Introduction

This Article takes an In-depth look at Wire Mesh

You will learn more about topics such as:

• Basics of Wire Mesh
• Wire Used to Make Wire Mesh
• Uses for Wire Mesh
• The Benefits of Wire Mesh

What are the basics of wire mesh?

Wire mesh is produced by intertwining, weaving, or welding wires of different thicknesses to form evenly spaced parallel rows and intersecting columns. Commonly referred to as wire fabric, wire cloth, or hardware mesh, it is created by weaving wire on industrial looms, resulting in square or rectangular openings between the wires. Alternatively, welded wire mesh is made by using electric welders to join parallel longitudinal wires at their intersections.

There are a limitless number of shapes, sizes, and configurations of wire mesh made from an assortment of highly durable and resilient materials whose major function is to separate, screen, structure, and shield various applications and processes. The types of wire include galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, steel, and copper alloy wire. The type of application, necessary tensile strength, durability, longevity, and required flexibility are some of the factors used to determine the desired type and style of wire.

How Wire Mesh is Made

Wire mesh is manufactured through two main processes: weaving and welding. Wire weaving resembles the cloth weaving process on a loom, whereas welding involves joining wires at their intersections. Both methods are carried out using automated, pre-programmed machinery.

Welded Mesh

Wire Weaving

Near the end of the 17th century, woven wire cloth for the mining and pulp industries came into high demand, leading to the development of wire weaving looms. Over the centuries, the use for wire mesh has advanced beyond mines and pulp mills to architecture, plastic extrusion, aggregate screening, and filtration processing. The rise in demand has led to the modern industrial wire weaving industry.

• Weaving Loom — Weaving looms weave mesh rolls with widths of 48”, 60”, 72”, 98”, or wider. The loom has a warp beam, heddle frames, a reed, a rapier for transporting weft wire, and a take-up mechanism.

  Manufacturers use looms to weave meshes of standard and custom patterns. The completed mesh rolls are cut to varying lengths depending on the needs of customer specifications. Wires woven horizontally or lengthwise are warp wires, while wires woven vertically or crosswise are referred to as weft wires or shute wires, terms commonly used in textile manufacturing.

• Warp Beam — The warp beam is a cylindrical drum wrapped with the warp wires. The warp beam's tension must be meticulously controlled to avoid elongation of the woven mesh. The number of warp wires varies depending on the mesh width and must be kept the same length.
• Heddle Frames — The heddle frames separate the wires that are fed by the warp beam. Most looms have two heddle frames, with one used to lift half of the warp wires while the other pulls the warp wires down. The heddle frames change position as the weft wires move across the warp wires.
• Rapier Band — The weft wires are carried across the full width of the cloth by the rapier at each cycle of the heddle frame. It feeds a single weft wire between the sets of warp wires.
• Reed — The reed keeps the warp wires from the warp beam in place and accurately spaced and separated. Once the weft wire moves across the warp wires, the reed beats the weft wires tightly in place in the wire cloth.
• Take-Up — The take-up mechanism is a set of rollers that takes the fabric away from the loom with a pickup roller and two other rollers that work together to wind the cloth to the cloth roller. The fabric is wound in single layers with a smooth flat surface created by it being passed through the set of rollers.

After assembling the loom and loading the warp beam, the weaving process operates automatically. As the loom initiates, the warp beam unwinds gradually and evenly. Simultaneously, the take-up mechanism rolls up the finished fabric in sync with the warp beam’s unwinding. This coordinated movement ensures consistent tension on the warp wires, which is essential for producing high-quality fabric.

Welded Wire Mesh

Wire mesh is welded through a semi-automatic process that joins the intersections of the woven wires. Welding machines are programmed to fuse the connections at the horizontal and vertical wire intersections. Various welding techniques are employed, including resistance welding, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, plasma welding, and soldering.

• Weld Mesh Machine — The process of wire mesh welding begins with feeding wires into a weld mesh machine, which is much like the heddle frames and reeds of wire weaving.
• Wire Spools — Separate spools of wire are fed through a straightener. Pre-cut wires that match the dimensions of the wire mesh are placed separately from the wires fed from the spools. Since the wires are coming off spools, whether pre-cut or fed from them, they are mechanically straightened to lay flat on the welding surface.
• Mechanical Placement — The pre-cut wires are laid flat across the wires being fed from the spools. The wires are perpendicular to each other at right angles in mesh welding.
• Welding — Once the wires are positioned, the programmed welding process begins and applies a uniform weld at each cross-section.
• Process Completion — The collection of the final wire mesh from the welding process can be in rolls, like wire weaving, or sheets that are trimmed to size and placed in piles of wire mesh panels.

Welded mesh is more robust, durable, and stronger than woven wire mesh, and is typically made from thicker wires that can endure the welding process. The welding technique imparts increased rigidity and durability to the mesh, making it well-suited for applications such as fencing, cages, and concrete reinforcement sheets.

Types of Wire Mesh

Wire mesh varieties are categorized based on their manufacturing methods, properties, functions, and weave patterns. Each type is tailored to meet specific requirements for strength, weight, and finish. Key factors in selecting the appropriate wire mesh include its finish, metal type, and pattern, with the finish and metal type being the primary considerations.

Welded Wire Mesh

Welded wire mesh consists of square-shaped grid patterns formed by welding the wires together. This method produces a sturdy mesh suitable for various uses, including security fencing, warehouse shelving and storage, lockers, animal enclosures in veterinary clinics and shelters, room dividers, and pest traps.

Welded wire mesh is:

1. Durable and capable of withstanding changes in weather
2. Held securely and firmly in place without creep or shifting
3. Customizable to fit any dimensional needs or specifications

When welded wire mesh is made from stainless steel, it has stainless steel’s durability and corrosion resistance.