Expanded metal screens may contain micro-mesh openings as small as 0.6mm (length) by 0.5mm (width). Or, an expanded metal screen may contain nearly an inch-wide standard opening. It is important to note that a screen with thousands of tiny openings may allow the same amount of light, or other material, to pass through as a screen with hundreds of larger ones. The wide variety of apertures, or openings, found in expanded metal screens helps to provide a wide selection when balancing design, visibility, and privacy concerns, while still providing the required protection from environmental factors like rain, snow, and sunlight.
Common Features of an Expanded Metal Screen
As previously mentioned, a wide variety of expanded metal screen choices are available to suit various needs. Despite this diversity, however, all expanded metal screen options share various traits, which we will examine further below.
- They can be easily manufactured.
- They are easy to paint or polish.
- Expanded metal screens are simple to install.
- They provide an attractive presentation.
- There are numerous thickness options available.
- They feature varied hole sizes, patterns, and configurations.
- Expanded metal screens are durable.
- Their bonds, not similar to mesh that is woven or welded, are constant and strong. Due to its strength and adaptability, expanded metal screening is used in various architectural and commercial applications. It can be a beautiful method to display creativity and design on a structure.
Expanded Metal Screen Manufacturing Process
Expanded metal screens are produced like other expanded metal products using a smaller die and requiring less stretching from an already smaller gauged metal. A metal sheet or plate is initially inserted into a machine that expands the metal just below the die cutter, which resembles a knife. The stock metal has hundreds or thousands of uniform slits cut into it in an offset, alternating pattern. The pyramid die is the most popular die pattern in expanded metal screens, which creates a diamond pattern between the frameworks. However, specialized dies can create almost any pattern. The metal is pulled and sliced in a hot press regardless of the pattern shape. The solid sheet becomes a mesh-like screen due to the pressurized slitting and stretching process, which causes the holes to enlarge. There is no material waste because the metal is sliced rather than punched. Instead, the metal is drawn into fine strands and joined together to form an interconnected structural network that evenly distributes weight throughout the screen.
The metal used in a screen's construction significantly impacts how strong it is. However, it is important to note that expanded metals frequently have better weight-to-strength ratios and are more rigid than the solid metals from which they are formed. In addition to the differences in strength and weight capacities of the various metals used to create expanded metal screens, it is also important to consider that the size and thickness of the finished product may differ significantly from the original metal material used to create these items. The material may also influence the permeability of an expanded metal screen. Still, the open space in each expanded metal screen mostly determines these features.
Expanded Metal Screens Benefits
Why choose expanded metal screens over other screen materials? We examine some specific benefits of these products below.
- Compared to other equivalent materials, expanded metal screens can pass more air.
- Expanded metal screens are environmentally friendly because no material is wasted, and no holes are punched or cut out. In addition, they are recyclable.
- Expanded metal screens are simple to create.
- Expanded metal screens allow for visual diversity since they change in transparency depending on the angle from which they are seen.
- Due to the stretched metal material, their weight per square foot is lower than the source metal utilized to make these screens. The expansion process makes these sheets thinner and causes them to lose some relative weight.
- Expanded metal screens are durable and strong. Since they are produced in a single piece, they maintain their integrity. There are no weak spots, unlike woven meshes or sheets that contain connecting seams.
- If perforated metal sheets are used to create a screen effect, there is more waste since these punched-out holes are useless.
As a result, the costs associated with manufacturing expanded metal screens are decreased in comparison since wastage is decreased. Therefore, this is an even more crucial factor to examine if a pricier metal is being considered.
- Expanded metal screens provide great versatility and can be easily shaped to fit a particular use and design. For instance, wider cuts and larger gaps can be employed if maximum light and air are needed.
Applications of Expanded Metal Screens
Decorative panels, window guards, railings, flooring, grills, security partitions, anti-dazzle or glare-reduction screens, and protective covers are typical uses for expanded metal screens. Expanded metal screens provide support and protection while allowing air, water, and light flow in any of these applications. We examine some other applications of expanded metal screens in greater detail below.
- Dishwasher strainers, microwave screens, dryer and washer drums, gas burner cylinders, water heaters, heat pumps, and flame arrestors are a few examples of appliances featuring expanded metal screens.
- Expanded metal screens may feature decorative architectural features in stairways, ceilings, walls, and floors.
- Conveyors, dryers, diffusers, and EMI/RFI shielding are examples of industrial equipment using expanded metal screens.
- Centrifuge screens, mud filters, backing screens, leaf filters, desanding and dewatering screens, and diffuser drainage plates are all versions of expanded metal screens used in sugar processing.
Choosing the Correct Expanded Metal Screen Supplier
To ensure the most beneficial outcome when purchasing expanded metal screens from an expanded metal screen supplier, it is important to compare several companies using our directory of expanded metal screen suppliers. Each expanded metal screen supplier has a business profile page highlighting their areas of experience and capabilities, along with a contact form to directly communicate with the supplier for more information or request a form. Review each expanded metal screen business website using our proprietary website previewer to quickly learn what each business specializes in. Then, use our simple RFQ form to contact multiple expanded metal screen companies with the same form.
Woven wire mesh is one of the most versatile materials in the world, helping to facilitate various operations across countless industries. From enhancing the design of a structure with a dynamic look to filtering out unwanted contaminants, woven wire mesh affects our everyday lives in more ways than one.
But at first glance, it can be hard to truly understand the principles and possibilities of woven wire mesh. This leaves us with the underlying question: what is woven wire mesh?
We understand that woven wire mesh can sometimes be underwhelming, but over the years, we have seen mesh deliver actual results that have revolutionized the operation of our customers.
To that end, we wrote this article to provide insight into:
What woven wire mesh is
How woven wire mesh is made
The form factors of wire mesh
Woven wire mesh applications
How much woven wire mesh costs
What Is Woven Wire Mesh?
Woven wire mesh, also referred to as woven metal mesh and wire cloth, are rolls, sheets, or components of interlocked metallic wires that undergo a weaving process to take on a specific weave pattern. The number of individual wires used to construct the mesh is pre-determined along with the weave pattern, wire diameter, aperture size, micron rating, width, and length.
How Is Woven Wire Mesh Made?
Woven wire mesh is woven using a specialized weaving loom designed to work with metallic wires. Looms are typically set up to weave 48”, 60” or 72” mesh rolls; however, 98” and wider have become available in recent years.
Now, using a weaving technique that is similar to the methods used to weave clothing, the weaving loom works to interlock each individual wire using the tension at each cross-section to keep the mesh intact. To that end, current technology allows for opening sizes ranging from 5 microns to 4”.
For a more in-depth overview of how woven wire mesh is made, review the following article:
Understanding Woven Wire Mesh
All woven wire mesh products are woven similarly. That said, wire mesh is available in three form factors, each with its own beneficial qualities.
These forms are square mesh, filter mesh, and architectural mesh.
Square Mesh
Woven wire square mesh is a wire mesh variant that consists of weft and warp wire that share identical wire diameters. It can be woven to plain weave, inter-crimped weave, or pre-crimped weave specifications, depending on your needs.
To that end, square mesh is typically available in wire mesh rolls or cut-to-size mesh panels.
Filter Mesh
Metal mesh filters, also referred to as stainless steel filter mesh, are wire mesh variants in which the network of metallic wires is woven to form peruse and rigid pore openings. Filter mesh is typically designed to remove contaminants from a given substance or extract certain particles to create a filter cake.
When it comes to availability, you can purchase filter mesh in rolls or cut-to-size pieces much like square mesh. Additionally, filter mesh can be fabricated to a specific size and shape to fit your filter system.
Architectural Mesh
Architectural mesh, also known as metal mesh fabric, is best defined as a high-tensile mesh variant used as a design element when strategizing an architectural design process. The mesh is typically constructed from 316-stainless steel up to 80% recycled to remain as sustainable as possible.
It’s important to know that while the mesh is rigid enough to provide a safer environment within parking structures, there remains a sense of flexibility when tensioned. This allows it to be applied to almost any structure, regardless of the design parameters of the structure are standard or irregular.
Woven Wire Mesh Applications
Sieve Cloth
When wire mesh is woven specifically to be used in test sieves, it is referred to as sieve cloth. What makes sieve cloth stand out from other mesh variants is the fact that it is woven to a specified nominal opening with a specific wire diameter.
More importantly, it is woven to be complicit with ASTM E11 and ISO 3310-1 standards.
While it is generally reserved to test sieve construction, it can also be applied to large-scale screening operations.
Industrial Mesh
Industrial wire mesh is used to encompass the use of square mesh or filter mesh on a large scale. In other words, anytime wire mesh is purchased in rolls or large quantities of cut-to-size pieces, it is considered industrial mesh.
When it comes to applications, industrial mesh is great for industries that wish to leverage the benefits of wire mesh while handling any custom fabrication in-house. This includes the automotive, medical, and filtration industries.
Screen Printing
Stainless steel wire mesh, when the correct mesh openings are applied, can provide substantial benefits to your screen printing process. When compared to other materials, such as nylon mesh, wire mesh offers enhanced tensioning capabilities, durability, ink distribution, and cost savings.
Fabricated Parts
As stated above, wire mesh can be fabricated to take on a specific size and shape. In order to be considered a fabricated wire mesh part, a value-added service must be added to achieve the desired form.
Now, while the possibilities of what can be achieved with wire mesh are virtually limitless, the most common forms are cut-to-size pieces, deep drawn parts, edged solutions, pressed articles, and cylindrical filter cartridges.
How Much Does Woven Wire Mesh Cost?
Regardless if you are implementing sieve cloth, industrial mesh, architectural mesh, or filter mesh, the factors that influence the cost of wire mesh are fairly the same. This includes the size, shape, mesh specification, quantity, alloy, and layer configuration (fabricated parts).
Any additional requirements, such as DFARS compliance and value-added services, will also factor into the overall cost of the mesh.
Gain Insight Into Wire Mesh Welding
Woven wire mesh is individual metallic wires that are woven to form rolls, pieces, and components of mesh that have precise openings that are used for a wide range of applications. Its versatile properties allow it to be applied to applications such as filtration, particle analysis, architectural, screen printing, and much more.
But to truly create a wire mesh solution that meets your expectation, you should understand the possibilities of welding wire mesh during the fabrication process. This will help you gauge whether the alloy you use will allow for welding or if the welding technique you wish to apply will affect the performance of the mesh.
Over the years, we have come to understand that there is so much more to woven wire mesh than just wire that is woven and seek to enrich our customers with the wealth of knowledge that we have within the walls here at W.S. Tyler.
For more information on what can and cannot be achieved when welding woven wire mesh, refer to the following article: