Engineering

In their simplest form, perforated metal sheets are manufactured from metal plate, coil or sheet that has been mechanically punched or pierced repeatedly using CNC technology and specialist equipment, creating holes of different shapes, sizes and density throughout the material. Larger holes or more complex shapes may also be created using a different manufacturing process known as laser cutting.

As an approved supplier of perforated materials to several major aerospace companies (including Rolls Royce and Bombardier), we strive to meet exacting standards through the product parts we supply. Alongside this we are currently going through the Aerospace Standard AS9100 approval process.

Visual façade products form an aesthetic translucent veil allowing natural ventilation and partial rainscreening, whist giving an impressive architectural finish.

Perforated screens, walls and panels have been a feature of architecture for many years as a means to control the amount of heat and light entering the building, as well as a method to create a secure enclosure or private area. When used as a secondary skin to a building’s façade, perforated screens offer a solution that combines architectural freedom of creativity with numerous functional, aesthetic and practical benefits for the building user.

Acoustic mesh made from expanded or perforated metal has several unique characteristics that make it a vital component in numerous acoustic applications across the globe. Small scale and micro meshes have been a key feature of car interior speaker grilles, audio and recording equipment for over 50 years, selected primarily due to unrivalled sound attenuation qualities, with the added benefits of durability and lightweight material properties. However, acoustic mesh is a highly versatile material and sound attenuation is not the only functional benefit it offers.

Perforated materials can be used to combat unwelcome noise within office and other workplace environments. Sources of unwelcome noise in these environments might include machinery humming, server cabinet whirring, general airborne noise typical of a large open plan office or inter-room noise transmission – all of which are undoubtedly disruptive. Acoustic solutions using perforated material enable a level of soundproofing can therefore play an important role in productivity, facilitating better communication and concentration levels. Ceiling areas are often considered an ideal placement area for these environments as typically this is the largest free surface available and is also responsible for a considerable amount of sound reverberation.

Metal mesh is a barrier or screen which is made up of numerous connected strands of metal, which can appear like a kind of net or webbing, depending on the type. Meshes that are produced using metal can be expanded, etched, woven, knitted and welded into various configurations. Lightweight materials such as aluminium are particularly well suited to being formed into metal mesh for a myriad of applications across key industries including: construction, aerospace, automotive and electronics.

Widely used as an architectural façade, our range of Expanded Mesh patterns, materials and colours can now be seen used on schools and office buildings, as well as the more conventional car parks and plant room enclosures. Available in most materials, designers have a wide and varied palette to choose from.

At Ash & Lacy, we manufacture our extensive range of flattened and raised expanded metal products at our site in the heart of the UK. These are available in a variety of patterns, different metals and finishes to suit almost any application from our SecuriAL lathing range to expanded metal fencing and other uses.

Architectural mesh products are widely considered to be one of the most versatile and adaptable products available to designers, used to achieve a wide range of functional requirements with the added benefit of innately unique aesthetic qualities and extensive design possibilities. The beauty of the expanding process is the ease with which the characteristics of the material can be transformed. From a single tool, altering the aperture and the strand of a mesh allows us to create the optimum reflectivity, solar shading, airflow and translucence for each architectural application.