Feature Friday: Ordering checker plate in Sophia®

Happy Feature Friday!

Our Customer Service centre regularly receives questions about ordering checker plate in Sophia®. In this edition, we explain the possibilities and give you a few handy tips to take into account.

What is checker plate?

Checker plate, or tread plate, owes its name to the chequered pattern of bars on the upper surface of the sheet metal. These bars create a rough surface that provides grip for walking on, which is why it is often used in places where there is a risk of slipping, such as floors on boats, trailer ramps and steps of (exterior) stairs.

Available metal types

The most common types of checker plate are made from aluminium and steel. These can be ordered from us as standard. A summary of the available metal types and processing options is given below:

Our steel checker plate is the WGW S235JR checker plate 4/6. The plate is hot rolled with a two-bar pattern and varies in thickness from 4 mm (flat part) to 6 mm (protrusions).

Our aluminium checker plate is the AlMg3 EN AW 5754 H114 five-bar checker plate. The plate is hot rolled with a five-bar pattern and varies in thickness from 3.5 mm (flat part) to 5 mm (protrusions).

We can cut both checker plate types to size with laser cutting. We can also bend both types.

Are you looking for checker plate that is made from a different metal type? Please don’t hesitate to  contact us. We will be happy to explain the possibilities.

How can I order checker plate in Sophia®?

The ordering process for checker plate is largely the same as for other sheet metal types. You upload your drawing and choose the desired metal and thickness.

There are a few points that we would like to draw your attention to.

Firstly, Sophia® recognises the material thickness including the protrusions. For example, if you wish to order 3.5/5 mm aluminium checker plate, you must select a material with a thickness of 5 mm.

Secondly, the blue side in Sophia® represents the side with the protrusions. If you want the protrusions to be on the other side, you can select the ‘turning over plate’ option for your 3D files.

Please be aware that we cannot engrave the patterned side. If you have drawn an engraving on the patterned side, we will place it on the other side (in exactly the same position). The appearance of the engraving will remain unchanged.

It is also important to be aware that we cannot always prevent the bending tools from leaving a mark on the metal.

Finally, you cannot specify the checker pattern and we employ a tolerance of +/- 2 mm when bending checker plate.

Do you have any questions?

Please contact our Customer Service centre. We will be happy to assist you!