Wire Cloth, Weaving and Industrial Screening

Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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In both types of dutch weave the sum derived from multiplying the number of weft wires in a given measurement by their diameter, results, in theory, in a specification with no open space. Because the wires are driven together during the weaving process, the aperture size cannot be calculated in the normal manner.

There are two methods by which the aperture size can be determined: bubble point testing and glass bead testing.

See-"bubble point test"  See-"glass bead test"

American Chemical Society.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers.

Steel (or Stainless Steel) angular shape welded or otherwise fastened to a screens formed tensioning hook for reinforcing purposes.

A heat-treating process in which the steel is heated to some elevated temperature, usually at or near the critical range and held at this temperature for a period of time, then cooled, usually at a slow rate.

Annealing is employed (1) to soften steel for secondary machining or forming processes; (2) to alter ductility, toughness, electrical or magnetic characteristics or other physical properties; (3) to refine the crystal structure; (4) to produce grain reorientation; or (5) to relieve stresses and hardness resulting from weaving (cold working).

Wire cloth or wire mesh which is annealed after the weaving process.

See-"annealed wire".

Wire which has been cold-drawn to reduce its diameter is often annealed to reduce strength and increase elongation to facilitate weaving.

American National Standards Institute.

The clear opening between wires on a wire mesh screening surface.

American Petroleum Institute.

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.

American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineering Foundation.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

American Society for Testing and Materials.

American Wire Cloth Institute.

American Standard Wire Gauge.

American Welding Society.

Wire mesh or wire cloth which is utilized to provide support for a screen surface.

Wire mesh or wire cloth fabricated with or otherwise fastened to (from below) the primary screen surface.

See-"support screen".

Wire mesh or wire cloth screen placed below the primary screen surface to retain rubber or steel balls or plastic discs which are set in motion by a vibrating screen deck.

Ball screens are utilized to reduce or prevent blinding or plugging.

The material utilized for screen edge (hook) reinforcing. Bands are available in steel, galvanized steel and stainless steel.

Receptacle on a shale shaker which contains the deck which the screens are mounted upon.

A test for determining relative ductility of wire that is to be formed, and for determining soundness and toughness of wire. The specimen is usually bent over a specified diameter through a specified angle for a specified number of cycles.

Wire mesh or wire cloth suitable for small animal and bird retention or exclusion. The specification is typically 2 mesh, with wire diameters ranging from 0.041" to 0.080" available in aluminum, brass, copper, galvanized steel or stainless steel.

Filling in and clogging of the wire mesh openings (apertures) due to particle entrapment of the process material. The wire cloth becomes "blind" to the process flow.

Abbreviation for "Broad Mesh Twilled Dutch Weave".

A group of industrial wire cloth specifications, woven in very smooth and durable stainless steel or monel in a plain square mesh pattern. Wire diameter is lighter than "mill grade", allowing a high percentage of open area. Bolting cloth is used for wet or dry sifting and separating.

Plain weave steel wire cloth of medium mesh sizes produced in market grade diameters. Available in in roll widths of 24", 30", 36" and 48" for use in flour mills.

In broad mesh specifications the warp wire is typically smaller in diameter than the weft wire.

See-"rice wire cloth".

The pressure required to pass air bubbles through the mesh (covered by a test liquid) is measured. The average aperture size is then calculated by taking into account surface tension, liquid density, temperature and immersion depth.

See- "absolute micron retention"   See- "glass bead test"

See-"crown bar cover".

See-"stranded wire".

Birmingham Wire Gauge.

Wire cloth that has been passed through a set of heavy rollers to reduce the thickness of the cloth or to flatten the wires at weave intersections providing a smooth surface.

A general specification for woven wire screen panels utilized in the production of Oriented Strand Board (OSB), Particleboard and Wafer Board.

Stainless steel wire cloth having a 0.022" aperture (26 mesh, 0.016" wire dia.) as approved by the National Park Bureau (U.S.A) for use on chain saws.

See-"crown bar cover".

See- "poultry netting".

The space (aperture) between adjacent parallel wires.

Wire cloth having a mesh count of 30 x 30 or less.

To stamp wire cloth in order to impart a shape or compact it. Wire mesh filter discs are often coined around the edges, locking the wires together to prevent unraveling.

Wire mesh in a flat-top weave with a high percentage of open area, utilized for livestock flooring. May be produced using galvanized wire or in steel and then galvanized after weaving.

See-"dutch wire cloth".

The deterioration of a metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment.

The number of openings (apertures) in a lineal inch.

See- "mesh".

A smooth contoured indentation formed into wire providing a locking arrangement for perpendicular wires to stabilize the hole size and shape.

An arc placed in woven wire mesh (screen cloth) to facilitate tensioning across a crowned deck.

A protective sleeve of rubber or polyurethane, contoured to the shape of a vibrating screen decks support rails (stringers) on the bottom surface and provided with a "crown" shape on the top surface to prevent direct contact between the screen and the supporting surface and help facilitate tensioning of the wire cloth.

Crown bar cover is also referred to as "bucker-up strips", "buffer strips", "c-b-c", "channel cover" and "channel rubber".

Edge preparation (hook strip) that is shorter than the screen cloth to allow a lap-joint of the screen cloth panel in conjunction with a butt-joint of the edge preparation, thus preventing leakage between screen panel sections.

Galvanized 8 x 8 mesh, using 0.032" diameter wire, used to polish lint from cotton.

Separation of solids from liquids in which the solids are retained on the screen surface while the liquids pass through the screen (wire mesh or wire cloth) surface.

Wire mesh woven into a diamond pattern, typically in a 1-1/2" opening with an intermediate crimp weave. Used for grilles, window or machinery guarding.

German Institute for Standardization.

See- "double weave".

Two arcs placed in a screen panel to conform with double contoured crown rails on a vibrating screen deck, allowing for fastening (tie-down) in the center of the screen section.

Frequently used in "slotted openings" to increase wire cloth strength and durability. Two shoot wires are placed in adjacent crimps on each end of the long slot. Also referred to as "double bar", "double shot", or "double shute".

Wire cloth with equal depth crimps in both warp and shute wires, thus locking the wires in position. Also referred to as "double crimp", "over and under" or "regular crimp".

Reducing the cross section of wire by pulling it through a die.

Abbreviation for "Dutch Twilled Weave".

The ability of a material to deform plastically without fracturing, being measured by elongation or reduction of area in a tensile test, or by other means.

This specification is similar to a Plain Dutch Weave except that two warp wires are used, rather than one.

Wire mesh or filter cloth with warp wires larger than the shute wires. Warp wires remain straight while adjacent shute wires slightly overlap, resulting in a dense, strong material with small irregular, twisting passages that appear triangular in shape when viewing the material diagonally.

Dutch weaves have much lower flow rates and much higher particle retention than plain square weaves.

See - "Hollander Weave"

An electrical plating process that results in a thin evenly distributed coating of zinc over all exposed carbon steel wire surfaces.

Recommended for 8 mesh and higher mesh counts where hot dip galvanizing is not suitable after weaving.

In tensile testing, the increase in the gage length, measured after fracture of the specimen within the gage length, usually expressed as a percentage of the original gage length.

Edge preparation on a screening surface allowing it to be stretched in the direction of material flow.

Typically required for long slotted apertures, wire cloth that is tensioned from one or both ends in the direction of material flow, as opposed to side-to-side tensioning methods.

Wire cloth used for sizing and grading many types of beans, peas, seeds and for separation of light weight dry materials.

Straight wire ends protruding around the perimeter of a screen cloth section which are not crimped, all in the same plane.

Alloys or metals containing iron.

Wires running across the width or short way of wire cloth as woven, also referred to as "shute", "shoot", "shot" and "weft" wires.

A device utilizing filter media for particle retention for clarification of a liquid or gaseous fluids.

Wire or synthetic cloth woven with a greater number of wires in one direction than the other, and utilizing two different wire diameters. Filter cloth is woven in both plain and twill weave patterns. Also referred to as "Dutch Weave".

The process of clarifying a fluid or gaseous liquid by the removal (retention) of solid particles.

Wire cloth having a mesh count greater than 90 x 90.

A flat wire bar woven into a triple shoot screen, replacing the middle shute wire, providing additional strength.

A weave with all crimps protruding from the bottom screen surface, resulting in a smooth, flat screening surface. Also referred to as "smooth top".

The effect created when the screen surface is unable to pass fluids through, in wet screening operations such as washing or dewatering., a result of blinding.

See-"insect cloth".

An edge preparation on the screen surface sides parallel to the direction of flow, allowing the screen to be fastened securely to the supporting surface, typically in tension.

To coat iron or steel with zinc, primarily to prevent rust.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) woven of plain steel that has been passed through a pickling process before being dipped into a hot zinc galvanizing bath.

This process should not be utilized for mesh counts greater than 8 mesh as smaller openings tend to blind, reducing the cloth open area.

A term referring to the measure of wire diameter. The Washburn & Moen Gauge is the standard in the manufacture of wire cloth in North America

A suspension containing glass beads is passed through the mesh - the diameter of the largest bead passing through is considered as the absolute micron retention.

See - "bubble point test"

The process where all acceptable material is diverted from the primary crusher to reduce load and prevent unnecessary wear on the crusher.

Heavy screen cloth usually having a large opening size and made from large diameter high carbon or oil tempered wire or rod.

Wire which has been drawn down to a smaller diameter after the annealing process, increasing its unit strength and reducing its elongation.

A square mesh, general purpose galvanized-after plain weave wire cloth.. Made in one wire size only, one for each of several standard meshes.

Hardware Cloth is also available in welded construction.

Screen cloth with long slots, typically 12 inches or longer, for screening high volume tonnage containing a large amount of fines.

A screen surface that is heated by using the screen cloth as the heating element. Stainless steel is the preferred material due to its low conductivity.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) in which the direction of a twilled weave is reversed at regular intervals to produce a striped or herringbone effect.

A description applied to woven wire cloth where the diameter of the warp and weft wires, and the mesh count in the warp and weft directions, are different. The wires are driven up much closer during the weaving process, thus producing a more densely compacted weave with small aperture sizes, without reducing the overall cloth thickness. Also referred to as "Dutch Weave".

See - "formed edge".

Hollander Plain Weave.

Hollander Twill Weave.

A liquid-solids separation device utilizing centrifugal force for settling.

Inside clamping width.

Plain weave mesh wire screen cloth, typically 18 x 18, 18 x 16, or 18 x 14 mesh, available in aluminum, bronze, fiberglass, galvanized or stainless steel wire. Copper is typically supplied as 16 x 16 mesh for insect screen applications. Also referred to as "fly-screen".

(ID) The distance measured between the inner edges of a formed screen panel. Also referred to as "ICW".

See - "intermediate crimp".

Wire cloth (wire mesh) with extra crimps in warp and shoot (weft) wires between wire intersections.

The International Organization for Standardization is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies).

ISO 4782 standard governs metal wire for industrial wire screens and woven wire cloth.

ISO 9044 standard governs industrial wire cloth.

The International Wire Weavers Association.

The type of crusher which breaks material by squeezing it between two jaw plates, one stationary and one movable.

Reverse Hollander Twill Weave.

See - "confinement mesh".

See -"scalp weave".

See - "slotted openings".

A group of industrial wire cloth specifications suitable for general purpose screening applications, made of high strength square mesh cloth, available in several types of material. The wire diameters are moderately larger than "mill grade" , with a lower percentage of open area.

The properties of a material that reveal its elastic and inelastic behavior where force is applied, thereby indicating its suitability for mechanical applications; for example, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, elongation, hardness and fatigue limit.

Wire cloth having a mesh count of 30 x 30 to 90 x 90 inclusive.

This generally denotes the number of apertures in a length of 25.4mm (1"). While it is considered an obsolete designation, it is used extensively.

Mesh designates the number of openings and fractional parts of an opening, per lineal inch. Mesh is determined by counting the number of openings from the center of any wire to the center of a parallel wire, one inch in distance.

When the point one inch distant from the center of a wire falls between wires within an opening, the mesh count is expressed as a fraction.

One micron is equivalent to 0.001mm or 0.00003937 inches. The micron is the unit of measure in the metric system. It is frequently used when referring to the aperture size or particle-retention of filter cloth.

Micron retention is defined as the diameter of the largest round particles which can pass through a filter.

Finer mesh range of Dutch Weave cloth in meshes giving retentions of 50 microns or finer.

Group of industrial wire cloth specifications with lighter wire diameters than "market grade". Standard wire diameters of this grade produce a medium percentage of open area.

A wire cloth screen panel fitted with hooks for tensioning installed on shale shakers.

Non-pure metals containing no iron, such as copper, brass, aluminum, etc.

See - "cut-back".

Outside clamping width.

Fall-off or excess wire screen material cut from a standard roll, in the slitting or fabricating process.

A mesh which has a greater number of wires per inch in one direction, usually the warp direction.

The dimension between adjacent parallel wires, usually expressed in decimal parts of an inch.

The dimension between adjacent parallel wires, usually expressed in decimal parts of an inch.

See - "aperture"   See - "space"

Outside dimension (overall) of hooked edges on a screen panel. Also referred to as "OCW".

Most original equipment manufacturers recommend an OCW of 1" less than the clear clamping width between the vibrator side plates.

The distance between the outside edges of a formed screen panel.

A minute portion, piece, or amount.

The particle size that will be retained by a given mesh, usually expressed in microns.

The properties, other than mechanical properties, that pertain to the physics of a material; for example, density, electrical conductivity, heat conductivity, thermal expansion.

The distance between centers of two adjacent wires in millimeters.

Localized corrosion resulting in small pits or craters in a metal surface.

Woven wire cloth in which each warp and each weft wire passes over one and under the next adjacent wire in both directions.

Dutch weave with each warp and shoot wire passing alternately over and under each successive wire.

Near size particles trapped in screen apertures (openings) preventing passage of under size particles.

See - "blinding"

The fractional void volume of the mesh.

Light-weight hex shaped netting, usually manufactured from galvanized wire.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) woven with warp and/or shoot wires crimped before weaving.

Off-count mesh utilized in commercial clothing press (ironing) machines to aid in heat distribution. Typical meshes include 50 x 40, 60 x 50 and 64 x 56.

Wire that has been drawn into a "wedge" (tapered) shape, which becomes progressively narrower from top to bottom.

A screen panel made up of profile wires with openings that become progressively wider from top to bottom. This increases dewatering efficiency and aids in screening material which might otherwise blind a screen surface. Also referred to as "wedge wire screen".

Reverse Hollander Plain Weave.

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The unfinished edges of wire cloth (wire mesh) running the length of the screen.

Wire cloth having a different number of wires in the warp and shoot (shute) usually less in the shoot, producing rectangular openings.

See - "off count".

A formed hook on the tensioning edge of a screen panel that is strengthened with the addition of sheet metal.

See - "angle insert".

The ability of wire cloth (wire mesh), as a filter medium, to prevent the passage of solids. It is expressed by the diameter, usually in microns, of the largest spherical solid particle that will normally pass through the screening surface.

Abbreviation for "Reverse Plain Dutch Weave".

The arrangement of the warp and shute wire is reversed as compared to Plain Dutch Weave, providing a higher mesh count in the warp direction rather than the weft (shute) direction..

Used for polishing rice, wire mesh made of hard-drawn wire and generally available in 12 x 14 mesh using 0.035" / 0.041" diameter wire.

Wire cloth in which the interlocking crimps are on the underside of the screen in addition to shallow formed crimps that are shaped in a downward angle in relation to the top surface. This provides a surface less resistant to material flow while increasing the hardness of the wire.

See - "flat top weave".

The normal unit of bulk sale for wire cloth (wire mesh). The standard length is 100 feet (30.48m) +/- 10%.

See - "trommel screen".

The combining of two or more non-identical wire cloth (wire mesh) screens into one set of reinforced hooks to form one screen panel. Typically the finer mesh screen is placed above the larger mesh or support screen.

Wire cloth in which deep crimps are provided in the wires at points of wire intersections to lock wires securely in place. Typically used for heavy-duty screening. Also referred to as "arch crimp", "lock crimp" and "press-lock".

A sizing process, secondary to the grizzly where most of the material is smaller than the screen mesh. Oversized material is rejected and sent back to the secondary crusher for further processing and recycled.

The edge or border of wire cloth finished off so as to prevent unraveling.

Selvage types include looped, folded, cut and tucked, welded, plastic bonded or bent back picket.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) used for shielding radio frequency equipment and rooms. Typically provided in pure copper or brass material.

The wires running the short way of, or across the cloth as woven. Also referred to as "shute", "fill" or "weft" wires.

Edge preparation on a screen surface allowing it to be stretched at right angles to the direction of material flow.

Metric openings, in a fixed ratio, assigned by the U.S. Bureau of Standards, based upon the number 18 sieve having an opening on one millimeter (0.039370").

The relation of consecutive numbered sieves is as one to the fourth root of two (or for every fourth sieve ratio is as one to two). Sieve numbers are arbitrary numbers and have no direct relationship to the number of meshes per inch.

A slotted opening with the long opening running parallel to the length of the screen panel, typically parallel with the flow of material. Also referred to as "slots parallel" or "S.P.".

Also referred to as "SRA".

See - "slot-s"

A slotted opening with the long opening running at a right angle to the length of the screen panel, typically at a right angle to the flow of material.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) with rectangular openings which allows the maximum open area and tends to prevent blinding or plugging of material.

The warp mesh-count and wire size are indicated before the shoot (weft) mesh- count and wire size.

Hardware cloth slit to narrow widths as required, typically supplied in 4 or 8 mesh.

The actual clear opening or space between the inside edges of two parallel wires.

Square mesh wire cloth which is designated by the width of the open space between the inside edges of two parallel wires.

Wire mesh used to retain particles of burning materials.

A screen deck longitudinally divided allowing two individual screen panels to be installed across the width of the deck.

Abbreviation for "Single Plain Dutch Weave".

The formed hook on the tensioning edge of a screen panel formed in the shape of a "U" or square, with two right angles.

Wire cloth with the mesh count and wire diameter the same in both directions.

A twilled weave with multiple wires in both warp and the weft.

A fabricated assembly of woven wire cloth (wire mesh) designed for the removal of foreign particles from a stream of liquid or gas.

A plain weave off-count mesh cloth with a high percentage of open area.

A heavy wire mesh utilized to support a finer mesh in filtration or straining.

See - "backing cloth".

British Imperial Standard Wire Gauge.

Often referred to as "TBC".

See - "Bolting Cloth".

In tensile testing, the ratio of maximum load to original load to original cross-sectional area. Also called ultimate strength.

Fabricated circular frames available in stainless steel, brass or plastic fitted with wire mesh woven of brass, phosphor-bronze or stainless steel, having extremely accurate openings. Sieves are produced according to various standards, in the U.S. typically per ASTM E-11-70.

Testing sieves are used for grading, sizing and testing by research and technical institutions, industrial laboratories and mining engineers.

Wire cloth (wire mesh) woven of wire that has been coated with tin before the weaving process. Tinned cloth is generally available in "mill grade" wire diameters.

Abbreviation for "Twilled Reverse Dutch Weave".

A slotted opening wire mesh which, due to the particular application and/or slot length, requires three shoot wires in adjacent crimps followed by the slot and repeated.

A screen panel which is rolled to cover a cylinder, typically fastened by bolts, clamps or straps.

Woven wire cloth in which each weft wire passes successively over two and under two warp wires and each warp wire passes successively over and under two weft wires.

Each warp wire and each weft wire passes over and under the next to adjacent complementary wires, as in a normal "twill weave", except the warp wires are larger in diameter than the weft wires. This allows a greater mesh count in the weft direction.

This weave pattern enables the weft wires to be woven more densely, and much smaller aperture sizes can be achieved.

See - "Duplex Weave".

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The wires running lengthways during weaving are referred to as WARP wires.

The wires that run across the width of the cloth are referred to as WEFT or shoot wires.

A fabricated hook welded on the tensioning edge of a flat screen panel.

A solid wrought product that is long in relation to its cross section, which is square or rectangular with sharp or rounded corners or edges, or is round, a regular hexagon or a regular octagon, and whose diameter or greatest perpendicular distance between parallel faces (except for flattened wire) is less than 0.375 inch.

A general term for material woven from metallic wires.

The diameter of wire before weaving.

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The stress at which a material exhibits a specified permanent set.

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This glossary is property of and published with permission of Screen Technology Group, Inc.