steel or extra deep drawing aluminum killed steels. Special rolling and processing operations aid in producing a product that can withstand extreme pressing, drawing or forming, etc., without creating defects. The characteristics of drawing quality steel are defined by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).
Ductility
The ability of a material to be stretched into a new shape without it breaking.
Dutch Weave
Filter cloth with warp wires of larger diameter than the shute wires. While the warp wires remain straight, adjacent shoot wires slightly overlap forming a dense, strong material with small, irregular and twisting passageways that appear triangular when diagonally viewing the material. There are no straight through openings and the weave may be plain or twilled. Also referred to as "corduroy filter cloth."
E
Edge Banding Shape
The shape (configuration) of edge banding for grating products. Typically a flat bar but may also be identified as a Type A (female) or Type B (male) banding in some plank grating products.
Electro Galvanized
An electrical plating process that provides a thin, even coating of zinc over the surface of carbon steel wire cloth. Recommended for counts greater than eight (8) wire mesh, where galvanized-after weaving is not possible.
Elevated Floor Pedestals
Designed as either fixed or adjustable pedestals, these products fit into the underside of molded grating and provide support for elevated flooring.
Embed Angle
A fiberglass structural shape designed to be embedded in concrete to provide a shelf for a grating product to sit on.
Embrittlement
Reduction in ductility of materials due to exposure to certain environments or temperatures.
End Pattern
The pattern of the perforations at the beginning and the end of the sheet that are either finished or unfinished. An unfinished end pattern is standard. A finished end pattern requires special tooling and is typically more expensive.
End Plates
Sold in pairs and typically pre-punched with a slot and a hole, these are the components that are attached to the end of a piece of grating to make a stair tread. They are typically flat plates used with bar grating and some types of plank grating.
Endplate Size
This refers to the size of the endplate used on stair treads made from bar grating that is welded, press-locked or locked by swaging. There are a series of standard size endplates that are pre-punched with a slot and hole for mounting purposes.
Endplate Attached
Bar grating stair treads come in a finished form with endplates attached to the tread. Stair treads can also be made without endplates attached if they are going correctly welded in place.
End Stagger
A term used to describe a perforated configuration of elongated aperatures where the short axes of the aperatures fall in a line on every row, but the long axis of only every other row fall in line.
Equal Leg Angle
A structural shape produced with two legs typically set against each other at a 90 degree angle.
Expanded Catwalk
Grating products created through an expanded metal process on heavy plate.
Expanded Grating Stairtreads
Treads for stairs made from expanded grating products.
Expanded Metal
A metal sheet that is simultaneously slit and stretched into a rigid, non-raveling open mesh to create diamond shaped patterns.
Expanded Metal Grating
A sheet or plate expanded into a structural open grating ideal for catwalk and platform application. Certain expanded metal grating products can be flattened.
Expanded Style
This characteristic identifies the accepted description of an Expanded Metal pattern. For standard and flattened products, the style describes the size of the design and the gauge of expanded material. For expanded grating it is the weight per square foot.
Expanded Type
This characteristic identifies the broad type of expanded metal - standard, flattened or decorative.
F
Fanning Mill Cloth
Wire cloth used for sizing and grading various types of seed, peas, beans, etc. or for separation of other lightweight dry material.
Feather Edges
The perimeter wire ends of a piece of screen cloth which are straight, not crimped and all in the same plane.
Feed
The material presented to a screen for processing.
Ferrous Alloys
Non-pure metals that contain iron.
Fiberglass Deck
Molded and pultruded fiberglass flooring products designed to provide a walking surface with load bearing capability over short spans.
Fiberglass Handrail System
A series of products used as the components of a fiberglass handrail system.
Fiberglass Molded
Molded fiberglass products designed to resurface existing stair treads.
Fiberglass Plate
Molded and pultruded fiberglass flat sheet or plate products designed to provide a flooring surface with no load bearing capability. When used for flooring, these plates are typically coated with a fine, medium or coarse grit.
Fill Wire
Shute wire running across the width of the cloth.
Filter
A device employing filter leaves or tubes of woven wire cloth often with an additional filter medium. Filters are used for the clarification of a liquid or gaseous fluids or the precision removal of particles known to be present.
Filter Cloth
Metal cloth used for flattening or straining (primarily plain and twilled dutch wire cloth with certain specifications of square mesh and off-count standard wire cloth).
Filtration
The clarification of a fluid by the removal of solid particles.
Fine Mesh
Wire cloth having a mesh count of more than 90 x 90.
Fines
Material having a particle size substantially smaller than a specified aperture.
Finish
The coating, usually paint or galvanizing which is applied to the grating.
Finishing
Limited finishes can be accomplished at manufacturing plants. This includes hot dip galvanizing and pre-galvanizing.
Flange
Fittings that are used to attach a post to a floor or a railing directly to a wall.
Flat Top Weave
A weave in which all crimps are on the underside of the cloth, thus providing a smooth surface.
Flattened
Expanded metal products that go through a secondary flattening process after they are expanded. Bonds and strands are turned down to produce a smooth surface.
Flex Angle
A slotted angle system made from pre-galvanized steel.
Flux
Chemical compounds added during a refining or smelting process to separate impurities.
Flush Top Grating
A type of pressure locked grating in which the cross bars and bearing bars are in the same plane relative to the top surface of the grating.
Formed Edge
For vibrating equipment, edge preparation on the screen surface usually formed on the sides parallel to the flow. The forming of the screen enables it to be tensioned down on the machine. Formed edges, whether plain hooks or hook strips (metal bands) should be specified when ordering screens because forming can be done with greater accuracy on our equipment.
Forming
The shaping of sheet metal by bending, uniaxial stretching, biaxial stretching, compression or a combination of.
Full Material Type
The description of the material from which an item is made.
G
Galvanized After
Wire cloth woven of high grade bright basic wire and passed through a pickling process before being dipped and hot galvanized with zinc. In this process the wire intersections appear as soldered. Galvanized is an economical means of resisting rust and corrosion and is especially effective with the presence of atmospheric moisture. This process is not recommended for counts greater than eight wire mesh. The process tends to blind the openings, thus cutting down the open area of the wire cloth.
Galvanized Before
Wire cloth woven of high grade galvanized wire that has been zinc coated before the weaving process. Galvanizing is an economical means of resisting rust and corrosion and is especially effective with the presence of atmospheric moisture.
Gauge
The measure of wire diameter. The actual wire diameter should always be specified in decimal sizes.
Grate
In hammermills, a screen section with specified openings for passing sized material.
Grating
An open grid assembly of metal bars in which the bearing bars, running in one direction, are spaced by rigid attachment to cross bars running perpendicular to them or by bent connecting bars extending between them.
Grid Height
Molded fiberglass grating is available in square or rectangular grid configurations. This characteristic identifies the height of the grid and may also be termed Grid Thickness.
Grid Shape
This characteristic identifies the shape of the grid in fiberglass molded grating.
Grid Size
Fiberglass molded grating is available in square or rectangular grid patterns. This characteristic identifies the size of the grating grid pattern.
Grit Application
The application of a slip-resistant grit to the walking surface of pultruded fiberglass grating can be accomplished in several different ways. The most common ones are "integral," in which the grit is embedded in the surface during the curing process and "applied," in which the grit is applied to the top surface after curing, embedded in a resin coating.
Grit Color
Molded and pultruded fiberglass grating is available with a grit surface that is slip resistant. This characteristic identifies the color of the grit surface.
Grit Material
On some grating and flooring products, the application of grit to the base material creates an abrasive surface that provides surer footing under slippery conditions. This characteristic identifies the type of grating or expanded metal material that makes up the grit.
Grit Texture
A slip resistant material known as grit may be applied to a base material to create an abrasive surface that provides surer footing under slippery conditions. This characteristic identifies the consistency of that surface - coarse, medium or fine.
H
Hammer
On hammermills, the crushing element attached to rotor, usually free-swinging.
Hammer Circle
On hammermills, the out diameter of the circle described by the hammer with hammer extended.
Handrail Components
Components used in the construction of handrails for stairs and platforms.
Hard Wire
Wire that has been drawn to a smaller size after annealing. This increases its unit strength and reduces its elongation.
Hardware Cloth
Plain weave square wire mesh cloth of relatively light wire galvanized after weaving (usually between 2 to 8 openings per lineal inch).
Herring Bone Twill
Wire cloth where the direction of a twilled weave is reversed at regular intervals to produce striped or herringbone effect.
Hexagonal Hole
Perforated material punched with hexagonal holes.
Hexagonal Mesh
Welded or woven wire wesh in a hexagonal pattern defined by the number of openings per inch (mesh).
Hole Centers
Hole Center is the distance from the center of one hole to the center of the nearest hole in the next adjoining row and is one of two measures of perforated metal spacing. The other is open area. Because hole center and open area measure essentially the same property (perforation spacing), you need specify only one or the other, not both.
Hole Pattern
The arrangement of perforated metal holes on a sheet - either staggered or straight rows. In a staggered hole pattern, the direction of the stagger is normally parallel to the short dimension of the sheet. The standard pattern is 60° staggered. It is the strongest, most versatile and economical pattern of the perforated choices. Also available are straight and 45° hole patterns.
Hole Size
Hole size is the diameter of the perforation in perforated metal.
Hot-Rolled Sheet
In perforating, hot-rolled sheet is the product that is reduced from slab to required thickness at elevated temperatures.
Hummer Screen
A screening system where an electromagnetic vibrator is attached to screen wire cloth, which is mounted in a stationary box. In this way, only the screen itself is vibrated to achieve separation.
I
I-Bar
An extruded aluminum grating bearing bar having a cross sectional shape resembling the letter "I".
Insect Cloth
A plain weave, fine mesh wire screening (generally 18 x 16 mesh or 18 x 14 mesh), available in aluminum, bronze, fiberglass, galvanized or stainless steel wire. Also referred to as "fly-screen."
Inside Dimension
(ID) The distance measured between the inner edges of a formed wire screen. Measurement is taken at right angles to the formed edge.
Inside Radius
In handrail components, the radius of the inside of the "elbow" or rail end as it follows the prescribed bend angle.
Intermediate Crimp
Wire cloth with extra crimps in warp and shute wires between intersections. Generally used in wide mesh light wire combinations to stiffen fabric, add rigidity and assure accurate mesh. Also, referred to as "multi-crimp" and "inter-crimp."
J
K
Kick Plate
This accessory item is attached to the edge of a piece of grating and extends above the walking surface to provide a barrier that prevents shoes or boots from extending over the edge of the flooring.
L
LWD
(Long Way of diamond) distance from an outside point on a bond to a corresponding outside point on the following bond across the long distance of the expanded metal diamond opening. Also the distance across all of the long openings of all the diamonds in the sheet.
LWO
(Long Way of the Opening) is the length of the opening of the longest side of the expanded metal diamond and does not include the strand width, where LWD (Long Way of the Diamond) does.
Ladders and Cages
Fiberglass ladder and/or cage systems designed to mount to a vertical structure such as the side of a building or a storage tank.
Length
The dimension of a grating panel measured parallel to the bearing bars.
Line Wire
The wire in wire cloth that runs parallel to the length (i.e., the long side of the roll or sheet) (same as warp wire) Opposite of cross wire.
Lip Size
The size of the front lip for molded stair tread covers.
Load
The amount of weight measured in pounds per square foot that the grating will support. There are two types of load measurements; point and whole bar.
Load Carrying Band
A band used in a cutout to transfer the load from unsupported bearing bars in the cutout to the supported bearing bars.
Lock-Crimp
A weave in which deep crimps in wires at points of intersections lock wires securely in place. Usually specified for heavy-duty metal screening.
Long-Slot
A weave in which shute wires are arranged in clusters to provide slotted openings.
M
Machine Run To Size
Expanded metal as it comes off of the press with closed diamond edges.
Major Material
The primary material source found in metal products.
Margins
The blank (unperforated) area along the edges of the sheet. For stock sheets, the standard is minimum margins along the length and no margins along the width.
Market Grade
Applies to wire cloth specifications most commonly used for general work. Market grade wire cloth is made of one size wire for each sized closed mesh.
Matting and Flooring
Panel, plank or sheet products designed to be used as flooring over a solid surface.
Medium Mesh
Wire cloth having a mesh count of 30 x 30 to 90 x 90 inclusive.
Mesh
Number of openings per lineal inch, measured from center of wire to center of wire.
Mesh (Expanded Metal)
This is the nominal distance from the mid-point of one bond in expanded metal to the mid-point of the next bond measured across the SWD. Expanded Mesh is expressed in inches.
Metal Deck
Metal Flooring products designed to provide a walking surface with load bearing capability over short spans.
Metal Plate
Flat sheet or plate products designed to provide a metal flooring surface with no load bearing capability.
Micron
1/1000 millimeter, 0.00003937 inch. The unit of measure for particle retention of filter media.
Micronic Grades
Finer mesh of dutch weave cloth in meshes giving retentions of 50 microns or finer.
Mill Grade
Group of industrial wire cloth specifications with lighter wire than market grade. Standard wire diameter of this grade produces a medium percentage of open area.
Minor Material
A specific grade of material within a larger material type. These include grades of plain steel and stainless steel, alloys of aluminum and specific fiberglass resins.
Molded
Grating products constructed by molding fiberglass into a specified grid pattern of uniform thickness.
Molded Grating
Treads for stairs made from molded fiberglass grating products.
N
Nonferrous Alloys
Non-pure metals containing no iron, i.e. brass, aluminum, etc.
Nosing
Accessories attached to the leading edge of expanded metal stair treads to provide additional slip resistance and support to the tread.
Nosing Color
The color of the nosing area of a molded stair tread cover.
Nosing Type
This characteristic designates the type of nosing, such as Corrugated, Checkered Plate or Cast Abrasive.
O
Oblong Mesh
Wire cloth with rectangular openings, resulting in a different mesh count in the fill than in the warp. Usually called "off count" in the case of finer meshes.
Oil Tempered Wire
High carbon steel wire that is heat resistant to produce good strength and abrasion resistance.
Opening
Dimension between parallel adjacent wires
Opening Size LWO
This characteristic identifies the opening size in inches, running the long way of the opening in an expanded metal pattern. It is found under expanded metal - flattened, standard and decorative and for expanded grating.
Opening Size SWO
This characteristic identifies the opening size in inches, running the short way of the opening in an expanded metal pattern. It is found under expanded metal - flattened, standard and decorative and for expanded grating.
Opening Size (Expanded Metal)
The area in expanded metal enclosed by bonds and strands.
Open Area
The ratio of the area of the open spaces to the total area of a screening surface expressed as a percentage.
Outside Diameter
The outside diameter of a ball, hemisphere or U-Bend in the our line of handrail components.
Outside Dimension
The dimension from outer wall to the outer wall of a tube or rod, typically used to describe a structural shape.
Overall Thickness
The thickness of the plate is measured from the bottom of the panel to the top. The stock thickness is 1/4". Thicknesses are available from 1/8 to 1 inch.
P
Passive Screen
Intake screening device that does not employ mechanical cleaning.
Pattern Name
Many decorative or architectural patterns are identified by a pattern name. This characteristic identifies a specific decorative or architectural patterns in our wire mesh, expanded metal, perforated metal and bar grating product lines.
Percent Open Area
% Open Area is the percentage of free space in an product that contains openings. For example, the % Open Area of perforated metal is the measurement of the free space created by the Holes in the sheet.
Perforated Metal
Sheet or coil products with holes punched through them to create a specified pattern.
Perforated Plane
A type of screening surface with various shape openings used for the purpose of separating material.
Pickled and Oiled
Hot rolled steel that is acid pickled to remove mill oxide, improving surface appearance, uniformity and finishing qualities including paint adhesion.
Pipe/Tube Size
Identifies whether a handrail component is made to fit a pipe specification or a tube specification.
Plain Dutch Weave
"Dutch wire cloth" where each warp and shute wire passes alternatively over and under all crimp comes from the weaving force.
Plain Weave
Wire cloth in which each warp wire and each shute wire passes over one and under the next adjacent complimentary wire in both directions. There are no crimp operations prior to weaving as all crimp comes from the weaving force.
Plank
Grating products with a variety of different walking surfaces produced by forming a sheet into a plank or through an extrusion process.
Plank Grating
Treads for stairs made from plank grating products.
Pre-Crimped Weave
Wire cloth woven with warp and shute crimped before weaving. (The opposite of "plain weave") Openings are very accurate and the weave is tighter than plain weave.
Pressing Cloth
Off-count mesh woven in copper, nickel or monel and used by makers of commercial clothes-pressing machines, in the head and buck to distribute the heat evenly. Mesh sizes are; 50 x 40, 60 x 50 and 64 x 56.
Pressure-Locked Grating
Grating in which the cross bars are mechanically locked to the bearing bars at their intersections by deforming or swaging the grating material.
Profile Screen
Flat, curved or cylindrical panels made of looped, round and/or wedge shaped wires for precise openings. Also, referred to as "wedge wire screen."
Pultruded
Grating products constructed with a series of pultruded fiberglass load bearing bars attached together in a specified pattern by fiberglass cross bars.
Pultruded Grating
Treads for stairs made from pultruded fiberglass grating products.
Punched Hole Size
Some extruded plank grating products have a surface that is punched with holes. This characteristic identifies the size of the punched hole.
Punched Hole Type
Some extruded plank grating products have a surface that is punched with holes. This characteristic identifies the shape of the punched hole for these items - diamond, rectangular, round or oval.
Punched for Splicing
Some plank gratings, typically walkway product, may be ordered with pre-punched holes in the side channel to accommodate bolts on the spliced grates. These spliced grates secure adjacent walkway planks end to end.
Q
R
Rail Ends
Made for handrails mounted to walls by their ends, these components are meant to attach the straight part of handrail back to the wall.
Random Shearing
Cutting sheets to size without regard to the position of the holes. Typically results in open holes at the margins.
Raw Edge
The unfinished edges of wire cloth running the length of the screen.
Rectangular Mesh
Wire cloth with different warp and fill wire mesh counts which results in rectangular openings. The most common have a higher warp mesh than filter mesh.
Rectangular Opening
Welded or woven wire mesh in a rectangular pattern defined by the opening size in both dimensions.
Reference Number
This identifies a secondary identification number by which a handrail component can be specified.
Refining
A process of removing impurities from metals by introducing air and flux into the molten metal. The impurities are removed as gases or slag.
Regular Expanded Metal
Sheet simultaneously slit and stretched into a grid, non-raveling open expanded metal mesh.
Reinforced Edges
A formed hook on the tensioning edge of a screen panel that is strengthened with the addition of sheet metal.
Resin Content
This identifies the percentage of resin as a component of fiberglass grating.
Resin Name
Fiberglass products are manufactured using different resin formulations for service in a variety of applications and environments.
Retention
The ability of wire cloth as a filter medium to prevent the passage of solids. It is expressed by the diameter (usually in microns) of the largest spherical solid particle that will normally pass through.
Rice Wire Cloth
Wire mesh made of hard-drawn wire and generally available in 12 x 14 mesh. Also referred to as "brush cloth" or "reel wire."
Ring
Decorative fittings shaped as rings made from square or round solid bar stock.
Ripple Flat-Crimp
Wire cloth in which the interlocking crimps are on the underside of the screen in addition to shallow forming crimps that are shaped in a downward angle in relation to the top of the screen. This provides a surface that is less resistant to material flow while providing additional hardness to a given wire.
Riveted
A type of bar grating made through a riveted process that uses no heat for forming or assembling. Bearing bars are connected by reticuline bars.
Rivet Centers
The distance center to center of rivets along one bearing bar.
Rod
A solid round or square structural shape.
Roll
The normal unit of bulk sale for wire cloth. The normal length is 100 feet, +/- 10%. Widths range from 24" up, with tolerances of 1/16" to 1/4" according to mesh. Invoices are based on the actual length supplied.
Round Hole
Perforated metal material punched with round holes. Staggered (60 degree pattern) is standard.
Round Hole Equivalent
The dimensions of any shaped opening in a screening surface that will make essentially the same separation as specified round hole.
S
SWD
(Short Way of Diamond) Distance from an outside point on a bond to a corresponding outside point on the following bond across the short distance of the expanded metal diamond opening. Sometimes called pitch. Also the distance across all of the short openings of all of the diamonds in the sheet.
SWO
(Short Way of Opening) Distance across the short opening of the expanded metal diamond from a point on the inside of the bond to a corresponding inside point of the next bond.
Saddle Style
This identifies the style of the mounting to which the pipe or tube is attached on a handrail bracket.
Sandwich Screen
The combining of at least two non-identical wire cloth screens into one set of reinforced hooks to form one screen. Usually the finer mesh screen is placed above the larger mesh or support screen.
Scalp Weave
Wire cloth in which deep crimps in the wires are at the points of intersection to lock wires securely in place. Usually used for heavy-duty screening and referred to as "lock-crimp," "arch crimp" and "press-lock".
Screening
A mechanical process which accomplishes a division of particles on the basis of size and their acceptance or rejection by a screening surface.
Screening Surface
The medium containing the apertures for passage of the undersized material.
Sealing Kits
Material that can be mixed and applied to the cut surfaces of fiberglass products to reseal and protect them.
Selvage
The finished edges of wire cloth running the length of the roll which are produced by the weaving operation.
Serrated Grating
Grating which has the top surfaces of the bearing bars or cross bars or both notched.
Shaker
A screen with reciprocating motion.
Shearing
Cutting expanded metal to size to produce various sizes and shapes.
Sheet and Plate
A flat sheet or plate.
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 from our catalog.
Shute Wire
The wires in wire cloth that runs parallel to the width.
Side Stagger
A term used to describe a perforated configuration of elongated apertures where the long axes of the apertures fall in line on every row but the short axes of only every other row fall in line.
Sieve
Wire Mesh products constructed by attaching a specific opening or mesh size to a round frame. These products are used in testing applications to size material.
Sifter
A screen with rotary motion substantially in the plane of the screening surface.
Sized Feed
Material that has been screened or classified prior to a process.
Sleeziness
The absence of firmness in woven wire cloth.
Slip-on Fittings
Lightweight cast aluminum components that attach to pipe mechanically via a hex screw to make railing sections. These are available as either "in line" or offset design.
Slot Length
Some perforated metal is punched with slotted holes. The slot is described as having a width and length dimension in inches. The width is the short way of the slot, the length is the long way of the slot. Side staggered, end staggered or straight lines will be round end slots.
Slot Shape
The shape of the slot ends, either round or square.
Slot Width
Some perforated metal is punched with slotted holes. The slot is described as having a width dimension in inches and a length dimension in inches. The width is the short way of the slot, the length is the long way of the slot.
Slotted Hole
Perforated material punched with slots.
Slotted Openings
Wire cloth with rectangular openings which provide the maximum open area and tend to prevent blinding or clogging of material. The smaller dimension controls the sizing of material. The warp mesh-count and wire size are indicated before the shoot mesh-count and wire size.
Soffit-Vent Screen
"Hardware cloth" slit to narrow widths (3", 4", 6", or 8") and supplied in 100 foot rolls, in 8 mesh and 4 mesh. Used in the construction industry for vent screening.
Space
Actual clear opening or space between the inside edge of two parallel wires.
Space Cloth
Wire cloth specified by the opening size rather than by the mesh count.
Spacing Description
This characteristic identifies common spacing descriptions for bar grating and pultruded fiberglass grating. These values serve as a quick reference to the bearing bar spacing, the cross bar spacing and the method of construction for an item.
Spacing of Perforations
Spacing for large perforations will be designated by either centers of perforations or by the open area required. Spacing for small perforations will be designated by either centers or open area or by the number of perforations to the square inch.
Span
Span is the length of the grating across two consecutive bar grating supports. Span includes both the supported and unsupported sections of the grating.
Spark Arrester
Wire mesh cloth used to restrict incandescent particles of a burning material.
Splice Plates
Products used to connect two separate pieces of plank grating together to form a single piece.
Square Hole
Perforated material punched with square holes staggered or straight line pattern.
Square Mesh
Mesh with equal spacing of warp and shute to give square openings.
Square Opening
Welded or woven wire mesh in a square pattern defined by the opening size.
Squareness
Products are square within manufacturing tolerances. Should squareness be critical, sheets can be square sheared.
Stair Tread Covers
Non load-bearing products used to cover existing load bearing stair treads to provide a renewed or different walking surface.
Stair Treads
Products used specifically as load bearing treads on stairs with or without integral end plates. Expanded metal grating stair treads are fabricated using 4# grating, angles and bars.
Stair Tread Types
Bar grating stair treads are described in three types. Type A-Standard is an aluminum stair tread finished with corrugated angle nosing. Type B-Standard is a welded or press-locked stair tread finished with checkered plate nosing. Type C-Special is available in either steel or aluminum and is finished with a cast abrasive nosing.
Standard Expanded Metal
Also called regular, unflattened or raised expanded metal. Expanded metal as it comes from the press. The strands and bonds are set at a uniform angle to the plane of the sheet.
Stiffness
In perforating, the ability of a metal to resist deflection.
Straight Rows Parallel To
Perforated metal is often made by punching a series of straight rows, each offset or "Staggered" from the next. The way the pattern fits on the sheet is described by the direction of the straight rows as being parallel either the "width" or "length."
Strand
The single metal strip that forms the border of the diamond or opening in the expanded metal.
Strand Thickness
Expanded Metal appears as a diamond shaped pattern with the strands being the metal that forms the pattern. Each strand has a width and a thickness. This characteristic identifies the thickness of the strand in a given expanded metal pattern.
Strand Width
Amount of material fed into the press to produce one strand.
Stranded Weave
A twilled weave with multiple wires in both the warp and the shute.
Strainer
An assembly of woven wire cloth for the removal of unwanted foreign particles from a stream of liquid or gas. It includes any necessary fittings or reinforcements, is usually complete in itself and may be considered, as a protective device.
Strainer Cloth
Plain-weave, off-count brass mesh cloth with a higher percentage of open area. Meshes range from 40 x 32 to 120 x 88. In addition, 20 x 20/.010" diameter and 30 x 30/.007" diameter square mesh brass wire cloth are classified as strainer cloth.
Striation
Grooves or channels cut or extruded in the surface of grating, usually parallel to the length for the purpose of providing slip resistance.
Structural Quality
Material applicable to the various classes of structures, indicated by the standard specifications which is suitable for the different mechanical operations employed for the fabrication of such structures. Structural quality (the characteristics of which are defined by the ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) represents the quality of steel produced under regular or normal manufacturing conditions.
Structural Shapes
These products are used to provide a supporting structure such as I-Beams or of a unique shape such as tube, rod or channel.
Stubs
The bearing bar lengths along the cut edge of a piece of bar grating measured from the end to the nearest cross bar.
Studs
An item that is welded to a piece of angle to create a fabricated product called embedment angle. Embedment angle is set into concrete to form the shelf for a trench on which grating rests. The studs serve to lock the angle into the concrete.
Support Screen
A heavy wire mesh either flat-top weave or calendered, supporting a finer mesh in filtration or straining.
Surface
Welded bar grating is available in smooth (standard surface), serrated (serrations are cut into the grating’s bearing bar surfaces) or Grip Strut™ (grit is bonded to the grating surface).
Surface Finish
The description, name or numbering that describes the finish of a material's surface.
Swaging
A method of altering the cross-sectional shape of a metal bar gratingby pressure applied through dies.
T
Tensile Strength
The maximum tensile load per square unit of cross section that a material is able to withstand.
Textured Finishes
Metal sheets with a rolled, 3-dimensional pattern.
Thermosetting
Describes the method by which polymer resins are cured. The resins which are liquids, harden when exposed to heat.
Tinned Cloth
Wire cloth woven of wire that has been tin coated before the weaving process. Generally available in "mill grade" wire diameters.
Top Flange Space
Pultruded Fiberglass Grating is available in both "I-Bar" and "T-Bar" shapes, both of which incorporate a top and bottom flange. The space between the top flange of adjacent bearing bars.
Top Flange Width
The width of the top flange of the pultruded bar used for grating.
Tread
A panel of grating having carriers and nosing attached by welding and designed specifically to serve as a stair tread.
Trim Band
Bar grating panels, pieces or trenches can be banded or have a flat metal bar welded to the ends of the bearing bars. The flat metal bar is welded at every 4 to 6 bearing bars and is commonly used for pedestrian traffic applications where loading is not a factor.
Trimmed Overall Length
The overall length of a 1/2" diameter solid round bar U-Bend.
Triple Shoot
Slotted opening screen which due to particular application and/or length of slot, requires three shute wires in adjacent crimps followed by the long slot and repeated.
Twilled Weave
Wire cloth in which each warp wire and each shute wire passes successively over two and under the next adjacent pair of wires.
Twilled Dutch Weave
A combination of "Plain Dutch" and "Twilled," except that the warp and shute wires are usually the same size.
U
U-Bend
A decorative fitting made of 1/2" diameter solid round bar bent into the shape of a "U."
U-Edging
U-shaped products designed to be cut to size and fit over the rough edge of expanded or perforated metal to provide protection and appearance value.
U-Edging Opening
The size of the opening between the parallel legs of U-Edging.
Utility Fabric
An inexpensive, general purpose, welded fabric manufactured from galvanized wire. Edges are smooth with cross wires flush trimmed.
UV Protection
Protection against degradation over time from the sun's ultraviolet rays is available in the form of UV inhibitors or coatings.
V
Vibrating Screen
A woven wire, punch plate or synthetic screen oscillated by mechanical or electrical means.
W
Wall Thickness
The thickness of the material that makes up the wall of a pipe or tube.
Warp Wire
Foundation wires running parallel to the length of the cloth.
Weave
The manner in which the warp and fill wires are interwoven.
Wedge Wire
A general term for welded material made from metallic wires.
Weft Wire
The wires in wire cloth that run parallel to the width (i.e., the short side of the roll or sheet) opposite of warp wire.
Welded Grating
Grating in which the bearing bars and cross bars are joined at their intersections by a resistance weld.
Weld-on Elbow
A section of pipe or tube that changes directions according to a prescribed radius to form a shape like an "elbow."
Wide Flange Beam
An I-Beam with extra wide flanges as compared to a normal I-Beam.
Width
This characteristic identifies one dimension of an item. It is commonly used in inches.
Wire Cloth
A general term for screening material woven with metallic wires.
Wire Diameter or Gauge
Diameter of wire used in weaving cloth.
Wire Diameter Parallel Length
In wire mesh, the wire diameter parallel to the length of the material, also known as the Warp Wire or Line Wire.
Wire Diameter Parallel Width
In Wire Mesh, the diameter of the wire parallel to the width of the material, also known as Fill Wires, Cross Wires or Shute Wires.
Wire Mesh
Sheet or coil products constructed by welding or weaving wire into a specified grid or pattern.
Woven Wire Screen Cloth
A type of screening surface, woven in square, rectangular or slotted openings.
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