Copper Expanded Metal Foils for Wind Turbine Lightning Strike Protection

Copper Expanded Metal Foils have been identified as the perfect material for protecting Wind Turbine Blades from lightning strikes. When a wind blade is struck by lightning, it can create an electric arc that travels through the conductive components of the blade, causing it to overheat and potentially explode.

To prevent this, we have developed a range of Copper Expanded Metal Foils that provide reliable protection to these composite structures. Our Copper Expanded Metal Foils are available in various sizes, widths, and meshes, and are made from high-quality copper that meets ASTM B152 99.9% purity standards.

Our Copper Expanded Metal Foils are not only ideal for Wind Turbine Lightning Strike Protection, but they also find applications in industrial filter applications, (petrol)chemical industry, aeronautics, automotive, and electrochemical fields. Their superior strength and versatility allow for improved performance at a minimal cost, making them an ideal choice for various applications.

Overall, our Copper Expanded Metal Foils offer superior protection to composite structures and ensure the functionality of the components. Their high-quality copper composition and wide range of sizes and meshes make them a reliable and cost-effective solution for a variety of applications.

Copper Expanded Metal Foils Advantages

• Outstanding mechanical strength (Anti-ravel and Flexible)
• Micro expanded metal is a cost-effective alternative to perforated metal – especially when using high-value raw materials
• High conductivity, apertures reach conductivity of 200,000 amps
• Good lightning protection and electromagnetic interference prevention
• Excellent shielding and heat transfer performance
• Single structure, formed all by one piece, eliminating the possibility of mesh breakage and sudden resistance fluctuations
• Uniform openings and thickness, making the surface smooth and adhesives easier to penetrate
• Flexibility in design and weight according to different structures and requirements
• Precision expanded metal mesh product for specialist industry needs

Application

The aircraft surface is divided into three zones according to SAE ARP 5414: Zone 1A, Zone 1B-1C-2A-2B and Zone 3. We will recommend different types of micro copper expanded metal mesh according to different zones to get the best performance.

• Zone 1B and Zone 2B – Double layer 195 g/㎡ or 420 g/㎡ copper mesh. Due to the continuous current, the damage area is enlarged and the depth of damage is deepened.
• Zone 1A – 195 g/㎡ copper mesh provides protection.
• Zone 1C – 195 g/㎡ or 140 g/㎡ copper mesh
• Zone 2A – 107 g/㎡ copper mesh
• Zone 3 – 78 g/㎡ copper/aluminum mesh

Production Process

Popular Specifications

 Terminology

• Flattened Expanded Metal V.S Standard Expanded Metal

1.1 Expanded Metal Terminology:

1.1.1 bond, n-the solid intersection of two strands.

1.1.2 camber, n-the bow of a side or edge from end to end from a straight line.

1.1.3 diamonds, n-open area of metal after expanding.

Most expanded metal open areas or patterns are uniform diamond-shaped, but may also be hexagonal, louvered, asymmetric, square, or other shapes, or combinations thereof.

1.1.4 edge configuration, n-refers to the edge condition of a sheet may they be closed diamonds (bonded), or open diamonds (random) produced by shearing.

1.1.5 expanded metal, n-a rigid sheet of metal that is simultaneously been slit and stretched creating an open diamond pattern.

1.1.6 flattened, v (F)-expanded metal that has been cold rolled after expansion.

1.1.7 flattening, adv-the process of producing flattened expanded metal.

1.1.8 grating, n-expanded metal that is produced from heavier sheets.

1.1.9 levelness, n-(flatness of sheet), sheets shall be free from waves or buckets that are in excess of 1–1/2 in. from a plane surface.

1.1.10 LWD, n-nominal dimension, Long Way of the Diamond.

1.1.11 LWO, n-Long Way of the Opening.

1.1.12 regular-raised-standard, n-(R) expanded metal as it comes from the press. The strands and bonds are set at a uniform angle to the plane of the sheet.

1.1.13 SWD, n-nominal dimension, Short Way of the Diamond.

1.1.14 SWO, n-Short Way of the Opening.

1.1.15 shearing, n-cutting the sheet to a specific size or tolerance.

1.1.16 squareness, n-the dimensional variance a side and edge are out of square.

1.1.17 strand thickness, n-thickness of the base metal.

1.1.18 strand thickness, n, and strand width, n-can be varied to create different expanded metal products for different applications.

1.1.19 strand width, n-amount of material fed through top and bottom dies to produce one strand.

1.1.20 taper, n-edges of a sheet that deviates from parallel

How to calculate the weight of copper expanded metal?

Please check our special expanded metal weight calculator.

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Popular Size

Application Field

1. Wind Turbine Lightning Strike Protection
2. EMI/RFI Shielding
3. Battery Cell
4. Faraday Cage
5. Decorative Mesh
6. Covering & Support for Air and Fluid Filter
7. Strainer & Gutter Filter
8. Furniture
9. Chimney Caps/Chimney Tops.
10. Ventilation System
11. Satellite and Radar Antenna
12. Speaker Grill Covering

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How to order Copper Expanded Metal?

Please Specify:

• Material: Brass, Phosphor Bronze, Copper, etc.
• Type: Standard/Raised, Flattened
• Quantity: number of pieces – full size or cut pieces required
• Piece Size: width (SWD) x length (LWD)
• Shearing: bond or random. Please check the below photo for reference
• Finish: PVC coating, PVDF coating, Pt coating, special, if any

Item No.: typically, expanded metal is specified like the following examples:

3/4 #16 S 3′ SWD x 6′ LWD Copper

• – 1/2inch= Short Way Of Diamond Dimension
• – #18 = Gauge (Usually not AWG, BWG, SWG, should be Washburn & Moen)
• – “S” = Standard (“F” would indicate flattened)
• – 3′ SWD x 6′ LWD = size of sheet width x length
• – Copper = material

The Best Wire Gauge Chart

Shearing Type

Expanded Metal Mesh Direction