Architectural Wire Mesh and welded wire mesh are both design materials that can provide structure with a unique aesthetic while also allowing designers to tackle other areas of concern, such as visitor safety and regulation compliance. That said, when looking beyond the mesh title, these materials are entirely different and designed with different applications in mind.
To properly utilize them, you must first understand how exactly woven wire mesh and welded wire mesh differ. Failure to understand can lead to the implementation of the wrong material, and your design will not stand the test time.
Having helped architects worldwide use the right product for their project, W.S. Tyler is here to use its 20 years of expertise to ensure you know which one works best for you.
With that, this article will cover the following:
Woven wire mesh is defined as a predetermined amount of stainless steel wires interlocked together, forming a specific design on a sheet of mesh with exact square openings. When architectural mesh, in particular, is woven, you can control several characteristics of the mesh, including the wire diameter, alloy type, panel length, and weave pattern/style.
This level of customization makes integrating wire mesh while adhering to the many regulations surrounding architectural design simple.
When weaving woven wire architectural mesh, operators first wrap the predetermined count of individual wires onto a warp beam that will feed the specialized weaving loom designed to handle stainless steel wires. These wires are then threaded through the heddle frames that divide the wires in a way that allows the specified weave pattern to be achieved.
The operators must then take the time and carefully thread each wire through a read that keeps the wires in place while also driving the horizontal weft wire into place. It should be noted that, depending on the weave type, setting up the reed can take several days as misplacing, just one wire can compromise the integrity of the mesh.
As the loom weaves, the heddle frames drive the sets of wires up and down in alternating cycles, allowing the weft wire to be driven between the groups of wires. Once this happens, the heddle frames snap into the opposite position and lock the weft wire into place.
Woven wire mesh can be woven to accommodate virtually any architectural design need. However, as the wires used to construct the architectural mesh get finer, the durability decreases.
If you desire to use the ascetically pleasing characteristics of the finer mesh types, it should be applied in a way that doesn't rely on the mesh for any support or safety. That said, architectural mesh can be woven with thicker wires to accommodate safety applications, such as fall protection panels on parking structures.
Welded wire mesh, like woven wire mesh, is a series of wires welded at each wire cross-section. When the wires are being, most commonly with TIG or Spot welding techniques, the mesh panel's opening size becomes mostly permanent and virtually impossible to compromise.
To make welded wire mesh, operators take spools of wire and thread them through a specialized weld mesh machine. This process is identical to the threading of wires through the heddle frames of a woven wire mesh loom.
The operators then take separate spools of wire and feed them into a wire straightener and pre-cut the wires to compliment the needs of the customer specifications. These pre-cut wires are then placed into a top loader mechanism of the machine.
When the machine operators, the top load places the pre-cut wires on top of the wires being fed from the spools. The machine then applies a uniform weld at each wire intersection simultaneously.
As the machine continues, the welded mesh is either rolled or cut based on set dimensions depending on the project's needs.
Applications
As stated above, welded wire mesh must be constructed out of thicker wires that can withstand the heat created during the welding process. As a result, welded wire mesh is often more durable than woven wire mesh.
This durability makes it an ideal solution for protective infill panels, protective free form encasings, and anywhere where high visitor traffic would potentially damage the mesh.
As we described above, the processes needed to produce woven wire mesh and welded wire mesh are entirely different. The one factor that sticks out between the two concerning cost is that the process that is used to produce woven wire mesh is, for the most part, automated.
Welded wire mesh, however, requires a more hands-on process. This is because an operator must feed through both the machine and a straightener, but they must also continuously feed pre-cut wires into the machine's toploader mechanism.
During the production of welded wire mesh, the mesh panels' ends have access material that must be cut off. Again this commonly done by hand when not rolled by the machine.
That said, when labor and material costs are taken into consideration, welded wire mesh tends to be more costly than woven wire mesh.
Architectural and welded wire mesh are both design materials used to provide a structure with a one-of-a-kind aesthetic while also complying with the many regulations architects must follow. To ensure you implement the right solution, you must understand the characteristic differences between welded and woven mesh.
If you are looking to enhance the overall look of a structure and mesh strength isn't a top priority, woven wire mesh is the ideal solution. On the other hand, if your design calls for a more durable mesh, welded wire mesh.
Now, turning your vision into a reality doesn't stop at woven wire mesh vs. welded wire mesh, as there are several design materials available to you.
Here at W.S. Tyler, we take pride in providing our customers with the knowledge needed to ensure their architectural design process produces an end product the customer and onlooker find awe-inspiring.
Review the following articles for more information on the design materials available: