To facilitate the centuries-old weaving process, wire mesh suppliers must employ specialized weaving looms designed to work with metallic wires. These looms consist of seven components: a warp beam, warp wires, heddle frames, weft wires, a rapier band, a reed, and a front take-up mechanism.
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The warp beam is a cylindrical beam that is used to wind the warp wire after the volume and length of the wires are calculated based on the specifications of the mesh.
Warp wires are the wires that run vertically and are threaded through the entire loom.
The heddle frames are holsters that are used to organize and separate the warp wires. Looms set up to produce a square mesh may have two sets of heddle frames, whereas more complex filter cloth weaves may have more.
Weft wires are the wires the run horizontally and are typically fed by a separate spool of wire.
The rapier band system is responsible for threading the weft wire through the sets of warp wires between heddle frame movements.
The reed is one of the most essential elements of a weaving loom as it is used to position the warp wires they will be woven in and drive the weft wires into their exact potion.
The front take-up mechanism rolls the woven mesh once it is fully woven.
The Weaving Process
To initiate the weaving process, a loom operator will attach and arrange the individual wires on the warp according to their position in the weave. To prevent entanglement, these wires are housed in a wire housing unit known as a creel.
Once attached, the warp beam is wound, allowing the proper length of wire to be wrapped around the beam.
Each wire wound on the warp beam is threaded through its own heddle in a specific heddle frame then carefully threaded through the reed openings based on their order in the weave. At this point, the warp beam, heddle frame assembly are transferred to the weaving hall, and the remainder of the loom is assembled.
NOTE: A great deal of attention to detail must be applied when threading the wire through the heddle frames and reed, as this process control how accurate the mesh specifications are.
Once the loom is fully assembled and the wires are properly threaded, the weaving process can begin.
When first initializing the weaving loom, the warp beam unwinds slightly to feed a small increment of wires. At the same time, the front take-up mechanism winds the same increment of wires to maintain the required tension to produce high-quality mesh.
Once these movements are made in conjunction, the heddle frames shift to separate the wires. In a two-heddle frame system, the first heddle frame lifts one half of the wires, and the second heddle frame drives the other half of wires down.
While the two sets of wires are separated, a weft wire, typically fed from a wire spool that is separated from the creel and placed next to the loom, is shot between the wires by the rapier band. The rapier band then moves back to its resting position.
It's at this point that the reed propels the weft wire to its final position, creating the precise cross-sections that wire mesh is known for. Once the weft wire is positioned, the reed returns to its resting position.
This marks the completion of the first interval.
To continue the weaving process, the warp beam and front take-up mechanism make the same slight, rotating movement to begin another interval. At the same time, the heddle frames will switch potion, wedging the previous weft wire as the two sets of wires are separated in the opposite direction.
These joint movements repeatedly continue until the desired length and mesh specification is woven.
Boasting unmatched strength, resilience, and versatility, stainless steel wire mesh is a critical material for countless industrial applications. The metal itself has myriad specifications and grades, the most common being types 304 (T-304) and 316 (T-316).
What's the difference between the two, and how do you know which is best for your needs? Read on for insight.
T-304 vs. T-316 Stainless Steel Alloys
Before diving deeper into the differences in these materials, it&#;s important to understand what an alloy is. An alloy is a metal combined with other elements to create a material not found in nature. For instance, when pure silver is combined with a small amount of copper, the result is sterling silver.
Steel is created by adding chromium to iron, and the stainless variety typically contains a small amount of nickel. The exact percentages of each element determine the grade of the metal.
Stainless steel wire mesh products are used in everything from aerospace and agriculture to mining and machinery. While there's a multitude of variations, T-304 and T-316 are the most widely used.
T-304 is essentially the standard version, and T-316 is premium. Though these alloys look nearly identical to the untrained eye, they're notably different in terms of their durability and resistance to heat and corrosion.
What Is T-304 Stainless Steel?
Type 304 stainless steel is an alloy containing 18% chromium and 8% nickel. In addition to being affordable and supremely versatile, there are many advantages to using the material.
T-304 wire mesh products are:
This type of wire mesh is widely available and comes in a broad range of sizes, wire diameters, and weaves.
T-304 Stainless Steel Metal Mesh Applications & Industries
Many industries rely on T-304 steel hardware cloth, including mining, food production, water filtration, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, construction, and refinery.
Industrial applications for T-304 include:
T-304 is a go-to for various applications, so bear in mind this is by no means an exhaustive list.
What Is T-316 Stainless Steel?
Type 316 stainless steel is an alloy containing 16% chromium and 10% nickel, along with 2% of the chemical element molybdenum. While it's priced slightly higher than T-304, it's just as versatile with many notable benefits.
T-316 wire mesh products are:
More resistant to corrosion than T-304
Non-magnetic
Resilient in extreme temperatures
Resilient in harsh environmental conditions
Resistant to spot welding
Suitable in marine environments
Unlikely to oxidize
Thanks to the small amount of molybdenum, this type of stainless steel is typically recommended for highly corrosive marine environments where T-304 isn't as stable.
T-316 Stainless Steel Mesh Applications and Industries
Like T-304, several commercial sectors rely on T-316 stainless steel hardware cloth. This includes marine technology, food processing, manufacturing, automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace, and the pharmaceutical and medical industries.
Industrial applications for T-316 include:
For more information into this material, check out our Stainless Steel Mesh Guide.
Where to Buy the Best Stainless Steel Industrial Mesh
Founded in Berkeley, California, in , TWP Inc. has been a premier industrial wire mesh supplier for more than 60 years. Our woman-owned company carries woven and welded stainless steel sheets, panels, rolls, and laser-cut mesh discs, including a robust selection of T-304 and T-316 grades.
Expert services from TWP Inc. include laser cutting, roll slitting, disc sizing, measuring, and cleaning. We always have a wide variety of products in stock, but if you don't see exactly what you need, we're happy to accommodate custom sizes and quantities. Request a free quote to get started!
Want to discover more about what's trending in your industry? Connect with TWP Inc. on LinkedIn for the latest on wire mesh materials and applications.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Stainless Steel Wire Mesh.
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