Aside from water, tea is possibly the most widely consumed beverage on the planet. Dating back to ancient china, the popular drink has become known for its health benefits and smooth energy boost.
From green tea to black tea, fom Lipton to Yorkshire, there is a wide variety of tea, ensuring a blend for everyone. But how exactly are tea leaves processed, and where does woven wire mesh fit within this process?
W.S. Tyler has been a prominent wire mesh manufacturer for over 150 years, helping integrate the versatile material into a virtually endless list of industries. We do so by taking the time to learn our customers' processes inside and out, supporting them in what they are attempting to achieve.
With that, the following article was written to highlight how the process of commercializing tea leaves benefits from the functionality of woven wire mesh. You will learn:
Tea leaves are first hand-picked during the peak of their growing season. The freshly picked leaves are then laid flat and left in direct sunlight to begin the drying and oxidation process.
At this point, the leaves are transported to storage, where they are placed on trays for several hours. Being periodically stirred, the leaves will further oxidize on these trays.
The next step involves placing the leaves in a drum that rotates to weaken the structure of the leaves to further facilitate oxidization. At the same time, the oils and juices from the leaves are released, which will make the tea flavor more prominent.
The oxidization process is then stopped by placing the tea leaves in a metallic drum that is heated. To remove the finer particles from the process, the leaves are run through a screening media that separates the leaves from these fine particles.
The screened lives are now placed in a cloth, kneaded, and pressed. This works to further enhance the flavor of the tea and helps ensure the flavor is released slowly when the leaves are steeped.
Once the tea is of the right quality, it is transferred to an oven until it reaches minimal moisture levels.
Woven wire mesh is defined as a network of individual metallic wires that are interwoven to form weave patterns that are geometrically precise. A centuries-old weaving technique that is heavily monitored is used to interweave these wires, forming rigid pore openings.
Now, the level of customization that can be achieved makes woven wire an extremely versatile material. In fact, parameters such as the wire diameter, alloy, weave pattern, opening size, and mesh count can be pre-calculated prior to weaving.
You can also enhance the performance of wire mesh even after the weaving process through the use of value-added services. These services include welding, stamping, calendering, heat treatment, and more.
The main function of woven wire mesh during the processing of tea leaves is to screen the leaves after oxidation has stopped. As stated above, the tea leaves must be sieved to separate the large leaves from the finer particles that are created.
This will help ensure a smooth, clean cup of tea free of unpleasant debris. But why use woven wire mesh?
Well, this answer ultimately comes down to accuracy, durability, and pliability.
In addition to heavily monitoring the weaving process, mesh suppliers will often inspect several sectors of the weave for accuracy to ensure it meets a certain quality. As it can be woven much finer than other screening media, woven wire mesh is the ideal solution to accurately and consistently remove the troublesome fine particles that exist when processing tea leaves.
It's also important to note that woven wire mesh is typically woven from stainless steel; however, other metallic alloys can be used. Nevertheless, the metallic composition of woven wire mesh helps the material provide optimal screening for prolonged periods.
Possibly the most appealing characteristic of woven wire mesh is its ability to be molded, bent, and otherwise formed to fit prosperity fixtures in your process. This helps make for a seamless integration of the material, showcasing its versatility.
Woven wire mesh can be obtained in industrial rolls, cut-to-size pieces, or pre-fabricated parts. The amount in which you can expect to pay for your wire mesh solution will depend on the form factor.
When inquiring about industrial wire mesh rolls or cut-to-size pieces, the following will impact the cost:
Those looking to have the mesh supplier fabricate the mesh for them can expect the cost to be influenced by the following:
As one of the oldest beverages to date, tea is something we turn to when we are sick, need to warm up on a cold winter day, or need relief when sick. To ensure a clean brew, tea manufacturers must use screening media, such as woven wire mesh, to sieve out the finer particles that are created during processing.
Now, in order to better your chances of integrating a wire mesh specification that exceeds your expectations, it is recommended that you seek a full understanding of the material. This will help you make the most out of the conversation you will have by enabling you to best illustrate your needs to the mesh supplier.
With over 150 years of experience helping customers leverage the possibilities of woven wire mesh, W.S. Tyler is here to help you innovate the way you do things so you can develop products you can proudly stand behind.
Read the following article to learn the basic terms surrounding the wire mesh industry: