Stainless Steel Woven Wire Mesh Selection Guide

Choosing the right stainless steel woven wire mesh is crucial for ensuring optimal performance in various industrial and commercial applications. With numerous mesh types, materials, and specifications available, this guide will help you make an informed decision tailored to your specific needs.

Catalog

1. Common knitting methods of stainless steel woven wire mesh

2. Factors affecting filtration accuracy of stainless steel mesh

3. Choose the appropriate material grade of stainless steel woven wire mesh

4. Consider the wire diameter and aperture size

5. Choose appropriate stainless steel woven mesh according to the use

6. Consider the budget constraints

7. Find a reliable suppliers of stainless steel wire mesh to ensure the quality

8. Conclusion

1. Common knitting methods of stainless steel woven wire mesh

The pattern of woven screen will affect its appearance, strength and filtering ability. Some common patterns include:

Plain weave: the most common weaving method, in which each wire crosses the adjacent wires up and down in a simple alternating way. This knitting method has a uniform appearance .It has the characteristics of high strength, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, wear resistance and acid and alkali resistance.It is often used for screening and filtering liquids and particles in chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and electroplating industries, and is also the base material of industrial parts such as conveyor belts and pickling nets. In addition, it is also used in the field of screen printing, which is suitable for direct plate making and printing of substrates with curved surfaces, such as glass, ceramics and metals.

Twill weaving: This kind of weaving method has greater strength and better wear resistance than plain weaving.Used in precision pressure filter, fuel filter, vacuum filter, etc., also used in aerospace, medicine, petrochemical, metallurgy, food and other industries, but also used for screen, filtration, mosquito prevention and so on.

Dutch knitting: This is a variant of plain knitting. Dutch woven stainless steel woven net is a metal wire woven net made of stainless steel wire by Dutch weaving process. The warp is thick, the weft is thin, and the silk diameter and silk pitch are different, forming a high-density structure without blind spots. The mesh size ranges from 0.02 mm to 25.4 mm, and the filtration accuracy can reach 1 μ m.. It has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, high strength and easy cleaning, and is widely used in petrochemical, mining screening, food and pharmaceutical, fluid filtration and other fields, and can be used in catalyst filtration, pipeline protection, precision filtration and other scenes.

2. Factors affecting filtration accuracy of stainless steel mesh

The filtration accuracy of stainless steel wire mesh is different due to factors such as weaving mode and mesh number.

Understand the difference of filtration accuracy of different weaving methods in order to choose the appropriate filter screen products.There are three basic weaving methods of stainless steel woven net: plain weave, twill weave and dense weave.Each weaving method has different structural characteristics and filtering accuracy range.

●Plain weave is the most basic weaving method, with alternating warp and weft threads and simple structure. Its porosity is between 30% and 50%, and its filtration accuracy is about 0.05-5 mm. This weaving method is suitable for general filtration needs, such as ore screening and building protection.

●Twill weaving adopts diagonal crossing method, which has higher wear resistance. Its porosity is between 20% and 40%, and its filtration accuracy is about 0.02-3 mm. Twill woven mesh fabric can withstand greater tension and is suitable for occasions requiring higher wear resistance, such as mining screening and chemical filtration.

●Dense weave has a double-layer fine structure, which is characterized by higher weft density than warp density. This weaving method can realize micron-scale filtration, and the accuracy range is 1-100um. The highest mesh number can reach 2800 meshes, and the filtering accuracy of 17 microns can be achieved. Suitable for high-precision filtration occasions, such as fuel filtration, vacuum filter, aerospace, medicine and other fields.

The mesh number of stainless steel mesh directly affects its filtration accuracy and permeability.The higher the mesh number, the more sieve holes per unit area, and the higher the filtration accuracy.

● High flow rate requirements (such as industrial circulating water and large flow gas): Choose a lower mesh (20-100 mesh) to reduce pressure loss and avoid blockage or high energy consumption.

● Low-viscosity fluid (such as water and air): can tolerate higher mesh number (100-300 mesh) because the fluid easily passes through fine holes.

● High-viscosity fluid (such as grease and polymer solution): mesh number should be reduced (40-100 mesh) to avoid sudden decrease of flow or mesh blockage due to high viscosity.

The higher the mesh number, the thinner the wire diameter, the lower the strength of the net body, and it is easy to be deformed or damaged.High-strength requirements (such as mine screening and mechanical protection): Choose low mesh number (10-40 mesh) and thick wire diameter (such as 0.5-2mm) to withstand impact or heavy load.

● Conventional filtration (such as chemical industry and food): medium mesh number (40-200 mesh) matched with medium wire diameter (0.2-0.5mm) balances accuracy and strength.

● Precision filtration (such as pharmaceuticals and electronics): the high mesh number (300-500 mesh) needs to be matched with a smaller filament diameter (0.05-0.2mm), but high-toughness stainless steel (such as 316L) needs to be selected to reduce the risk of fracture.

3. Choose the appropriate material grade of stainless steel woven wire mesh

Stainless steel wire mesh has various grades, such as 304, 316 and 316L. Each grade provides different properties: 304 stainless steel: because of its excellent corrosion resistance and economy, it is an ideal choice for general applications. 316 Stainless Steel: Excellent tolerance to harsh chemicals and salt water environment, suitable for marine and pharmaceutical industries. 316L stainless steel: a low-carbon variety of 316, it is the first choice for welding applications to prevent carbide precipitation. 

● Temperature: 304 stainless steel is optional if it is in the ordinary environment of -200℃ to 400℃, such as food and medicine industries; 316L stainless steel is more suitable in highly corrosive environment from -200℃ to 450℃, such as chemical and marine fields. In the high temperature environment up to 1150℃, such as boilers and kilns, 310S stainless steel should be selected.

● Corrosive: 304 stainless steel can meet the demand when contacting with general corrosive media such as weak acid, weak alkali and water; 316L stainless steel can provide better corrosion resistance if it is in a highly corrosive environment, such as a marine environment containing chloride ions.

● Mechanical character: In the case of large impact, pressure or deformation resistance, choose materials with high tensile strength, such as 316L stainless steel.

4. Consider the wire diameter and aperture size

The diameter and pore size of the wire determine the strength of the filter screen and its ability to filter specific particles. The thicker the metal wire, the higher the strength; The smaller the pore size, the better the filtration effect. You need to select the wire diameter and pore size according to the material being processed and the type of filtration required.

● Wire diameter: The larger wire diameter can increase the mesh strength, making it suitable for heavy applications such as mining or safety protection net. Smaller wire diameters are suitable for finer filtration applications, such as water or air filtration.

● Aperture: Aperture refers to the spacing between screens. The pore size should be selected according to the specific application requirements of filtering or screening specific materials. Smaller pore size is suitable for finer filtration, while larger pore size is more suitable for separating larger particles.

5. Choose appropriate stainless steel woven mesh according to the use

Filter screen: used for liquid and gas filtration, such as beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other industries. Stainless steel woven mesh made of materials such as 304 and 316 can be selected, with a wire diameter of 0.025-3mm and a mesh of 0.05-5mm, is woven in plain weave and twill weave. For example, 316 stainless steel mesh has better corrosion resistance because of adding molybdenum, which is suitable for liquid filtration in chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Screen mesh: used for screening solid particles, such as mining, agriculture, food and other industries. 304 stainless steel wire mesh is universal, resistant to weak acid and alkali, and can be used to screen ores in mining industry. 316 stainless steel wire mesh is more suitable for screening scenes with high requirements for corrosion resistance in chemical and food industries.

Protection mesh: Used for protection in construction, transportation, sports and other fields. Such as building external wall protection, traffic barriers, etc. 304 stainless steel woven mesh can be selected, which has high strength and good corrosion resistance and can meet the general protection requirements.

Decorative mesh: Used for architectural decoration and home decoration, such as walls, ceilings, partitions, etc. Stainless steel wire mesh with smooth surface and beautiful color can be selected.For example, 304 stainless steel wire mesh after electrolytic polishing has a smaller wire diameter and uniform mesh, which can create a simple and beautiful effect.

Industrial mesh: Such as mud mesh in petroleum industry, screen mesh in chemical fiber industry, pickling mesh in electroplating industry, etc. 316 stainless steel woven mesh is often used for industrial filtration and protection in high-demand environments such as ocean and medicine because of its resistance to strong acid, alkali and high temperature.

6. Consider the budget constraints

● 304 stainless steel: the most cost-effective, resistant to general corrosion (such as air and water), accounting for the mainstream of the market, suitable for most low-budget scenarios (such as architecture and general industry).

● 316/316L stainless steel: containing molybdenum, it has stronger corrosion resistance (suitable for seawater and chemical environment), and its price is 20%-30% higher than that of 304. It is only used in necessary scenes (such as coastal areas and chemical plants).

● 201/202 stainless steel:low cost but poor corrosion resistance (easy to rust), only suitable for dry and non-corrosive temporary scenes (such as short-term enclosure), so long-term use should be cautious.

7. Find a reliable suppliers of stainless steel wire mesh to ensure the quality

When selecting suppliers, it is necessary to verify their reliability from the aspects of qualification, production/quality inspection ability and industry reputation.

● Basic qualification verification: Business license,tax registration and other basic information.

● Industry certification: such as ISO9001 quality management system certification, ISO 14001 environmental management system certification.

● Special industry certification: food contact materials shall conform to GB4806.9-2016 (stainless steel tableware) and steel for pressure vessels shall conform to GB/T 24511-2017, etc.

● Production capacity and equipment: Steel mills/Processing plants need to inspect the production line on the spot to confirm whether the required specifications can be stabilized; The processing factory should pay attention to the brand and accuracy of processing equipment, and whether there is online testing equipment.

Conclusion:

Stainless steel woven mesh has become an essential material for all walks of life because of its versatility, strength and corrosion resistance. Choosing the right mesh needs to understand your specific application requirements, and consider factors such as material grade, mesh shape, mesh diameter and aperture size. By following this guide, you will be able to choose the stainless steel woven net that best meets your needs, and ensure the best performance and service life of your application.