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Perforated metals are metals that contain various types of holes and patterns that are created by a punching press. The most common uses of perforated metals are for reinforcement, filtration, and decoration purposes. Products created from perforated metals include baskets, air and water filters, screens, trash cans, vents, light fixtures, mesh audio speaker covers, furniture, and tubing components. Full perforated metal sheets are also commonly used in construction, where panel sheets are used for grating, tubing, and filtering. Perforated metals are also widely used in the automotive, home construction, waste management, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Perforated metals are generally constructed from stainless steel, cold-rolled carbon steel, or galvanized steel. The customary way to produce the perforated sheets is by using coils, which allows for maximum flexibility in design and construction. The holes and patterns on perforated metals are manufactured using a punching press, and the results can vary widely. Common hole patterns include different shapes such as square slots, staggered rounds, side staggered hexagons, and round slot ends. When designing perforated metals, many factors must be considered and calculated. Hole pattern, quality of the metal, size of pattern, and the thickness of the metal must be decided upon.

A second process that rivals perforated metals in popularity is that of expanded metals. Expanded metals are similar to perforated metals, except that rather than being punched, expanded metal is cut and stretched into a specific shape. Like perforated metals, expanded metals are also often constructed from stainless steel. Expanded metal is favored by many because it is much less wasteful. Perforated metals result in significant scrap metal waste, while expanded metal is created mostly from discarded waste material. Despite the popularity of expanded metals, perforated metals continue to be used because it is one of the most flexible and cost-effective methods available.