WIRE CLOTH SPECIFICATIONS
SQUARE MESH & SQUARE OPENING WIRE CLOTH
The most common type of wire cloth fabricated, square mesh wire cloth consists of wire that is welded or woven at right angles, meaning that the open space between the intersecting wires creates a perfect square with right angles (90 degrees) at all four corners. This type of mesh is measured from the center of parallel wires, often called “center to center” measurements, rather than an “edge to edge” measurement, which calculates the distance between two wires by using the left-hand edge of each wire. Whether you are determining distance using the centers or edges of parallel wires, the mesh opening is the measurement of clear open space between the two wires being used to calculate the mesh distance.
When fabricated, square mesh wire cloth is often referred to by the number of wires within the measurement of one lineal inch. For example, a “5 mesh” wire cloth would be a square mesh that has a total of five openings or open spaces across the width of one lineal inch, with the center of the first wire being the beginning of the one-inch measurement and the fifth wire being the end of the measurement. The higher the mesh count, the smaller the openings will be. Once the mesh count reaches over 50 or so, the wire cloth product is essentially more of a solid panel, with the open area in the mesh being measured in the hundredths and thousandths of an inch.

WEAVE TYPES
Woven wire cloth has two main characteristics, the warp wire and the weft wire. In the most basic layman’s terms, the warp is the vertical (up and down) wire and the weft is the horizontal (side to side) wire. The way a cloth is woven can have a decided impact on its strength as well as its ability to permit pass-through of fluids, particles, and potential contaminants. Warp and weft wires can be of the same diameter for a uniform weave, or one of the two can be thicker than the other. Occasionally the type of weave may call for one of the wires to be thicker to improve the durability and strength of the woven wire cloth product.
Wire cloth can also be pre-crimped for a particular pattern which allows for more accurate measurements with regard to opening size, and also provide a greater ability to achieve a tighter weave than non-crimped wire cloth types.

COMMON NON-CRIMPED WIRE CLOTH WEAVES
Plain Woven: In this weave, each warp and weft wire alternates over and under the next.

Twill Weave: Each warp wire goes over two and under two weft wires, and the same pattern is used for the weft wires, in a staggered arrangement. This type of weave is commonly used when a heavier wire diameter is called for in relation to a particular mesh.

Plain Dutch Weave: The warp wires remain straight and uniformly spaced in this weave, while the weft wires go over and under each warp wire but lie as close to each other as possible. In this type of weave, the warp wires are generally thicker than the weft wires.

Dutch Twill Weave: A combination of a twill and plain dutch weave with the exception that the warp wires do not cross over and under every two weft wires, this weave creates a double layer of weft wires packed closely together. As with the plain dutch, the warp wires are thicker than the weft wires. In this type of weave, the aperture (open area) essentially ceases to exist, and the wire mesh allows a slow pass-through of non-particulate fluids.

Reverse Dutch Weave: A reverse of the plain dutch pattern, the weft wires are thicker and remain straight, while the smaller warp wires cross over and under every two weft wires.

COMMON PRE-CRIMPED WIRE CLOTH WEAVES
Double Weave: This type of pre-crimped weave uses the same pattern as the plain woven style (over and under each wire for both the warp and weft wires).
Lock Crimp Weave: The wires have deep crimps (warp and weft) that tightly lock the wires in place. The pattern is the same as the plain woven style.
Flat Top Weave: Another standard “over and under” weave, with this type the weft wires are heavily crimped to lock them securely to the smooth and straight warp wires, creating a smoother surface than other weaves.
Intermediate Crimp Weave: This type of pre-crimped weave is used most often when the open area is larger, and extra crimps are placed in both wires to securely and rigidly hold them in place.

IMPORTANCE OF APERTURE (OPEN AREA)
The intended use of your wire cloth product should be an instrumental factor when deciding what open area size would be best for your needs. The materials you will be sifting, screening, sorting, or filtering, and the size of particulate matter, contaminants, or debris you wish to restrict from being passed through the wire cloth, will determine the open area percentage required. Larger open areas allow larger particulate matter to pass through, naturally, and smaller aperture dimensions permit pass-through of only finely-sized particles and materials.
The size of the open area can also affect the overall durability and strength of your wire cloth product. For example, larger open areas can decrease the integrity of the item as a whole. If you require large open areas in your mesh, you may want to consider selecting a material that has a high tensile strength and the additional qualities that may be required based on your processing needs (anti-corrosive properties, conductivity, resistance to abrasion, etc.).