Expanded metal machine and method of producing expanded metal

A method for producing expanded metal, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) a flat material is guided between a stationary knife and an adjustable knife in a direction of transport;
• b) a cutting edge of the adjustable knife includes cutting projections and cuts into the material in a vertical direction, the vertical direction being perpendicular to the direction of transport, and webs being formed in this manner in a stretching expansion manner;
• c) the adjustable knife is guided back out of the material in the vertical direction;
• d) the adjustable knife is adjusted by a half mesh-length in a transverse direction, the transverse direction being transverse to the vertical direction, and the vertical direction and the transverse direction determining a plane;
• e) the adjustable knife cuts into the material in the vertical direction while the webs are subjected to stretch expansion forming;
• f) the adjustable knife is guided back out of the material in the vertical direction;
• g) the adjustable knife is guided back in the transverse direction by the half mesh-length;
• h) the adjustable knife is adjusted in the vertical direction by a cam;
• and
• i) the cam is driven by at least one eccentric and the cam executes a circulatory motion which runs the plane determined by the vertical direction and the transverse direction.