Decorative perforated metal is a kind of sheet metal that has undergone a process to achieve a desired resulting design. The process in creating decorative perforated metal is done through the use of a mechanical press that punches or stamps on the sheet metal. The stamp or punch has a design which becomes embedded on the sheet metal.
In the olden times, these perforated metal sheets were used to sift coal from mines. The perforations then were done by hand, leading to inconsistent and inefficient results. This forced the hand of many capitalists, seeking to find a more cost-effective means of creating perforated metal sheets. Thus, technology produced what is not only a functional sheet, but often-decorative perforated metal sheets are made more available to the market.
In the current wave of technologies, a machine press is used that utilize a number of ways to create the perforations on the metal sheet. These include rotary pinned rollers, die and punch presses
The materials used to create decorative perforated metal are varied depending on the desired effect of the designer. The most popular is stainless steel but other types of steel such as cold rolled steel or galvanized steel is often used as well. Other metal such as brass, aluminum and copper are used to make ornate designs in decorative perforated metal. Their color and sheen make them attractive when used on screens or wall coverings.
There are multiple uses for decorative perforated metal products. These include being used as sunshades, building outer cladding, column covers, metal signage, fencing screens and fences.
One of the best uses of decorative perforated metal sheets are as acoustic dampers. The metal perforations absorb ambient noise to reduce possible hearing damage to people within a given area. These products also help increase energy savings as it helps keep the building cool, lessening the need for air conditioning and other energy demands.