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Weave Styles
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Weave style describes the way the wires cross over and under each other. There are two common weave styles: plain weave and twill weave.
Plain weave: Each wire alternates—first going under one wire, then going over the next wire. Plain weave is the most common weave style.
Twill weave: Each wire goes over and under two wires in succession. Twill weave is often used when wire diameters are too large to allow a plain weave.
Other types of weave are available by special order.
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Crimping
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Wires can be crimped to hold them in place or to add strength to the wire. A crimp is an indentation in the wire. Typically, both cross and line wires are crimped. Then, the crimped wires are woven into a cloth.
Weave and crimp are sometimes confused. Keep in mind that the way the wire is woven (i.e., the weave style) is independent of the crimp style. All woven wire mesh has a weave style. If a wire mesh is also crimped, it will have both a weave style and a crimp style.
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Crimp Styles
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There are four common crimp styles: plain, intercrimp, lockcrimp, and flat top.
Plain crimp is crimped on both the cross and line wires at each intersection. This style is both popular and versatile. Keep in mind, however, that its loose construction may allow the wires to shift slightly. Therefore, if opening size is critical, lockcrimp may be a better choice.
Intercrimp has a zigzag pattern similar to plain crimp, except that crimps are also placed between the intersections of the wires. This additional crimping adds strength and maximum rigidity to the wire mesh. Typically used with larger openings.
Lockcrimp has a tight crimp at each intersection of the cross and line wires. This tight crimp holds the wires firmly in place and helps maintain the shape and size of the opening over the lifetime of the wire mesh. Because it keeps the hole size from changing, lockcrimp is effective for screening applications.
Flat Top crimp is a modified version of lockcrimp. The difference is that the crimps are on one side so that the other side is flat. Flat top, like lock crimp, is excellent in maintaining hole size. The advantage of flat top is that the flat side slides easily because there are no bumps from the crimps.
Wire Mesh can have a combined crimp style with one crimp style parallel to the width and the other parallel to the length. When requesting combined crimp styles, specify which way each crimp runs.
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Wire Diameter
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Wire diameter is a measure of the thickness of the wires in the wire mesh. Cross and line wires may be the same diameter, or cross or line wires may have a different diameter (typical in wire mesh used for filtration). When possible, please specify wire diameter in decimal inches rather than in wire gauge.
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Wire Spacing
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Wire spacing is a measure from the center of one wire to the center of the next. If the opening is rectangular, wire spacing will have two dimensions: one for the long side (length) and one for the short side (width) of the opening. For example, wire spacing = 1 inch (length) by 0.4 inch (width) opening.
Wire spacing, when expressed as the number of openings per lineal inch, is called mesh.
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Mesh
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Mesh is the number of openings per lineal inch. Mesh is always measured from the centers of the wires.
When mesh is greater than one (that is, the openings are greater than 1 inch), mesh is measured in inches. For example, a two-inch (2") mesh is two inches from center to center. Mesh is not the same as opening size.
The difference between 2 mesh and 2-inch mesh is illustrated in the examples in the right column.
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Open Area
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Wire Mesh contains open spaces (holes) and material. Open area is the total area of the holes divided by the total area of the cloth and is expressed as a percent. In other words, open area describes how much of the wire mesh is open space. If the wire mesh has 60 percent open area, then 60 percent of the cloth is open space and 40 percent is material.
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Opening Size
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The opening size is measured from the inside edge of one wire to the inside edge of the next wire. For rectangular openings, both an opening length and width is required to define opening size.
Differences between opening size and mesh
The difference between mesh and opening size is how they are measured. Mesh is measured from the centers of the wires while opening size is the clear opening between the wires. A two mesh cloth and a cloth with 1/2 inch (1/2") openings are similar. However, because mesh includes the wires in its measurement, two mesh cloth has smaller openings than a cloth with an opening size of a 1/2 inch.
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Rectangular Openings
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When specifying rectangular openings, you must specify the opening length, width, and the direction of the long way of the opening.
Opening Width
The opening width is the smallest side of the rectangular opening. In the example to the right, the opening width is 1/2 inch.
Opening Length
The opening length is the longest side of the rectangular opening. In the example to the right, the opening length is 3/4 inch.
Direction of Opening Length
Specify whether the opening length (the longest side of the opening) is parallel to the length or width of the sheet or roll. In the example shown to the right, the opening length is parallel to the length of the sheet. If direction is not important, indicate “None Specified.”
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Roll, Sheet, or Cut-to-Size
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Wire Mesh comes in rolls, sheets, or the material may be cut to your specifications. The most common roll sizes are 36 or 48 inches x 100 feet: the most common sheet sizes are 36 or 48 inches x 120 inches. You can select from a variety of roll and sheet sizes from the stock list.
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Edge Type
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Stock rolls may have selvage edges. Sheets and cut-to-size pieces will be untrimmed. Any of the edge types defined below can be specified:
Untrimmed, Random Stubs - All stubs along one side of a piece are of equal length. However, the length of stubs on one side may be different than those on another side with the possibility that all four sides may have different length stubs.
Untrimmed, Balanced Stubs - The stubs along the length are of equal length and the stubs along the width are of equal length.
Channel Frame - (Special Order) Frames are “U” or “box-shaped” channels in which the ends of the wire are placed. Channel frames are used to frame the wire mesh enabling it to be mounted in an open space, such as an infill for a stairway.
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Length and Width
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Length is the measure of the longest side of the roll, sheet, or cut piece. Width is the measure of the shortest side of the roll, sheet, or cut piece. All cut pieces are subject to shear tolerances.
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Quantity
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Quantity is the number of rolls, sheets or panels, or cut-to-size pieces requested. Unless otherwise specified, the tolerance on quantity is “Exact Quantity". In other words, McNICHOLS will deliver the exact quantity you specify.
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Matching Existing Wire Mesh
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To match existing wire mesh, we recommend that you send us a sample, if you have one, or a drawing. The address and FAX are listed below:
McNICHOLS
Attn: Internet Department
9401 Corporate Lake Drive
Tampa, FL 33634
FAX: 1-813-243-1888
Please include contact information and a copy of your request for quote.
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Decorative Applications
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All wire mesh may not be suitable for decorative applications. Please let us know it's for a decorative application, so that we can quote the most appropriate wire mesh.
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Tolerances
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Standard tolerances for quantity, shearing, circle shearing, and squareness. Apply to stock items and on special order items for which tolerances are not specified. If you require other than standard tolerances, or tolerances that not listed above, please specify using the welded wire mesh quote form and put the required tolerances in the “Comments Box.”
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