Expanded metal mesh products are produced from solid sheets of carbon steel, galvanized steel, or aluminium and other metals/alloys. In the expanding process, the sheet is simultaneously slit and stretched, expanding the slits into diamond-shaped holes of uniform size, shape and regularity.

Expanded metal is stronger than an equivalent weight of wire mesh such as chicken wire, because the material is flattened, allowing the metal to stay in one piece. The other benefit to expanded metal is that the metal is never completely cut and reconnected, allowing the material to retain its strength.