Wire mesh is extremely versatile in its uses and can be manufactured to accommodate many different applications. Depending on your use, finding the right woven metal mesh or welded wire mesh for your project can be crucial. Check out this guide for tips on buying the best wire mesh the industry has to offer. Keep in mind, quality really does matter when it comes to working with wire mesh materials. 

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Find Your Mesh Specification

Wire cloth fabrication can be molded to fit a variety of specifications. Knowing some specifics of the application you’re using it for can be very helpful in making sure you get the right mesh for your project. One of the largest deciding factors is the need for strength and durability in its application. For instance, if you are looking to invest in woven metal mesh to assist in allergy-proofing your home, a single-layer of wire cloth over windows will cleanse the air while ensuring proper airflow.

In addition to choosing between a single layer of wire mesh or multiple layers, you must also consider the size and shape you are working with. For instance, when working to create a filter product through wire cloth fabrication, choosing a very fine wire will allow for the optimal level of filtration to be achieved. 

Understanding the mesh count, wire diameter and opening needed for your application is an important first step in making sure you find the wire mesh to fit your project. Additional tools can be used to help you find the right fit. For example, Lawrence Sintered Metals has a free wire mesh calculator that can help you determine what specifications you may need.

Choose Your Weave Type and Pattern

Once you have the basic specifications of the mesh you need, it may also prove beneficial to decide on your weave type and pattern. One of the main considerations in selecting a wire mesh is whether to select a woven or welded pattern. Woven mesh is more common overall because not all wires are suitable for welding.

Woven wire mesh—also sometimes referred to as woven wire cloth—is created by weaving wire strands in an over-under or under-over method to form different patterns with varying specifications. Some of the most common weave patterns for woven wire mesh are plain/square weave, rectangular weave, plain Dutch weave, twilled Dutch weave, and intercrimp weave. The weave pattern of mesh significantly influences what it can be used for. For example, plain square weaves are ideal for use in general-purpose applications, while Dutch weaves are more appropriate for use in air and liquid filtering applications.

Welded wire mesh is a sheet of metal wires arranged into a stable grid pattern, then welded at the intersections for durability. Welded wire mesh is cost-effective and highly customizable, with options for a range of materials, thicknesses, and grid patterns. Stainless steel is oftentimes the material used to create welded wire mesh, as it offers the highest performance, valued both for its strength and corrosion resistance. Applications that may call for stainless steel mesh for either functional or aesthetic purposes include filters for chemical and oil processing, air filtration, food service and medical filters and guards, and building facades.

Think About Your Application’s Conditions

When chosen correctly, wire mesh offers the strength and flexibility needed for its given application. It is important to select a material capable of withstanding the operating and environmental conditions. For example, in applications involving corrosive materials, stainless steel is a viable option. In general, stainless steel is one of the most—if not the most—commonly employed construction materials for wire mesh products. Typical alloys used include Type 304, 316, and 316L.

Do the Necessary Research

Just as you would with any other project, doing the research before you start is imperative. We encourage all users of wire mesh, especially those new to the industry, to familiarize themselves with the products, their terminology, and users. In addition, know where you can save money in the process. For example, to receive the best SQFT price, purchase a full roll of material. Standard rolls measure 100 feet in length, and when purchasing in this quantity, there is no extra labor cost and no cut to size waste.

Want more information on Plain Steel Wire Mesh? Feel free to contact us.

Lawrence Sintered Metals Offers High Quality, Affordable Wire Mesh

Once you have all of your specifications laid out, all you need to do is find a wire mesh products provider. Lawrence Sintered Metals offers a variety of wire mesh products in woven and welded form, in different alloys including plain steel, stainless steel and galvanized steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, brass, Monel, Alloy 20, and many more.

Wire Mesh: A Guide to the Right Product

The flexibility and durability of wire cloth makes it a versatile product. From the food and beverage production industry to automotive, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors, metal mesh is being increasingly used across multiple industries. 

As there is a surge in the use of wire cloth, mesh products have grown into various types, standards, and patterns catering to the industry-specific demand. The production has become exceptionally sophisticated with the invention of new molecular diffusion-bonding and lamination technologies. Depending on required materials and pore sizes, one can find the exact wire mesh material they need. 

Each of these wire mesh products varies based on applications, the number of laminated layers, and mechanical properties, in addition to the fabrication process. Technical and metallurgical considerations add to the growing diversity that demands careful and need-specific selection of wire cloth. Here is a guide on different types of metal mesh products, their significance, and how to select the right product for your application. 

Wire Mesh: What and How

Wire mesh refers to a metal net or screen of attached or woven strands formed by intersecting strands of wire. Stainless steel, copper, aluminum, brass, and bronze are the most popular metals used to produce wire mesh filters used for screening, structuring, and shielding. A filter made from sintered wire cloth is the best choice since sintering enables bonding at the molecular level and leads to laminated layers of woven wire. 

There are two major ways of manufacturing metal mesh – weaving and welding. Woven wire mesh is created when metal wires are woven into a web of intersected wires. It follows the pattern of one perpendicular wire woven over and under another wire. This pattern creates a web of mesh wire. Welded wire mesh, on the other hand, is produced when metal wires are put in rows and columns as per the size of the required pores and then are welded at the intersection. 

Wire Mesh: Types, Significance and Use

Whether meant for domestic or industrial use, sintered wire cloth comes with varying types of coarseness, weight, and aperture. Different types of sintered wire cloth have unique features, patterns, qualities, and functionalities.

• Stainless Steel Wire Mesh – Prepared from steel or iron-nickel alloy, this type of metal mesh is strong, sturdy, and reliable. Stainless steel wire mesh can have extremely low-variant but very stable pores. It comes in both high-carbon and low-carbon variants and is available in various patterns. Sintered wire cloth of steel is the best suitable for extremely corrosive or high-temperature environments and outdoor applications. Steel wire mesh filters are widely used in separation technology, architecture, and heat conditioning.
• Aluminum Wire Mesh – Aluminum wire mesh is often chosen for its relative affordability compared to other metals, as well as for its low weight compared to steel or stainless steel. Aluminum wire mesh is about a third of the weight of a stainless steel mesh with the same specifications, which can make it useful in the creation of items like personal audio headsets where low weight is critical.
• Plain Weave Sintered Square Woven Wire Mesh – This type of sintered wire mesh laminate is made by sintering multiple layers of plain weave square woven wire mesh together. Because of the large open area percentages of the square woven wire mesh layers, this type of sintered wire mesh laminate has good permeability characteristics and low resistance to flow. This type of sintered wire mesh laminate is useful for polymer production, as well as a variety of fluid and air filtration applications.
• Dutch Woven Sintered Wire Mesh – Wires of different diameters are used and pushed closer to each other to achieve a sintered wire mesh cloth of the highest density. These can be either plain or twill weave wire mesh. When made from sintered metals, the Dutch pattern produces more rigidity and tensile strength. The closer wire placement means a higher particle retention capability up to 10 micrometers. Dutch woven sintered wire mesh is used for very fine filtration applications and the making of protection chassis, enclosures, and boxes. The absence of openings allows this sintered wire cloth type to make the best water, air, fuel, plastic processing, and hydraulic filters. 
• 5-Layer Sintered Wire Mesh – 5-layer sintered wire mesh is created when a single layer of fine woven wire mesh is placed between two layers of coarser square woven meshes. It is then added to two layers of a strong Dutch woven wire mesh and sintered together to form a strong plate. The single layer of fine woven wire mesh acts as the filtration layer, and can be customized to meet a particular filtration rating, ranging from 1 micron to 200 microns.
• Double Weave Wire Mesh – A variant of the pre-crimped weave pattern, double weave wire mesh derives its name from its manufacturing process. Two wrap wires run over and under two weft wires making this type of wire mesh robust to withstand high-intensity tasks. Double weave sintered wire cloth is the top choice for vibrating screens of conveyor belts, mining filters, and crushers. Barbecues also utilize this wire mesh.
• Epoxy Coated Wire Mesh – Epoxy coated wire mesh can be used in a variety of filtering applications and as a support or for pleat spacing in filters. Door and insect screens are oftentimes produced using epoxy coated wire mesh.  The epoxy coating can be applied to plain steel, aluminum, or stainless steel wire mesh.

Tips To Select The Best Wire Mesh

While buying metal mesh, one must consider the following points.

• The purpose for which you need wire mesh. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages for various applications.
• The fabrication process is another important area to look at. This impacts the durability, structural rigidity, and tensile strength of a wire mesh.
• Pore size and pattern is important based on industry-specific filtration needs. For example, the Dutch pattern enables much higher precision filtration of particles compared to other variants.
• Sintered metal or alloy plays a role too in selections based on temperature, environment, and nature of the application. Non-corrosive metals are a must if it is mining, oil, or water industry. At locations with extreme temperatures, metals need to be highly resistant to corrosion. 
• The choice of sintered metals should also consider the potential presence of contaminants in the filtering process.

Contact Lawrence Sintered Metals for Wire Mesh

Lawrence Sintered Metals makes the best-quality and budget-friendly sintered wire cloth suitable for a range of applications. Contact us to learn more about our wire mesh and the applications it can be used for.