Expanded metal for automotive interior parts

A method for producing an expanded metal structure, the method comprising:

• feeding a metal sheet incrementally through an expansion device in a feed direction between a stationary cutting die and a movable cutting die;
• moving the moveable cutting die up and down after each feed increment relative to the stationary cutting die between an idle position and cutting position;
• alternating a cutting position of the moveable cutting die transversal to the feed direction;
• and
• providing the metal sheet with loops by penetrating the movable cutting die into the metal sheet without removing material from the metal sheet,
• wherein the loops are formed by bars that envelop loop openings,
• wherein the bars that envelop the loop openings are connected with one another in nodes,
• wherein each loop has a loop opening length in the feed direction measured along a line from a node center to a node center of two nodes that are arranged opposite to each other in the feed direction,
• wherein each loop has a loop opening width transversal to the feed direction measured along a line from node center to node center of two nodes that are arranged opposite to each other transversal to the feed direction,
• wherein the loops are arranged transversal to the feed direction in rows adjacent to one another and in columns behind one another parallel to the feed direction, and
• wherein a penetration depth of the movable cutting die is adapted while maintaining a continuous movement of the movable cutting die and a continuous feed velocity of the metal sheet, so that the loop opening length or the loop opening width of the loops arranged behind one another in the columns is varied.

An expanded metal produced by repeated penetration of a movable cutting die including teeth into a metal sheet that is run through an expansion device in a feed direction, the expanded metal comprising:

• a plurality of loops,
• wherein the loops include bars that envelop loop openings and that are connected in nodes,
• wherein each of the loops includes a loop opening length measured in the feed direction along a line from a node center to node another center of two nodes that are arranged behind one another in the feed direction,
• wherein each of the loops includes a loop opening width measured transversal to the feed direction along a line from a node center to a node center of two nodes that are arranged adjacent to each other transversal to the feed direction,
• wherein the loops are arranged adjacent to one another in rows that extend transversal to the feed direction and behind one another in columns that extend parallel to the feed direction,
• wherein the loop opening length of loops arranged behind one another in the columns varies in the feed direction along a longitudinal section of the expanded metal, wherein the loop opening length of loops arranged adjacent to each other in the rows is constant, and
• wherein the loop opening width of the loops arranged behind one another in the columns in the feed direction varies in the feed direction along a longitudinal section of the expanded metal wherein the loop opening width of the loops that are arranged adjacent to each other in the rows is constant.