Wire Screen

Wire Screen

Wire screens are thin, finely woven metal wire mesh with a square weave that provides open yet protected barriers. The beverage processing, pharmaceutical, petro-chemical, screen printing, agriculture, automotive, mining, construction and aerospace industries all use wire screens for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Window screens are the most common product manufactured from wire screens, but they are also used to produce flour sifters, cooking strainers, and industrial strainers and sieves, which are used in liquid filtration systems to catch unwanted debris and media. Each different type of wire screen has specified wire gauges and weaves. They may be very thin and fine, like window screens, or thicker and stronger, like fencing.

Screens are manufactured from very thin pieces of metal wire that are sized by wire drawing, a process that forces the wire through a die, decreasing the diameter. The wires are then woven or welded to make a screen. Weaving is a process used for screens with smaller gauges where perpendicular wires are interlaced. For stronger applications, welding together perpendicular wires at their cross points increases the screen's strength. The screens are easily cut to size, but if woven, may come unraveled easily. Screens are often made of aluminum, copper, steel and stainless steel depending, on the desired strength-screens used to keep insects out are generally made of aluminum and are able to easily bend, while screen fencing is made of stronger metals like stainless steel.