How Wire Mesh is Made

Wire mesh sheet is a highly versatile product used for a wide variety of applications, from safety fencing, concrete reinforcement, light fixtures, to air filtration. Wire mesh can be made of many different metals &#; such as carbon steel or stainless steel &#; with a range of gauges and hole sizes.

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Wire mesh comes in two basic types: woven wire mesh and welded wire mesh.

Both types of mesh begin with extruding a metal rod, tube or wire through a number of dies that are successively smaller to create a thinner wire which is then wound on a spool. The wound wire later can be run through a straightening machine and cut in desired lengths for the next part of the process.

Woven Wire Mesh

Weaving wire into mesh is similar to the process of weaving cloth. First, a wire loom is set up with long lengths of wire strung parallel through the machine like yarn warp threads.

As the machine operates, wire harnesses lift alternate strands of the wire, allowing a shuttle to pass between strands perpendicularly, pulling along a filling wire, similar to a yarn weft. Then a batten presses the filling wire against the mesh and the harnesses lift the opposite strands so the shuttle can pass through in the opposite direction, producing an over-under weave.

Other weave patterns can also be created.

Welded Wire Mesh

Another type of wire mesh, sometimes called welded wire fabric, can be made with an automatic wire welding machine. This type of mesh consists of a series of parallel and perpendicular wires spaced at equal distances and welded at the intersections.

To set up the machine, wire is strung through a row of automatic feeders that push the long parallel strands through the welder. To create the cross-wires, another feeder drops short perpendicular sections of wire down on top of the parallel wires. At the intersections between parallel and perpendicular wire, a row of electrical resistance weld heads then fuses the joints and the mesh is pulled ahead, while another perpendicular wire drops down.

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Wire mesh and wire cloth are highly versatile products made from a network of interlaced wires.

Wire cloth is generally flexible with a smooth cloth-like consistency. Most specifications use thinner wire diameters that create very small to small micronic openings. As a result, this material is a perfect medium for screening and filtration applications.

Wire mesh on the other hand incorporates larger openings and thicker wire diameters. These materials are ideal for cages, fencing, and ventilation covers.

By changing the opening size and wire diameter a variety of specifications are available to accommodate many applications, whether it&#;s a mesh panel for architectural installations or a heavy-duty wire mesh product for industrial purposes.

How Is a Woven Wire Mesh Made?

Woven wire mesh is a (often steel) metal mesh made using special weaving equipment, intricately weaving metal wires together to form a cohesive structure.

Typically, wire cloth utilizes a plain weave construction meaning the wires just pass over one another at each intersection.  

For mesh with larger openings and thicker diameters, there is an entire crimping process prior to configuring the weaving loom. This process pulls coiled wire from a rack into the crimping machine. The wire is first straightened and then crimped to a specific profile using a set of toothed wheels. The wire is then accurately cut to the desired length and width ready to be woven.

Depending on your requirements, these special weaving looms can construct various woven wire mesh specifications, incorporating metal wires of different materials and diameters.

Types of Materials Used to Make Woven Wire Mesh

Stainless steel wire mesh has many attributes, making it highly desirable for a number of applications.

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Besides stainless steel, other materials are available to create woven wire mesh, including:

• Plain (Mild) Carbon steel
• Galvanized steel
• High Carbon steel
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Brass
• Bronze

The Three Fundamentals of Woven Wire Mesh

Individuals looking to get woven wire mesh must know the three fundamentals to get the right product for their needs, including wire mesh product specifications and metal varieties.

Mesh Count

You may hear terminologies such as 4 or 100 mesh count when shopping for wire cloth, which refers to the number of openings in an inch. 

Knowing the mesh count will help you get a solution that allows you to have control over what passes through the mesh. For example, if you&#;re working at an oil rig, you would need a mesh with 100 openings or more, depending on what you want to filter out.

Typically, for finer filtration, oil rigs use meshes with many small opening sizes to filter out sand and other impurities when pumping out oil from the ground. 

For heavy-duty wire mesh, this might be a measurement in fractions of an inch to determine the opening or mesh centers. This is ideal for aggregate sizing and sifting applications. 

Wire Diameters

Wire diameter is the thickness of each wire which determines the following: 

1. The available space between the wires or the open area 
2. The strength of the weave

If the wires are thicker, there will be a smaller open space, making the weave durable and more resistant to harsher conditions. However, thinner wires may allow for more open space but could result in more wear and tear depending on the application.

There are different specifications of wire meshes depending on the wire diameters. For example, working with coarse aggregates, you would likely want a thick wire diameter better suited to withstand material processing. However, a slightly thinner wire diameter would be ideal for as machine guard to protect the operator and equipment while allowing for ventilation.

Opening Size

The opening size is the distance between the wires.

Knowing the mesh count and opening size can help determine your required micron rating. For filtration, micron rating is crucial as it gives the user more control over the medium.

Types of Woven Wire Mesh

The following are some common types of woven wire mesh:

• Plain crimp
• Intercrimp
• Lock crimp
• Flat top crimp

Each type has its unique properties. For example, the lock crimp offers greater stability, while the flat top crimp features a smooth top allowing for a better flow of materials. Besides the types mentioned above, you can also find various architectural patterns for your creative installations.

Woven Wire Cloth Types

There are many woven wire cloth types you can choose from, including:

• Plain Square Woven: A simple pattern with the same diameter shute and warp wires that go over and under each other.
• Twill Square Woven: Each wire goes over and under two warp wires.
• Plain Dutch Woven: A simple over-and-under pattern using thin wires to create a tight weave.
• Dutch Twill Weave: It is similar to a Plain Dutch weave but uses even thinner wires to create a tighter weave.
• Reverse Dutch Weave: Similar to Plain Dutch, except the wires here are reversed.
• Stranded Weave: A bunch of small diameter wires go over and under each other.

Your Wire Mesh Experts

Trust Universal Wire Cloth for top-tier wire mesh products. With vast experience and unwavering quality assurance, we are your go-to experts for all metal mesh requirements. From product recommendations to tailored solutions and installation support, our dedicated team is ready to assist. Reach out to us now to explore our offerings and streamline your wire fabric projects.

In Summary

In conclusion, woven wire mesh, with its intricate weave and utilization of various raw materials, stands as a testament to human ingenuity in creating versatile materials to serve diverse industrial and creative needs. This article has shed light on the fundamentals of woven wire mesh, detailing its manufacturing process, materials used, and key considerations in selecting the appropriate mesh for specific applications, including stainless steel and aluminum wire mesh.

The distinction between wire cloth and wire mesh, underscores the tailored functionalities each offers, whether for screening and filtration purposes or structural applications like fencing and ventilation. Moreover, understanding mesh count, wire diameters, and opening sizes empowers users to make informed decisions aligning with their requirements, whether for fine filtration in oil rigs or robust protection in industrial settings.

Furthermore, the exploration of different types of woven wire mesh, from plain crimp to lock crimp, reveals the rich diversity of options available, each with its unique properties suited to various demands. Likewise, the array of woven wire cloth types, such as plain square woven and Dutch twill weave, showcases the breadth of creative possibilities and functional adaptations achievable with this versatile material. 

In essence, woven wire mesh epitomizes versatility and ingenuity, offering a blend of functionality, durability, and aesthetic appeal across industries ranging from industrial to architectural. As technology advances and demands evolve, woven wire mesh continues to adapt, remaining an indispensable tool in the arsenal of engineers, designers, and artisans worldwide.

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