Washers and dryers are essential to keeping everyday life fresh and clean. Without them removing dirt and grime from clothing would be extremely difficult.
Dryers, in particular, must incorporate some sort of filter medium to maintain safe, efficient operation. Knowing that, how does woven wire mesh benefit dryer lint filter functionality?
W.S. Tyler has been a leading wire mesh supplier for over 150 years and is here to help you ensure you make the most out of your mesh solution. This will allow you to spend less time worrying about filtering lint and more time improving other aspects of your dryer design.
And with that, we wrote the following article to highlight what woven wire mesh has to offer when implemented as a dryer lint filter. You will learn:
- How a dryer lint filter works
- The definition of woven wire mesh
- The benefits of using a woven wire mesh dryer lint filter
- How much woven wire mesh costs
What Are the Functions of a Dryer Lint Filter?
When operating, dryers utilize a flow of hot air to effectively dry the garments placed into the machine. To do so, the dryers take in fresh air from the outside, projects it past an internal heating element, and circulate the hot air throughout the drum tumbler.
Now, as the garments become dry, loose dust and fabric fibers become airborne. Over time, this lint will begin to accumulate in various areas of the dryer, particularly the internal thermostats or in and around the heating element.
This can result in inefficient operation or, when build-up is severe, fires.
Manufacturers will incorporate a lint filter into the design of the dryer to minimize build-up. They work to trap the lint being circulated, causing the lint to build up on the surface of the filter while allowing air to flow adequately.
This, in turn, prevents lint from ever reaching the thermostat or heating element, minimizing the risk of irregular operation or fires.
What Is Woven Wire Mesh?
Woven wire mesh is metallic cloth designed for screening and filtration applications. It's fabricated using a predetermined amount of metal wires that become interwoven using a heavily monitored weaving process.
As a result, you are left with a material that features pore openings that are rigid and accurate.
Now, woven wire mesh is widely known for its ability to be customized to accommodate most applications. Parameters such as wire diameter, alloy, openings size, mesh count, etc., can be altered based on your needs.
Value-added services, such as heat treatment, calendaring, forming, and welding, can also be applied to ensure your wire mesh delivers superior performance.
Why Use a Woven Wire Mesh Dryer Lint Filter?
There are many materials, such as various plastics, that can be used to construct a dryer lint filter. Knowing that, what makes woven wire mesh stand out?
The three main woven wire mesh benefits you should take into consideration are durability, cleanability, and heat resistance.
Durability
While the lint and fabric fibers being filtered arent the most abrasive material, dryer lint filters are constantly being used, removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. This subjects them to wear and tear, eventually leading to inefficient filtration of airborne lint.
Fortunately, woven wire mesh is typically made from a 300 series stainless, allowing to provide peak durability that prolongs the life of the filter. This while maintaining the flexibility needed for easy handling.
Cleanability
No matter what model dryer, if a lint filter is integrated into the design, it is subject to heavy use. This means large accumulations of lint will build up quickly, preventing adequate airflow.
This, in turn, results in longer drying times.
Woven wire mesh's stainless steel construction allows users to remove lint accumulation and clean the linter filter with ease. This, alongside its durable characteristics, allows woven wire mesh dryer lint filters to be cleaned and reused, saving the user time and money.
Heat Resistance
It goes without saying the dryers get hot. For that reason, it is important that the dryer lint filter is designed to withstand constant exposure to extreme heat.
While other materials can initially withstand these conditions, they are more likely to become damaged, brittle, and otherwise less stable over time. Woven wire mesh, on the other hand, can withstand temperatures reaching 1700°F.
Plastic Injection Molding
A typical dryer lint filter consists of the filter media as well as some sort of casing, usually made from plastic or metal. This housing serves two purposes: a supportive element to increase the stability of the lint filter as well as a guide for seamless installation and removal of the filter.
Once woven, wire mesh can be fused with polymer molds, delivering both the filter media and housing in one package. This helps save manufacturers time as it allows them to buy the filter assembly from a single supplier, eliminating the need to involve multiple this-parties.
It also allows manufacturers to reallocate the time that would have been spent working out the logistics of fabrication of the filter assembly towards other aspects of their operation.
Read the following article for more information regarding plastic injection molding:
How Much Does Woven Wire Mesh Cost?
Woven wire mesh can be purchased in either cut-to-size pieces, rolls, or fabricated components. There are various factors that sway the cost of wire mesh depending how you choose to purchase.
Those with the capacity to fabricate the mesh in-house tend to turn toward rolls or cut-to-size pieces. When inquiring about rolls or cut-to-size pieces, the following factors will control the price you pay:
- Roll Dimensions
- Cut-to-size piece dimensions
- Required value-added services
- Compliance requirements (i.e., DFARS)
- Mesh specifications
- Order Quantity
Those that lack the capacity to fabricate the mesh in-house, on the other hand, often seek wire mesh solutions that are fabricated by the wire mesh supplier. That said, the following factors will dictate the cost of fabricated wire mesh dryer lint filters:
- Mesh specifications
- Required value-added services
- Compliance requirement (i.e., DFARS)
- Filter profile
- Order Quantity
- Filter components
- Labor
Get To Know How Woven Wire Mesh Performs First-Hand
Dryer lint filters are designed to prevent lint from building up around the dryer's internal heating element and thermometers, causing costly damage. Woven wire mesh allows manufacturers to ensure this lint is filtered from the circulating air while maintaining sustainable airflow.
But as there are dozens of different filter media to choose from, woven wire mesh may not be the answer. This is why it's important that you understand how wire mesh will perform before investing.
Having woven trustworthy wire mesh solutions for over 150 years, W.S. Tyler strives to learn your operation inside and out so we can help you improve the way you do things.
To learn how you get your hands on wire mesh samples, read the following article: