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In the early s, chemist Sir Humphry Davy discovered that a piece of wire cloth could help the functionality of miners' safety lamps. This increased the demand for woven wire mesh and projected the wire mesh industry.
During the initial years, wire mesh was woven using materials like brass, which was relatively inexpensive compared to alloys like stainless steel. But as time went on, we saw a changing of the guard, and stainless steel became the more affordable and widely used alloy used to weave wire mesh.
But just because it is widely used doesn't necessarily mean it's the right choice for you. To achieve the best result, you must understand how stainless steel compares to other alloys, such as aluminum.
W.S. Tyler has been a respected entity within the wire mesh industry for over 140 years. We take pride in educating those interested in wire mesh on everything they need to know to create optimized solutions tailored to their needs.
With that, we wrote this article to help you better understand the differences between aluminum and stainless steel wire mesh. You will learn:
What aluminum is
The benefits of using aluminum wire mesh
What stainless steel is
The benefits of using stainless steel wire mesh
Which of the two alloys makes sense for you
What Is Aluminum?
Much like nickel wire mesh, aluminum is an alloy that naturally exists within the periodic table of elements. It is known to bind with other chemicals easily; thus, aluminum in its pure is not seen naturally despite being one of the most prominent elements on the planet.
When using aluminum to weave wire mesh, W.S. Tyler will use one of three variants: aluminum (pure), alclad , and aluminum.
What Are the Benefits of Using Aluminum Wire Mesh?
One of the most widely known benefits associated with aluminum is the fact it is lightweight. This is particularly true compared to other, more widely used alloys like stainless steel.
This can help reduce the stress inflicted on and throughout your machinery.
Aluminum also has the ability to create a protective layer of aluminum oxide when subjected to oxygen. This, in turn, helps aluminum resist various forms of corrosion.
Wire mesh woven from aluminum will also deliver better heat conductivity than stainless steel. To that end, aluminum features properties that make it a great electrical conductor.
Along with being lightweight, aluminum is widely known for its malleability. This allows aluminum wire mesh to be formed in customized components with ease.
What Is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is a steel alloy that meets the required carbon composition threshold while also containing chromium. The chromium within all stainless steel alloy does not generally exist in steel by itself.
Instead, it is incorporated on a molecular level when steel is in a molten state.
With properties experimentally calculated over the course of several decades, stainless steel is one of the most widely used alloys used to weave wire mesh. That said, W.S. Tyler will typically use a 300 series or 400 series stainless steel to weave wire mesh.
300 Series Stainless Steel Alloys:
400 Series Stainless Steel Alloys:
With a handful of different stainless steel variants to choose from, it should be noted that 304 and 316 are the most widely used.
What Are the Benefits of Stainless Steel Wire Mesh?
As stated above, all stainless steel contains chromium. Not only does this allow the alloy to be categorized as stainless, but it also makes it highly resistant to corrosion.
This includes corrosion from various alkaline and acidic substances present during industrial applications.
Stainless steel also has the capability to withstand high-heat conditions. It can maintain its performance when subjected to extreme heat as it combats oxidation.
But possibly the most critical property of stainless steel, compared to aluminum, is its durability. Whether subjected to high-impact situations or variations in temperature, the individual wires of stainless steel wire mesh will maintain their integrity for much longer than nickel.
What Alloy Should I Use?
The alloy you use to weave your wire mesh is critical to its performance and longevity. This is why it is critical that you choose the right one.
As it is a fairly soft alloy, aluminum is typically reserved for applications that value a corrosion-resistant mesh that is lightweight over strength. But if durability is essential to the success of your operation, stainless steel may be the better choice.
That said, stainless steel's high threshold for heat can make welding difficult if a low-carbon stainless steel is not used.
Weave Your Wire Mesh With the Right Alloy
While stainless steel is the most widely used alloy used to weave wire mesh, it's not always the right choice. Sometimes applications call for specific requirements, and alloys, such as aluminum, must be used to accommodate these requirements.
Now, if your application will subject your wire mesh to high-impact, corrosive conditions, the durability of stainless steel may perform best. But if your application can benefit from a lightweight wire mesh without sacrificing corrosion-resistant capabilities, you can consider using an aluminum alloy.
But, as stated above, the needs of your process dictate what alloy you use to weave your wire mesh. For this reason, you should understand how each alloy available to you fits within your process and industry.
Having helped engineers, system operators, and everyone in between navigate the wire mesh industry for over 140 years, W.S. Tyler strives to ensure your wire mesh solutions produce efficient results you can proudly stand behind.
To learn more about the other alloys you can use to fabricate your wire mesh solutions, read the following article:
Woven vs. welded wire mesh: which one is better? That answer to this question determines, of course, on what you need to use it for. Each type of quality metal cloth material boasts its own strengths, and they largely stem from the way each kind is crafted. Let&#;s take an in-depth look at the characteristics woven and welded wire cloth have to offer.
Woven Wire Mesh: Pros and Cons
From its practical beginnings in medieval Europe to the 18th century, the advantages of woven wire cloth are certainly plentiful. Today&#;s wire cloth is woven with various kinds of metals including stainless steel, brass, copper and aluminum alloys, and even high heat resistant metals like molybdenum and tungsten. Woven wire cloth is often more affordable than welded cloth because it takes less labor to produce. A handful of key areas are welded together to hold the woven metal cloth in place. As a result, the woven material is more flexible to work with. Several types of woven wire cloth mesh are available on the market. For example, wire cloth can be woven in twill weave, plain weave, pre-crimp weave, filter cloth weave and more.
Due to its more flexible nature, woven wire cloth is particularly useful for irregular contours, but smaller items such as ultrasonic parts may fall out of the container or through the steel mesh holes. Woven metal mesh also has a tendency to not be quite as strong as durable welded metal for protective purposes.
Welded Wire Cloth Mesh: Pros and Cons
In contrast to a woven wire, welded wire cloth is permanently welded at all or most intersecting joints. This welding process makes the material more rigid and allows it to hold a more uniform shape. This is particularly helpful in industrial applications where the wire welded mesh fits into mechanical parts with set measurements. Welded wire metal is more efficient at holding lids in place compared to its woven counterpart. Welded wire cloth contains heavy duty loads and withstands greater force without breaking or tearing, making it the ideal choice for protective or barrier applications. It is designed with a greater durability against the rigors of daily cleaning, and can also be galvanized for further strength and corrosion resistance to high moisture and salt environments.
That said, welded wire cloth is a very useful option for its strength, but it also tends to be the costlier material because more time and labor is involved.
Woven v.s Welded Wire Mesh? The Choice is Yours
As you can see, both welded and woven wire metal share in their own strengths and weaknesses. Keep these factors in mind when selecting the type of wire ensured to match closest to your needs and custom specifications:
Woven wire metal:
- Is flexible and simple to use for irregular fittings
- Takes less time to produce
- Can be made in many kinds of metal alloys with variable sizes and thickness
- Is more affordable than welded wire
Welded wire metal, on the other hand:
- Is stronger than woven wire
- Easily holds its shape for more specific measurements
- Contains heavier and smaller items better than woven metal
- Can be galvanized to provide further corrosion resistance
Not sure whether high-quality welded screen mesh or woven wire is best for you? Want to find out about our available woven wire mesh sizes? Contact our experts at Newark Wire Cloth today for more information! With over a century of experience, our dedicated staff is ready to guide you through your wire cloth purchase from start to finish.
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