Choosing the right custom basket for any given application can be tough. There are countless ways to build a basket for any given task, and not every option is right for every process. One of the key decisions that Marlin&#;s design team has to make for the custom parts washing baskets that they make is the choice between using steel wire mesh, expanded metal, and sheet metal for the bulk of each basket.
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All of these metal form types can excel at different applications. For example, unlike solid sheet metal, wire mesh and expanded metal offer a lot of open space to allow liquids to drain from the basket and air to flow into the basket&#;speeding up drying processes and keeping chemicals from sitting in the basket and causing staining or excessive corrosion, which is ideal for parts washing applications. Sheet metal, on the other hand, is often best for making sure that no parts or material can fall out of the basket because there are no openings for material to fall through. Sheet metal also tends to be stronger than wire or expanded metal baskets of the same thickness.
But, which of these materials is the best for your custom steel basket?
The choice will depend a lot on the specifics of your parts washing process. So, to help make this decision a little clearer, here is a comparison of the properties of the three types of basket:
Cost
When it comes to cost, expanded metal tends to be the least costly, wire mesh usually falls in the middle, and sheet metal is the most expensive.
Why?
The reason sheet metal is the most expensive is because it requires the most raw material. While wire mesh uses far less material, it requires the most welding work and secondary operations to ensure a strong, high-quality basket. Expanded metal falls into the middle because it uses less material than sheet metal, and requires less secondary work (welding) than steel wire does to ensure a strong basket.
Weight
Sheet metal is, naturally, the heaviest of the three per square foot of the final basket design because it has no holes. Expanded metal is slightly lighter because it has holes. Wire mesh is the lightest because it provides the most open space of the three.
Sharpness of Edges
This is a difficult piece of info to generalize about since the methods used to shape a metal form and finish it can have a significant impact on the occurrence of sharps and burrs in a basket.
Generally speaking, steel wire mesh and sheet metal will not have sharp edges except for at the location of a cut or weld in the metal, which may leave a sharp or burr. Expanded metal, on the other hand, may have leftover sharp edges caused by the expanding process where the roller simultaneously flattens and cuts the steel plate being turned into expanded metal.
However, these sharp edges can be easily remediated by using a sanding process, electropolishing, or even applying a coating to the basket to protect held parts from sharp edges.
Drainage/Airflow
As mentioned above, wire mesh has the best air flow and drainage properties of the three. Expanded metal is a close second. Sheet metal, with its complete lack of open space, has the worst drainage properties&#;which may actually be desirable for certain tasks where it&#;s important to keep materials in the basket.
Suitability for Rough Use
Any of these material types can be used for &#;rough&#; use applications, but thinner steel wires do tend to lose out compared to expanded and sheet metal forms. For example, wire mesh isn&#;t generally recommended for shot peening, which is a process that involves blasting parts with particles of material to alter their physical properties. Smaller, thinner pieces of wire just aren&#;t durable enough on their own to survive prolonged exposure to such a process to the same degree as the larger, more solid sheet metal and expanded metal materials.
In most other respects&#;temperature tolerance, suitability for use on a conveyor, ability to be coated in other materials, etc.&#;wire mesh, expanded metal, and sheet metal are all mostly similar, with actual material choice (stainless steel, plain steel, etc.) and overall design making larger impacts on performance.
So, which one is the best for your custom manufacturing basket application? Contact the experts at Marlin Steel to discuss your manufacturing application and find out!
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If you are looking for a product that will allow ventilation, drainage, or perhaps add a decorative touch, your three main choices are Expanded Sheet Metal, Perforated Sheet Metal, or Welded/Woven Wire Mesh. So which one do you choose and why?
There are three main differences between expanded metal, perforated metal and wire mesh:
- The ways they&#;re manufactured
- Their characteristics
- Their end-uses
Manufacturing Process
Expanded metal sheet
Expanded metal sheet is made by first creating multiple slits in the sheet, and then stretching the sheet. The stretching creates a unique diamond pattern opening with one of the strands protruding at a slight angle. These raised strands can be flattened later in the process if desired. As you can see this process creates no waste (thus keeping down production costs) and it can add structural strength to the product.
Perforated metal sheet
Perforated metal sheet is a product that is made from sheet steel that has been fed through a machine that punches out round holes (or other designs). These holes can be straight rows or staggered to increase the amount of the openings. Typically the perimeter of the sheet has a boundary where holes are not punched; this adds stability to the sheet. The removed metal from the holes can be recycled but it also increases the cost of the product. The larger the hole size (or increased amount of holes), the greater scrap volume, and therefore costs can be increased.
Wire mesh (welded)
Welded wire mesh is a metal wire screen that is made from various alloys including steel, stainless steel, brass and copper. It is available in various sizes and shapes. Grids of parallel longitudinal wires are welded to cross wires at the required spacing, using electric fusion. The machines that are used to produce the mesh have precise dimensional control.
Wire mesh (woven)
Also available in steel, stainless steel, brass and copper, woven wire mesh is made as a cloth with wire threads woven at right angles. Wires which run lengthwise are known as warp wires, whilst those running perpendicular are weft wires.There are two common styles of weave: plain weave and twill weave. It can be made from various alloys including stainless steel, brass and copper. Wire cloth can be woven to create a variety of opening sizes and wire diameters.
Characteristics
Expanded metal sheet
One of the benefits from the manufacturing of expanded metal is that the sheet retains its structural integrity because it has not undergone the stress of having shapes punched in it (like perforated sheet), and the mesh-like pattern will not unravel (like woven mesh can do). Expanded metal has been stretched rather than punched, reducing scrap metal waste; making it cost-effective. The main considerations when using expanded metal will be the chosen thickness and strand dimensions (weight and structural design requirements). Expanded metal can be almost transparent (depending on the opening); it has mechanical properties and is an excellent conductor.
Perforated metal sheet
Perforated metal sheet comes in a virtually endless variety of sizes, gauges, hole shapes and material types. Hole diameters range from a few thousandths of an inch to more than 3 inches, punched in material as thin as foil or as thick as 1-inch steel plate. From lightweight decorative elements to load-bearing structural components, perforated metal offers unique opportunities to combine strength, functionality and beauty.
Wire mesh (welded)
The chance of improper bending of bars is reduced since bending machines bend the mat as a single unit. This provides the exact size of reinforcement where needed through variable bar size and spacing, thereby reduces steel waste. There can be a considerate savings because mesh is easy to handle and can be installed much faster. Typically you can purchase a welded mesh for less than a woven mesh.
Wire mesh (woven)
Wire mesh is adaptable to almost any application. It is extremely durable and very easily cleaned.
Typical end uses
Expanded metal sheet
Expanded metal sheet works well for steps, flooring in factories and on construction rigging, fences, wash stations, and security applications.
Perforated metal sheet
Perforated metal can be made into a multitude of products such as: screens, filters, baskets, trash cans, tubing, light fixtures, vents, audio speaker covers and patio furniture.
Wire mesh (welded)
Widely used in agricultural applications, industrial, transportation, horticultural and food procuring sectors. It is also used in mines, gardening, machine protection and other decorations.
Wire mesh (woven)
From sifting and screening machinery to conveyor and automotive belts, all the way to animal enclosures and architectural framework.
Don&#;t have time to read the blog?
You can check out our video below to find out the difference between expanded metal, perforated metal and wire mesh:
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