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In the world of filtration, woven wire mesh is a vital asset for a wide range of uses. It provides desirable precision when filtering unwanted debris from the final product while offering the freedom needed to maintain a strong rate of flow.
But how do you determine what mesh specifications work best for your process? What are the deciding factors?
With 150 years of woven wire experience, W.S. Tyler is here to help. We understand that there are three primary factors that come into play when finding the best option. These factors are mesh count, wire diameter, and micron rating.
This article will go over just that, defining each factor, explaining why you should understand the best specifications for your operation, and the possible risks you face if you don’t take any one into consideration.
What Is Mesh Count?
Woven wire mesh is generally described by its mesh count. The mesh count is defined as the number of openings in a linear inch.
When you hear terminologies such as 16, 100, or 300 mesh, this is referring to the amount of openings per inch. So if you have a 100 mesh weave, an inch contains 100 openings in any given direction. This means a 16 mesh weave is much finer than a 100 mesh weave. The photo on the left is an example of a 2 mesh.
Why is Mesh Count Important?
The list of applications in which woven wire can be used is virtually endless. For example, oil rigs use mesh to filter out sand and other unwanted debris when pulling raw oil from the ocean floor. Another popular use for woven mesh is the transferring of ink onto a substrate when screen printing.
While these are two completely different applications, they both rely on the openings of the weave.
As the mesh count corresponds with the number of openings in the weave, knowing what mesh count you need will allow you to ensure you are selecting a solution that allows you to have control of what’s passing through.
So, if you work in the oil industry and are looking to filter sand out of oil, you need to use a mesh count that will block out the sand particles while allowing the oil to flow at an efficient rate. This will probably be around 100 or below, depending on the size of the particles being filtered.
But what happens when you implement the wrong mesh count?
Well, using a mesh count that is too large for your process can result in unwanted debris making its way into the final material/product. At the same time, using a mesh count that is too small can prevent desired particles from passing through, hindering the flow rate of your process and resulting in pressure buildup.
We will cover this further in a little bit.
What Is Wire Diameter?
While mesh count refers to the number of openings in the weave, wire diameter refers to the width of the individual wires. The diameter of the wires determines how much open space there is between the wires and plays an integral role in the strength of the weave.
It is commonly thought that if a roll is 16 mesh, for example, that the size of its pores is 1/16 of an inch. This is not the case as the wires fill a portion of the opening, which directly affects pore size.
To put it simply, if the wires in the weave are thicker, there will be a smaller amount of space between the wires; however, the weave will be stronger and able to endure harsher conditions. If the wires in the weave are thinner, there will be a larger amount of space between the wires; however, the weave will be weaker and the weave will be prone to wear.
Discover how wire mesh suppliers achieve accurate wire diameters in the article below:
Why is the Wire Diameter Important?
There are numerous applications that subject the mesh to harsh conditions, whether it's high temperatures or filtering out course material. In such cases, you are going to want the strongest weave possible.
Knowing the wire diameter will allow you to determine the right specifications that will allow you to get the results you want while preserving the lifespan of your mesh.
Naturally, the thicker the wire in the weave, the stronger it is. However, you don’t want a wire that’s too thick for your particular needs.
Let’s say you are working with coarse aggregates. If you use a wire diameter that’s too thin, you run the risk of destroying your mesh, putting your other equipment at risk.
Now, let's say you switch gears and begin working with fine sand. Using a wire diameter that’s too thick may make the openings too small and directly affect the micron rating, which we’ll explain next.
What Is Micron Rating?
While mesh count is the amount of openings and wire diameter is the width of each wire, micron rating is most easily explained as the exact distance between the wires in the weave. In other words, the micron rating is a direct reflection of how much of the opening space is not filled by the diameter of the individual wires.
To provide some perspective on how a micron relates to a more common unit of measurement, one micron is 1/1000 of a millimeter.
Why Do I Need To Know The Micron Rating?
One of the more popular applications of woven wire mesh is filtration. Whether you’re filtering out sand during the fracking process or debris when recycling plastic, you need to be aware of two things: the opening count and opening size needed for your filtration process.
Once both of these factors are determined, you can then pinpoint what micron rating you need.
Knowing the proper micron rating will allow you to have more control over the flow rate of what’s being filtered. That being said, failure to use the correct micron rating can lead to blinding, which occurs when particles get stuck in the weave openings and hinder the flow rate.
This, of course, is heavily dependent on what your filtering and the amount of waste buildup the mesh will be subjected to.
So, to sum it up, using the correct micron rating will ensure impurities get filtered out while maintaining sufficient flow. This will promote an operation that is both energy-efficient and cost-effective.
Mesh count and micron rating sometimes get confused when discussing woven wire mesh. Learn how the two specifications compare in the following article:
Wusheng Hardware Product Page
- Wire Mesh Specifications: Mesh Count vs Micron Rating
Gain A Better Understanding Of Woven Wire Mesh
Mesh count, wire diameter, and micron rating are all wire mesh specifications that must be discussed when designing a wire mesh solution, whether it be a roll or a fabricated part. Having a good understanding of what specifications are right for you will allow you to have complete control over the particle size range that passes through the mesh as well as the flow rate throughout your system.
Now, to ensure you implement a wire mesh solution that helps drive revenue, you must understand the jargon that surrounds the product. This will help prepare you for the conversations you will have with wire mesh suppliers, putting you in a better position to make the right decisions.
With over 150 years of experience helping customers across countless industries leverage the capabilities of woven wire mesh, W.S. Tyler strives to help educate those in the screening/filtering world understand how the versatile material can help innovate their process.
To gain insight into the key terms used within the wire mesh industry, read the following article:
- Woven Wire Mesh: Glossary, Terminology & Measurement
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.
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