Hand-picking the alloy when designing and fabricating industrial wire screen sections is the key to unlocking peak separation performance and screen longevity. The alloy you choose directly affects screen efficiency and durability, regardless of your screening process.
With corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and mechanical strength all coming into play, the alloy selection process can prove daunting. But it's easier than you think once you become familiar with the alloys available to you.
Fortunately, W.S. Tyler is here to share its 150 years of screening expertise and offer you the guidance and innovative solutions you need to achieve your desired results.
We wrote the following article highlighting everything you need to know to pinpoint a wire mesh alloy that will build the perfect screen sections. It covers:
Alloy selection is critical when designing and fabricating industrial wire screen sections. The alloy used directly affects the screen's performance, resistance to corrosion, and lifespan.
Different alloys have various pros and cons, such as strength, environmental resistance, and pliability. By selecting an alloy based on your operation's specific needs, you empower yourself to create screen sections that deliver accurate and repeatable results with peak structural integrity.
This is a key building block to true operational success, as it boosts screening efficiency, improves the screen's lifespan, and reduces downtime.
Knowing the significance of alloy selection, you must understand the alloy most commonly used to construct industrial wire screen sections. These alloys are 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, 430 stainless steel, 318 stainless steel, and high-carbon spring steel.
Each alloy offers a handful of unique characteristics that can help tackle the many challenges of screening material. For this reason, the alloy you select should be chosen methodically.
304 stainless steel is one of the most widely used alloys in the world of woven wire mesh. Its optimal corrosion resistance allows it to withstand a wide range of screening applications, especially those that subject screen sections to high levels of moisture or harsh chemicals.
It also offers peak durability. This is critical as most industrial screening operations require screen sections that can withstand high volumes of aggressive material screening.
It should also be noted that 304 stainless steel is very easy to form, fabricated, and welded. As a result, it is easier for manufacturers to accommodate customization requirements and complex designs.
Get to know the welding processes used on woven wire mesh in the article below:
Furthermore, its hygienic, non-porous surface makes it ideal when cleanliness is a priority.
However, despite the many benefits, there are some pitfalls associated with 304 stainless steel.
First and foremost are its imitations in high-temperature environments. As the temperature 304 stainless steel screen sections are subjected to rises, the mesh can oxidize, suffer thermal expansion that alters the tensioning, lose its strength, and become more susceptible to corrosion.
Speaking of corrosion, 304 stainless steel is known to struggle with chloride stress. With prolonged exposure to high-chloride elements, such as salt water, 304 stainless steel wire mesh can become brittle, crack, and lose structural integrity.
Much like 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel is one of the more widely used woven wire alloys. It offers some of the best some of the best corrosion resistance, even when subjected to high-chloride environments.
Thus, it is an excellent option for some of the harshest applications.
Additionally, 316 stainless steel offers a very desirable resistance to high-temperature atmospheres. This means it will maintain its structural integrity as operational temperatures increase.
316 stainless steel, like 304 stainless steel, is extremely durable, easy to customize, and known for its hygienic properties. This versatility makes this particular alloy applicable to dozens of industries.
Now, the cons.
While it offers better resistance to elevated temperatures than 304, it is still relatively sensitive to extreme temperatures. Things like oxidation and thermal expansion can still pose a threat to screening effectiveness.
That said, this risk couldn't be avoided with other alloys.
430 stainless is an economical alloy that can accommodate budget-conscious operations that want a perfect balance of performance and cost-friendliness. It delivers optimal resistance to oxidates and various forms of corrosion when subjected to mild conditions.
It is particularly known for its heat resistance. It can deliver optimal performance when subjected to high temperatures without losing strength or stability.
Like the other stainless steel variant, 430 stainless steel is easy to form and weld, allowing for custom builds.
However, it should be noted that 4430 stainless steel struggles when subjected to more corrosive environments. When more aggressive elements come into contact with 430 stainless steel wire mesh, the longevity and overall performance of the screen section become compromised.
It should also be noted that this particular alloy has relativity, low ductility, and toughness. This is especially true when compared to other stainless steel variants.
As a result, 430 stainless wire mesh is susceptible to cracking and becoming brittle when applied to high-stress screening processes.
All these pitfalls can ultimately lead to an increased need to maintain and replace your screen sections.
318 stainless steel is a duplex stainless steel known for its heightened resistance to corrosion. It performs comparatively well when subjected to chlorides, acids, and other harsh chemicals.
As duplex stainless steel, its structure facilitates superior strength. This empowers users to use thinner wire diameters to create lighter screen sections without sacrificing durability.
Circling back to corrosion resistance, 318 stainless steel offers great resistance to cracking and putting from corrosion. This enables it to perform in the most demanding of applications.
This, alongside its mechanical strength, means you can expect screen sections outfitted with 318 stainless wire mesh to last.
But this level of performance comes at a cost. In fact, 318 stainless steel has a considerable price jump compared to more standardized stainless steel variants.
While its strength and corrosion resistance are excellent for screening performance, they make the alloy hard to form and weld. As a result, specialized fabrication techniques must be employed to accommodate more complex designs.
This can ultimately prolong lead times and increase overall costs.
W.S. Tyler TY-GER® Wire is our custom high-carbon spring steel, especially for industrial wire screen sections. High-carbon spring steel is known for offering superior strength and hardness.
This, in turn, makes it very durable, combating wear when subjected to high-volume screening applications.
Delivering the perfect balance of durability and toughness, TY-GER Wire is equipped to withstand high-impact screening. This remains true even when working with abrasive materials.
It should also be noted that high-carbon spring steel delivers peak elasticity. This is critical as it means TY-GER Wire screen sections can be flexed when tensioned while maintaining their resilient characteristics.
TY-GER has a tendency to stand out with an affordable price tag. Its cost-friendliness makes it ideal for those looking for a strong mesh that doesn't break the bank.
Now, although it is a strong and durable wire mesh alloy, TY-GER wire has a relatively low resistance to corrosion. This can performance issues, especially if your operation expenses your screen sections to moistures, chemicals, or other corrosive elements.
NOTE: It is particularly susceptible to rust.
And much like 318 stainless steel, its strength and hardness can make TY-GER Wire fairly difficult to form and weld. This is due to the fact that these properties leave it vulnerable to faults when faced with excessive force.
You must also be mindful of the effect elevated temperature may have on the wires. Having screen sections made from TY-GER Wire exposed to heat for extended periods of time will increase the risk of the wires becoming brittle.
Selecting the right wire mesh alloy for your screen sections requires you to first examine your operation's environment. You must factor in moisture, chemical, and temperature exposures.
This will allow you to gauge what corrosion and heat resistance your operation requires.
You must then determine the mechanical requirements. This should include load capacities, strength requirements, and abrasion resistance.
While these factors are imperative to ensure your mesh can withstand the screening process itself, you must always take cost into consideration. After all, the performance of a given alloy is useless if it doesn't accommodate your budgetary constraints.
It goes without saying that any sort of industry standard should be used to guide the selection process.
If you run into a siutuaiton in which the wrong alloy is selected ther are several things that can happen. This includes compromised durability, dips in performance, and increased corrosion.
Alloys that are not a match will fail to withstand the elements of your operation, ultimately altering the structural integrity and causing premature wear. This can lead to poor material classification, costly downtime, and even screen failures that are dangerous to you and your staff.
Alloy selection is a pivotal step needed to ensure you create screen sections that perform. Failure to mechanically pick a suitable alloy can result in inefficient screening, costly downtime, and, more importantly, safety concerns for you and your staff.
While selecting the right alloy is important, understanding how screen sections are constructed is just as important. This knowledge will allow you to gauge better what can and cannot be done, understand things like lead time, and understand the expenses associated with your order.
For over 150 years, W.S. Taylor has been dedicated to learning the ins and outs of customers' operations to create wire mesh screen sections that produce industry-leading results.
Read the following article to gain a deeper understanding of how industrial wire screen sections are made: