Stainless steel woven wire mesh is best described as a predetermined number of metal wires interlaced together to form a roll or sheet of wire cloth that upholds a specific pattern. When weaving mesh, parameters such as wire diameter, opening (aperture) size, micron rating, weave pattern, width, and length can be customized to your specific needs.
When woven wire mesh is woven, a designated amount of wires are wrapped around a warp beam that gets placed into a specialized weaving loom. The warp wires are then placed into heddle frames that split them into 2 or more sets depending on the weave/pattern of the mesh.
As the loom operates, the heddle frames push the different sets of wires up and down as a wire, known as the shute wire, is driven in between the wires. After being threaded through the wires, the up and down motion of the heddle frames locks the shute wire into place.
As illustrated previously, welded mesh and woven wire mesh are produced differently. That said, other than the threaded wires throughout the loom, the weaving process of woven wire is mostly automated.
Producing welded mesh, on the other hand, is a lot more hands-on. An operator must thread the wire through a straightener before it is cut into the crossbars.
The additional wire must also be threaded through the machinery itself.
Now, the mechanism that accurately places the crossbars must constantly be fed material. These bars are commonly fed by hand.
Lastly, the access material that protrudes off the edges must ensure optimal results. Again this process is commonly done manually when the mesh is not being rolled by the machine.
With that, the labor costs and heavy-duty wire that must be used cause welded mesh to be the more costly of the two.
As with all mesh solutions, the application will determine whether you should use welded mesh or woven wire mesh.
One advantage stainless steel woven wire mesh has over welded mesh is that the mesh opening can be much finer. This is because as the wire diameter gets smaller, the harder it is to weld the mesh without damaging the wires or compromising the openings of the mesh.
Having said that, the finer mesh openings of stainless steel woven wire mesh makes it perfect for virtually any filtration, particle analysis, or screen printing application.
If you are working with rugged material that requires a mesh that is sturdy and durable, welded wire mesh may be a good fit. Welded mesh is also a good fit for extremely corrosive conditions as it can be galvanized for extra protection.
If mesh strength is not an issue and you’re looking for a cost-effective mesh solution that can offer smaller mesh openings than ¼” for filtration purposes, woven wire mesh is right for you. As woven wire mesh is produced predominantly with stainless steel, which is too resistant to corrosive material, the fact that it often has shorter lead times than welded mesh should also be considered.
Hebei Yingkang Wire Mesh Product Co., Ltd. provides high-quality stainless steel woven wire mesh and welded wire mesh. All the products are strictly produced and inspected under ISO 9001 standard and sell well to more than 30 countries of the world. May our cooperation bring you happiness and benefit.
