MS Plates, Chequered Plates and Catwalk Plates: What's the Difference?

"Plate" covers a family of flat steel products that do very different jobs. Picking the wrong one means paying for grip you don't need — or slipping on a ramp that needed it. Here is the difference in plain terms.

MS plates — the all-rounder

Mild steel plates are flat, smooth and sold in standard thicknesses. They are the base material for fabrication: base plates for columns, brackets, gussets, tank shells and machine beds. Fabricators cut, weld and drill them freely. If your drawing says "MS plate 6mm" — this is it.

Chequered plates — grip where feet land

Chequered (checker) plates have a raised pattern — diamonds or teardrops — rolled into one surface. That pattern is the point: slip resistance for foot traffic. You will find them on stair treads, loading ramps, workshop floors, truck beds and mezzanine landings. Common thicknesses run 3 mm to 6 mm; the pattern adds height, so order the base thickness your structure needs.

Catwalk plates — engineered walkways

Catwalk plate is profiled steel designed to span between beams and form permanent walkways and platforms — common in plants, warehouses and along cranes. It combines the grip idea of chequered plate with a profile that carries loads across a span without extra support steel.

How plates are priced

All three are priced per kilogram, calculated from the plate's volume: length × width × thickness × steel density (7.85 kg/m² per mm of thickness). That is why thickness discipline matters — every extra millimetre adds roughly 7.85 kg to every square metre you buy.

Quick selection guide

• Cutting and welding parts: MS plate, thickness to drawing.
• Stairs, ramps, floors with feet: chequered plate 3–6 mm.
• Permanent walkways and platforms: catwalk plate, span-dependent profile.

Seegaan stocks MS plates, chequered plates and catwalk plates in standard sizes, cut to order where needed. Browse plates in the catalogue or send your cutting list for a same-day quote.

Photo: Openverse (CC BY-SA) — stacked steel plates