August 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
70
Few products can claim to
be as versatile as expanded
metal, largely as a result of
the reliability, durability and
economy represented by
the simple idea of slitting
and expanding a solid sheet of
metal into a lattice of diamond-
shaped meshes.
products & services
ANDREWMENTIS, A LEADING
engineering
and manufacturing company in Elands-
fontein, was the first company to begin
manufacturing expanded metal more than
sixty years ago, and is today considered the
leading supplier of quality expanded metal
in a variety of sizes and materials.
According to Elaine van Rooyen, market-
ing manager at Andrew Mentis, a myriad of
applications are served by expanded metal
because of its inherent structural integrity
which is not compromised during themanu-
facturing process.
“During the manufacturing process no
material is lost, and in fact the original sheet
of metal can be expanded into anything up
to ten times its original size. The result is a
mesh which is considerably lighter than the
equivalent area of the original piece of metal
expanded,”Van Rooyen says.
The expanding process creates a network
of rigid strands which add strength, while
allowing free passage of light and air. As the
metal is expanded to an area longer than its
original length it becomes lighter than the
original equivalent mass. The raised mesh or
Mentex, as it is called, can be put through an
additional process inwhich the raisedmeshes
are flattened into the same plane as the sheet
of metal expanded. This is known as Flatex.
With extensive experience in the various
applications of expanded metal, Andrew
Mentismanufactures both the raised and flat-
tened meshes, and according to Van Rooyen
the correct selection of the appropriatemesh
depends on the application at hand.
Typically, bothMentex and Flatex expand-
ed metal is manufactured from high quality
local mild steel, but can be manufactured
from any other ductile metal. The product
is normally supplied unpainted, but readily
lends itself to any of the normal finishing
processes such as painting, stove enamelling,
plating and galvanizing.
Mentex and Flatex expanded metal is
available in a comprehensive range of sizes,
mesh sizes and thicknesses and the fabri-
cation of the expanded metal in any form
is done with ease. The mesh can be bent,
shaped to radii, angled or notched while
maintaining its inherent rigidity. It is also
available in various mesh sizes, from mini
meshes with small openings of 1,4 mm by
2mm, andwith a thickness of 0,4millimetres,
to larger meshes with 115 mm x 300 mm
openings, and a thickness of 6 mm.
Van Rooyen says that expanded metal
has found applications in mining, con-
struction, food and other industries. It is
used for screens, grates, shelving, racks,
protection guards, internal partitioning,
burglar proofing, fencing, reinforcement,
walkways, platforms and stairs, beds, garden
furniture, braai grids, filters, dividers, scaffold-
Still a popular
choice
A myriad of applications are served by expanded metal because of its inherent structural integrity which is not compromised during the
manufacturing process.
INSET:
Mentex and Flatex expanded metal is available in a comprehensive range of sizes, mesh sizes and thicknesses
and the fabrication of the expanded metal in any form is done with ease.
ing, truck bodies, tunnel and shaft linings,
grain silos and even decoratively – to name
but a few applications.
“In an industry where quality pays in the
long term, a great variety of customers are
bound to benefit from the extensive experi-
ence and expertise within Andrew Mentis,
especially when it comes to the application
of expanded metal. The uses of expanded
metal are many and varied and are limited
only by the vision, creativity and imagination
of the designer. Its versatility is endless,”Van
Rooyen concludes.
●
AndrewMentis manufactures both the raised
and flattened meshes.
