What Are the Key Factors in Wire Cloth Manufacturing?How is Wire Mesh Made?

What Are the Key Factors in Wire Cloth Manufacturing?How is Wire Mesh Made?

Metal Cloth and Wire Mesh Manufacturing Methods

The two major construction types of wire cloth, metal cloth, and wire mesh are:

Woven Metal Cloth

Woven metal cloth is created by interlacing two or more sets of wire, usually at right angles. The warp wires or yarns run parallel to the length of the cloth, while the perpendicular or crosswise wires, known as weft, fill the gaps between the warp wires. When metal fiber yarn is used instead of traditional wires, the resulting metal cloth features a fiber-like texture and a higher fiber density, closely resembling conventional synthetic fiber cloth. In contrast, woven wire mesh presents a coarser, more open appearance.

Nonwoven Wire Cloth

Nonwoven wire cloth is produced through various methods, including knitting, stitch bonding, welding, expanding (via punching and stretching), perforating, electroforming, chemical milling, photochemical etching, and laying metallic fibers into a felt mat.

Nonwoven Wire and Metal Cloth Types

Welded Wire Cloth or Mesh

Welded wire cloth, also known as welded wire mesh, is a type of nonwoven metal mesh where wires are joined by welding. In this mesh, one set of wires runs either perpendicular or at an angle to another set. The welds are created at the intersections where the wires cross. Compared to woven wire cloth, welded wire mesh offers greater strength and durability. A particle or object can push through a woven screen by shifting the wires apart. However, with welded wire cloth, the openings cannot be expanded without breaking the welds. This makes welded wire cloth ideal for applications involving high pressure or conditions that could damage a woven mesh.

Sintered Wire Mesh

Metal wires and fibers can be joined using solid-state welding or diffusion bonding techniques. Initially, the wire is woven, knitted, braided, or arranged into a nonwoven batt. This metal mesh or fabric is then placed into a furnace with a controlled atmosphere to prevent oxidation during sintering. During the sintering process, surface energy facilitates diffusion, leading to the rearrangement of metal atoms.

Braided Metal or Wire Cloth

In braided metal or wire cloth, strands, yarns, or wires are interwoven in an alternating zigzag pattern. The three-strand braid is particularly common and is often used to create ropes. Various complex braid patterns are employed in industrial applications. Compared to woven fabric, braided cloth offers greater flexibility and stretchability.

After braiding, metal strands are frequently flattened or calendered. Braiding is employed to create metal ropes, cords, flexible conductive straps, and protective sleeving.

Protective sleeving is commonly woven into a tubular form. Braided metal fiber sleeving, in particular, is utilized as an outer layer for hoses, data cables, and electrical cables. It offers critical protection by providing cut resistance, abrasion resistance, and shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI).

Braided copper conductors, or copper braids, are utilized to link conductive electrical power components in scenarios where movement occurs between the conducting parts. This type of copper can withstand repeated flexing without becoming work-hardened or breaking. Additionally, braided copper is commonly used for flexible grounding straps, offering durability and flexibility for various applications.

Protective Stainless Steel Braided Sleeve

Knitted Metal or Wire Cloth

Knitted metal cloth is made by interlacing loops of wire or yarn to create its structure. This method gives the cloth greater flexibility and stretch compared to woven fabrics, as the loops can slide against each other. The main types of knitting processes used in creating such fabrics include warp knitting, weft knitting, and stitch bonding.

Knitted Metal Cloth

Stitch Bonded Metal or Wire Cloth

Stitch bonding is employed to create high-strength industrial textiles and composite reinforcements used in aircraft and wind turbine applications. This process involves joining or stitching together multiple fabric layers with a knitting thread, resulting in stitch-bonded fabrics that offer enhanced durability and performance.

Metal Felt and Metal Wool

Metal wires or fibers can be arranged to create a nonwoven metal fiber batt or mat. Since the fibers are not bonded together, nonwoven metal fiber mats are commonly stabilized using needle punching. In this process, a barbed or forked needle repeatedly penetrates the nonwoven metal fiber web and then withdraws, causing mechanical entanglement. Needle plates, equipped with over 100 needles per inch, punch the fiber batts at a rate of 2,000 strokes per minute.

Needle Punching Metal Fiber Batt

The metal cloth products mentioned above begin with metal wire or metallic fibers that are woven or processed into a mesh or fabric. Expanded metal, perforated metal, and chemically milled mesh all start with sheet metal as their raw material.

Expanded Metal

Expanded metal is produced by cutting small slits into a metal sheet and then stretching the material to create openings. This process typically results in diamond-shaped openings in the metal. One of the advantages of expanded metal is that it generates minimal to no scrap during manufacturing.

Perforated Metal

Perforated metal is created by punching holes into metal sheets using a steel or carbide punch and die set on a high-speed punch press. This method, known as punching and blanking, is a cost-effective way to quickly produce holes in metal sheets and plates. The punched-out material, known as the plug, is considered waste or scrap. Compared to expanded metal, woven wire mesh, and welded wire cloth, perforated sheet metal has a thinner profile, offering a more streamlined appearance.

Expanded Metal Patterns

Chemical Milling and Electroforming

Chemical milling and electroforming are ideal for creating extremely fine mesh or products with very small hole sizes.

When the wire diameter of wire cloth or the hole size of perforated metal becomes too small, manufacturing these products through weaving and punching becomes challenging. Extremely fine wires and punches are prone to breaking easily during production.

Chemically Milled Mesh

Chemically milled mesh is created by applying a masking material to sheet metal. This masking can be selectively applied using screen printing or photolithography techniques. Areas not covered by the masking material are then etched away or removed using an acid bath. Chemical milling allows for the creation of intricate patterns, including holes, slots, star-shaped openings, and various perforations.

Electroformed Metal Mesh or Cloth Process from Precision Eforming

Electroformed Mesh

Electroformed mesh is produced through the electrochemical deposition of mesh material onto a conductive pattern, mold, or mandrel. Once the deposition is complete, the pattern or mold is removed using methods such as melting, etching, or chemical dissolution. This process allows for the creation of mesh openings as small as 5 microns.

Electroforming utilizes distinct raw materials and chemicals for electro deposition or electroplating, setting it apart from other metal mesh or cloth products. The process involves ionic aqueous solutions or dissolved salts from the metal being deposited, which are essential for the electroplating process.

Electroforming achieves greater detail in metal patterns compared to chemical milling, etching, stamping, or machining. This method provides exceptional edge precision, with edges nearly free of burrs and typically exhibiting a variance of less than 0.5 microns.

Molds or patterns are frequently created using photolithography techniques. Because electroformed parts utilize a reproducible mold or pattern, they can consistently replicate highly detailed and complex mesh patterns. Electroforming enables the production of intricate shapes that are difficult or impossible to achieve with other manufacturing methods.

Woven Wire Cloth Weave Types

Wire Cloth Weave Patterns

Woven Wire Cloth Weave Types

Woven wire cloth is available in a range of standard weaves, with many metal cloth manufacturers offering proprietary designs as well. Additionally, custom weaves can be created to fulfill the specific requirements of both demanding industrial applications and architectural projects with unique aesthetic needs.

Wire Cloth or Mesh Weave Types

The four most common wire cloth weaves are:

Plain Weave

In plain weave or square weave, parallel warp wires alternate between running under and over the cross, fill, or shute wires. This interlacing pattern creates a basic and widely used type of wire cloth weave.

Dutch Weave

Dutch weave, also known as plain Dutch weave, resembles the plain weave pattern but features a notable difference: the warp wires have a significantly larger diameter than the weft or cross wires. Additionally, the weft wires are tightly packed together. This combination results in a dense, high-quality material that excels in filtration applications.

Twill Weave

Twill weaves feature a pattern where two adjacent warp wires pass under the fill or weft wires, followed by two adjacent weft wires passing under the warp wires. This pattern allows twill weaves to handle larger wire diameters while maintaining a specific mesh size. Compared to plain weaves with the same wire diameter, twill weaves offer greater flexibility.

Dutch Twill Weave

Dutch twill weaves integrate both twill and Dutch weave patterns.

Here are a few of the less common weaves:

Rectangular, Broad, and Oblong Weaves

Broad and oblong weaves feature rectangular openings. They are often referred to as off-count mesh due to the uneven mesh count in the parallel warp and crosswise shute directions. Broad weaves have a lower number of warp wires, while oblong weaves have fewer shute or weft wires.

Optimized Weaves

Optimized weaves enhance filtration efficiency by increasing the number of warp or weft wires until they make contact. This results in smaller apertures and improved flow rates.

Reversed Weaves

Reversed Dutch twill weaves and reversed plain Dutch weaves are types of reversed weaves. Reversed plain Dutch weaves feature a higher number of warp wires and fewer shute or weft wires. These weaves offer greater strength, making them suitable for demanding applications where backwashing, filter cake removal, and cleaning processes exert mechanical stress on the wire weave.

Reverse Weaves

Braided or Stranded Weave

Stranded weave consists of multiple strands of wire for each warp and shute wire. Its surface resembles the appearance of Parkay wood flooring.

5-Heddle Weave

5-heddle or 5 Shed Twill Weaves

5-heddle weaves, also known as 5-shed twill weaves, feature warp wires that pass over four shute wires and under one shute wire. These weaves have a smooth surface on one side, which makes it easier to remove filter cakes from the smooth surface of 5-heddle weaves.

Three Dimensional (3D) Minimesh Woven Filter Cloth

3D Weaves and Volumetric Weaves

3D and volumetric weaves employ specialized proprietary weaving technology to create a mesh with a three-dimensional structure. These weaves offer significantly higher volume porosity compared to conventional media of the same wire diameter, making them ideal for filtration applications. Additionally, they can help reduce pressure loss in filtering processes.

Multi-Layer Wire Mesh Laminates

Multi-layer wire mesh laminates consist of several mesh layers bonded together using methods such as sewing, welding, sintering, fastening, or adhesive bonding. A finer mesh cloth can be attached to the top of a larger diameter wire mesh screen. The larger screen provides support for the finer mesh during filtration processes, preventing it from bowing or breaking.

Omega Aluminum Ribbon or Cable Weave

Ribbon or Cable Weaves

Ribbon weaves, or cable weaves, involve warp metal ribbons or flattened wires interwoven with round shute or weft wires. These weaves are particularly effective for facade and wall cladding applications where security, privacy, light diffusion, and protection from wind and sunlight are required.

Cable Mesh Weaves

Cable mesh consists of stranded wire woven into a square or diamond pattern. The intersection points can be secured using ferrules, cross clips, bolts, interweaving, or welding.

Spiral Weaves

Spiral weaves are created using wires that are crimped or formed into a spiral shape. The V-shaped wires are threaded or woven in a spiral pattern, interlocking with each other. This technique is commonly used for manufacturing endless process belts and chain link fencing. Spiral woven belts can feature interconnected spiral wires along with additional "shute" rods. Hexagonal wire netting, or "poultry netting," is also produced through a spiral winding process, where wires are twisted at intervals, shifted forward, and then twisted in the opposite direction. Additionally, spiral weaves are employed in architectural applications for light diffusion and decorative facades.

Combination Weaves

Specialized weaves are created by combining two standard weave patterns.

A wide range of proprietary and custom weave and woven metal cloth types can be developed by varying the weaving patterns, wire sizes, wire shapes, and wire materials.

Woven Wire Mesh Crimp Types

Woven wire cloth can utilize either crimped or non-crimped wire. The crimping process introduces bends, undulations, or kinks into the wires, which helps interlock the parallel and crosswise wires. Crimped wire features a wave-like or sawtooth profile. Typically, the crimping is done prior to the weaving process.

Crimping reduces wire movement, ensuring more consistent and accurate openings. A sharp point or awl can penetrate non-crimped wire mesh more easily than crimped mesh.

Lock Crimp Screen

Various crimping methods can be employed, including:

Non-crimped

Without crimping or pre-crimping, the wires remain free to move. This results in wire cloth that may offer greater flexibility or adaptability compared to crimped or welded mesh.

Pre-Crimp

Pre-crimped wire is typically used for coarser diameter or gauge wire cloth. This type of mesh is more rigid compared to non-crimped mesh.

Lock Crimp

Lock crimp features a precise crimp shape that securely "locks" the wires at their intersection points, holding them tightly in place.

Intercrimp, Intermediate Crimp, or Multiple Crimp

Intercrimp, intermediate crimp, or multiple crimp wire cloth features more frequent crimps, with wire intersections occurring at every 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc., crimp. This type of mesh has additional bends or corrugations between intersections. Intercrimping enhances rigidity and accuracy, particularly when weaving large opening wire mesh with fine wire gauges.

Flat Top Mesh

Flat top mesh utilizes downward crimps or corrugations that alternate between the warp and shute wires, resulting in a flatter surface with fewer undulations.