A Stainless Steel Woven Wire Mesh, Wire Cloth & Screen Overview

Wire mesh is a fabric-like material used in countless industrial and commercial applications. Its versatility is due in part to its availability in a broad range of variations, which differ in regard to opening size, wire diameter, material, and construction.

Wire mesh materials can be categorized into two main classifications based on construction: woven or welded. The following page provides an overview of woven wire mesh, outlining what it is, its key features and benefits, how it differs from welded wire mesh, and its typical applications.

What Is Woven Wire Mesh?

Woven wire mesh—also sometimes referred to as woven wire cloth—is created by weaving wire strands in an over-under or under-over method to form different patterns with varying specifications. Some of the most common weave patterns employed include:

  • Plain/square weave
  • Rectangular weave
  • Plain Dutch weave
  • Twilled Dutch weave
  • Intercrimp weave

The weave pattern of mesh significantly influences what use cases for which it is suited. For example, plain square weaves are ideal for use in general-purpose applications, while Dutch weaves are more appropriate for use in air and water filtering applications.

In addition to weave, woven wire mesh varies in regard to size and material. It is available with openings ranging from a few microns to 4 inches and metals such as aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, Monel, and (most commonly) stainless steel.

Stainless Steel Woven Wire Mesh, Wire Cloth, & Screen

Benefits of Woven Wire Mesh

When used in industrial and commercial applications, woven wire mesh offers a number of advantages, including:

  • Strength: The interwoven and clinched design of woven wire mesh results in a durable and reliable material that retains its structural integrity during use even when subjected to impact and other stresses.
  • Ventilation and visibility: The numerous openings in woven wire mesh allow light, air, and sound to pass through relatively unobstructed, resulting in better visibility, circulation, ventilation, and acoustics in the facility.
  • Safety and security: The open design allows employees to maintain a direct line of sight throughout the facility, enabling them to act accordingly in the event of an emergency. For example, if there is a fire, they can stop any equipment and spray extinguishing fluid through the mesh. In addition to facilitating visibility, woven wire mesh also protects employees and equipment from large debris that flies outward or inward, respectively, without sacrificing any of the above qualities.
  • Easy cleaning and maintenance: Woven wire mesh is easy to clean and maintain, resulting in smaller time and labor costs for such operations.
  • Low investment cost: Many manufacturers have optimized the manufacture of woven wire mesh to decrease waste and increase production efficiency, which translates to a lower price point for customers.
  • Broad availability and customizability: As indicated above, woven wire mesh comes in many patterns, materials, and sizes. While there is an extensive selection of standard options available, some manufacturers offer custom solutions to customers with highly specific or unique needs.

Woven vs. Welded Wire Mesh

Wire mesh comes in both woven and welded variations, both of which offer unique advantages that make them suitable for different industrial applications. For example:

  • Woven wire mesh has a much wider range of possible specifications compared to welded wire mesh, resulting in applications ranging from micronic filtering capabilities using fine woven mesh to fencing and security screens using coarse woven mesh. It is also more flexible, making it ideal for use with parts and products with unusual or irregular contours.
  • Welded wire mesh is stronger and more durable than woven wire mesh, making it suitable for use for protective or barrier purposes. As the individual wire strands are welded in place, the mesh as a whole is more rigid and uniform, both qualities which suit this type of mesh for use in parts and products with strict dimensional tolerances.

Common Applications for Woven Wire Mesh

Stainless Steel Woven Wire Mesh, Wire Cloth, & ScreenWoven wire mesh is highly versatile. It sees uses in a wide range of industrial applications, such as the following:

  • Architectural elements (e.g., infill panels)
  • Baskets (e.g., fry baskets)
  • Cages (e.g., livestock and security cages)
  • Fencing
  • Filtration and separation components (e.g., drain filters)
  • Grills and grates
  • Handrails and safety guards
  • Medical centrifuge screens
  • Racks (e.g., drying racks)
  • RFI and EMI shielding
  • Screens (e.g., fireplace, insect, security, and splatter screens)
  • Shelving and stands
  • Ventilation fan screens

Lawrence Sintered Metals: The Wire Mesh Experts

For all of your wire mesh needs, turn to the experts at Lawrence Sintered Metals. We manufacture and distribute wire mesh, wire cloth, and sintered wire mesh that suit the needs of customers from a diverse set of industries, including aerospace and defense, agriculture, automobile, construction, pharmaceuticals, and more. Our products are available in woven or welded variations in different materials (e.g., aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, and stainless steel), finishes (e.g., epoxy coating), and sizes.

We also offer fabrication services to tailor the wire mesh to exact specifications, including:

For more information about our product and service offerings or assistance with an upcoming wire mesh application, contact us today. One of our representatives will answer and address any questions or concerns you may have regarding wire mesh.

Wire Cloth Specifications (center to center)

Mesh Wire Diameter Opening Open Area Percentage Weight per sq.ft
1 x 1 .063” .937” 87.8 0.255
.080” .920” 84.6 0.411
.092” .908” 82.4 0.544
.105” .895” 80.1 0.710
.120” .880” 77.4 0.928
.135” .865” 74.8 1.177
.148” .852” 72.6 1.417
.162” .838” 70.2 1.702
.192” .808” 65.3 2.403
.250” .750” 56.3 4.124
3/4 x 3/4 .054” .696” 86.1 0.249
.063” .687” 83.9 0.340
.072” .678” 81.7 0.445
.080” .670” 79.8 0.549
.092” .658” 76.9 0.728
.105” .645” 73.9 0.950
.120” .630” 70.5 1.244
.135” .615” 67.2 1.581
.148” .602” 64.4 1.905
.162” .588” 61.4 2.292
.192” .558” 55.3 3.248
.250” .500” 44.4 5.623
2 x 2 .047” .453” 81.2 0.284
.054” .446” 79.6 0.376
.063” .437” 76.4 0.512
.072” .428” 73.3 0.671
.080” .420” 70.6 0.830
.092” .408” 66.6 1.102
.105” .395” 62.4 1.442
.120” .380” 57.8 1.896
.135” .365” 53.3 2.417
.148” .352” 49.6 2.924
.162” .338” 45.7 3.533
.192” .308” 37.9 5.055
3 x 3 .032” .301” 81.5 0.197
.035” .298” 79.9 0.237
.041” .292” 76.7 0.325
.047” .286” 73.6 0.428
.054” .279” 70.1 0.567
.063” .270” 65.6 0.776
.072” .261” 61.3 1.019
.080” .253” 57.6 1.264
.092” .241” 52.3 1.687
.105” .228” 46.8 2.220
.120” .213” 40.8 2.939
.135” .198” 35.3 3.776
4 x 4 .025” .225” 81.0 0.161
.028” .222” 78.9 0.202
.032” .218” 76.0 0.264
.035” .215” 74.0 0.317
.041” .209” 69.9 0.436
.047” .203” 65.9 0.576
.054” .196” 61.5 0.764
.063” .187” 56.0 1.048
.072” .178” 50.7 1.382
.080” .170” 46.2 1.721
.092” .158” 39.9 2.310
.105” .145” 33.6 3.062
.120” .130” 27.0 3.886
.135” .115” 21.2 5.038
5 x 5 .032” .168” 70.6 0.332
.035” .165” 68.1 0.398
.041” .159” 63.2 0.549
.047” .153” 58.5 0.726
.054” .146” 53.3 0.967
.063” .137” 46.9 1.332
.072” .128” 41.0 1.764
.080” .120” 36.0 2.206
.092” .108” 29.2 2.834
.105” .095” 22.6 3.787
6 x 6 .028” .139” 69.6 0.305
.032” .135” 65.6 0.400
.035” .132” 62.7 0.481
.041” .126” 57.2 0.665
.047” .120” 51.8 0.882
.054” .113” 46.0 1.177
.063” .104” 38.9 1.630
.072” .095” 32.5 2.169
.080” .087” 27.2 2.591
7 x 7 .028” .115” 64.8 0.358
.032” .111” 60.4 0.470
.035” .108” 57.2 0.565
.041” .102” 51.0 0.784
.047” .096” 45.2 1.042
.054” .089” 38.8 1.397
.063” .080” 31.4 1.847
8 x 8 .017” .108” 74.6 0.140
.020” .105” 70.6 0.200
.023” .102” 66.6 0.270
.025” .100” 64.0 0.320
.028” .097” 60.2 0.410
.032” .093” 55.4 0.541
.035” .090” 51.8 0.651
.041” .084” 45.2 0.906
.047” .078” 38.9 1.209
.054” .071” 32.3 1.627
.063” .062” 24.6 2.163
9 x 9 .023” .088” 62.7 0.311
.032” .079” 50.6 0.614
.035” .076” 46.8 0.740
.047” .064” 33.2 1.382
10 x 10 .020” .080” 64.0 0.261
.023” .077” 59.3 0.347
.025” .075” 54.3 0.412
.028” .072” 51.8 0.521
.032” .068” 46.2 0.688
.035” .065” 42.3 0.831
.041” .059” 34.8 1.163
.047” .053” 28.1 1.484
.054” .046” 21.2 2.015
.063” .037” 13.7 2.854
12 x 12 .018” .065” 60.8 0.255
.020” .063” 57.2 0.316
.023” .060” 51.8 0.422
.025” .058” 48.4 0.501
.028” .055” 43.6 0.635
.032” .051” 37.5 0.843
.035” .048” 33.2 1.021
.041” .042” 25.4 1.367
.047” .036” 18.7 1.851
14 X 14 .017” .054” 57.2 0.266
.018” .053” 55.1 0.299
.020” .051” 51.0 0.372
.023” .048” 45.2 0.498
.025” .046” 41.5 0.593
.028” .043” 36.2 0.755
.032” .039” 29.8 1.005
.035” .036” 25.4 1.161
.041” .030” 17.6 1.650
16 x 16 .016” .047” 55.4 0.271
.017” .046” 53.0 0.307
.018” .045” 50.7 0.345
.020” .043” 46.2 0.430
.023” .040” 39.9 0.577
.025” .038” 36.0 0.689
.028” .035” 30.5 0.836
.032” .031” 23.8 1.119
.035” .028” 19.4 1.366
18 x 14 .011” .045”/.060” 70.6 0.102
18 x 18 .009” .047” 70.4 0.095
.011” .045” 64.4 0.142
.017” .039” 48.3 0.348
.018” .038” 45.8 0.392
.020” .036” 41.1 0.490
.023” .033” 34.4 0.660
.025” .031” 30.3 0.750
.028” .028” 24.7 0.961
.032” .024” 18.0 1.294
20 x 20 .009” .041” 67.2 0.105
.014” .036” 51.8 0.261
.015” .035” 49.0 0.301
.016” .034” 46.2 0.344
.017” .033” 43.6 0.391
.018” .032” 41.0 0.441
.020” .030” 36.0 0.552
.023” .027” 29.2 0.708
.025” .025” 25.0 0.850
.028” .022” 19.4 1.093
24 x 24 .0075” .034” 67.4 0.088
.010” .032” 57.9 0.158
.014” .028” 44.2 0.318
.020” .022” 27.1 0.648
26 x 26 .015” .024” 37.3 0.402
.016” .023” 34.2 0.461
.017” .022” 31.2 0.526
.018” .021” 28.4 0.566
.020” .019” 23.1 0.713
28 x 28 .010” .026” 51.8 0.186
.0135” .022” 38.6 0.349
30 x 30 .007” .027” 64.8 0.084
.0075” .026” 59.9 0.111
.008” .025” 57.6 0.126
.0085” .025” 55.4 0.143
.009” .024” 53.1 0.161
.010” .023” 48.9 0.200
.011” .022” 44.8 0.245
.012” .021” 40.8 0.294
.013” .020” 37.1 0.348
.014” .019” 33.5 0.408
.015” .018” 30.1 0.474
.016” .017” 26.9 0.618
35 x 35 .011” .018” 37.9 0.290
.012” .017” 33.8 0.350
.013” .016” 29.8 0.416
.014” .015” 26.1 0.465
40 x 40 .0065” .019” 54.8 0.113
.007” .018” 51.8 0.130
.0075” .018” 49.0 0.150
.008” .017” 46.2 0.172
.0085” .017” 43.6 0.195
.009” .016” 41.0 0.220
.0095” .016” 38.4 0.247
.010” .015” 36.0 0.276
.011” .014” 31.4 0.338
.012” .013” 27.0 0.409
.013” .012” 23.0 0.488
50 x 40 .008” .012”/.017” 40.8 0.184
50 x 50 .0055” .015” 52.6 0.101
.0075” .013” 39.1 0.192
.008” .012” 36.0 0.221
.0085” .012” 33.1 0.251
.009” .011” 30.3 0.284
.0095” .011” 27.6 0.320
.010” .010” 25.0 0.340
.011” .009” 20.3 0.420
.012” .008” 16.0 0.511
60 x 50 .0065” .0102”/.0135” 41.3 0.153
.0075” .0092”/.0125” 34.4 0.203
60 x 60 .0045” .012” 53.3 0.081
.006” .011” 41.2 0.147
.0065” .010” 37.5 0.174
.007” .010” 33.9 0.204
.0075” .009” 30.5 0.237
.008” .009” 27.2 0.273
.0085” .008” 24.2 0.296
.009” .008” 21.3 0.335
.0095” .007” 18.7 0.379
.010” .007” 16.2 0.426
.011” .006” 11.7 0.529
70 x 70 .0037” .0106” 54.9 0.060
.006” .008” 33.8 0.175
.0065” .008” 29.8 0.208
.007” .007” 26.1 0.233
.0075” .007” 22.7 0.271
.008” .006” 19.4 0.313
.0085” .006” 16.5 0.358
.009” .005” 13.8 0.407
80 x 70 .0055” .007”/.0088” 34.5 0.150
.007” .0055”/.0073” 22.5 0.248
80 x 80 .0037” .0088” 49.6 0.069
.005” .008” 36.0 0.138
.0055” .007” 31.4 0.169
.006” .007” 27.0 0.204
.0065” .006” 23.0 0.232
.007” .006” 19.4 0.274
.0075” .005” 16.0 0.319
90 x 90 .0035” .0076” 47.8 0.073
.005” .006” 30.1 0.158
.0055” .006” 25.4 0.184
.006” .005” 21.1 0.224
100 x 90 .004” .006”/.0071” 38.5 0.112
.0045” .0055”/.0066” 32.7 0.117
100 x 100 .0022” .0078” 60.8 0.049
.003” .007” 49.0 0.060
.0035” .007” 42.3 0.083
.004” .006” 36.0 0.110
.0045” .006” 30.3 0.142
.005” .005” 25.0 0.170
120 x 120 .0026” .0057” 48.4 0.050
.0035” .005” 33.2 0.100
.0037” .0046” 30.5 0.103
.0040” .0043” 26.8 0.132
145 x 145 .0022” .0048” 46.4 0.049
150 x 150 .0026” .0041” 37.8 0.072
.003” .0037” 30.4 0.093
165 x 165 .0019” .0041” 47.1 0.042
180 x 180 .0018” .0038” 46.0 0.047
.0023” .0033” 34.7 0.067
200 x 190 .0021” .0029”/.0032” 34.9 0.050
200 x 200 .0016” .0035” 46.2 0.036
.0021” .0029” 33.6 0.063
.0023” .0027” 49.2 0.073
230 x 230 .0014” .0029” 46.0 0.031
250 x 250 .0014” .0026” 42.3 0.035
.0016” .0024” 36.0 0.041
270 x 270 .0014” .0023” 38.6 0.037
.0016” .0021” 32.1 0.048
280 x 280 .0014” .0022” 38.0 0.039
300 x 300 .0012” .0021” 41.0 0.030
.0015” .0018” 29.2 0.047
325 x 325 .0011” .0020” 41.6 0.029
.0014” .0017” 30.5 0.043
400 x 400 .0010” .0015” 38.0 0.028
.0011” .0014” 31.4 0.034
500 x 500 .0010” .0010” 26.0 0.033
635 x 635 .0008” .0008” 25.8 0.027