Woven Wire Mesh Recommendations

You can expand the categories below to find your intended application, suggested mesh counts are for typical applications and may not be suitable in every situation, if you are unsure or have an unusual application you would like advise on, feel free to contact us by phone or email and we can suggest the most suitable mesh for your application.

Machinery / Engineering

  • Automotive

    • Air

      Internal combustion engine air filters typically have pore sizes between 60 and 90 micron. 200 mesh has 75 micron apertures and will give a similar level of filtration with better air flow. Carburettor bell mouths often have 20 mesh filters on them.

    • Oil

      • Oil pickup strainer

        20 mesh.

      • Primary oil filters

        Typically 30 microns, 400 mesh has 35 micron apertures.

    • Fuel

      • Fuel pickup strainer

        120 mesh is suitable for filtering fuel before the pump, a finer filter is required before the injector or carburettor.

      • Fuel filter

        Fuel injected petrol and diesel engines typically have a 2 micron filter

    • Grills

      • Radiator

        4 mesh with 0.9mm wires is an ideal lightweight mesh to protect a radiator, alternatives include 316 Stainless 4 mesh with 1.2mm wires for extra durability and 3 mesh for better cosmetics but heavier and larger openings. These are also available cut diagonally.

      • Headlamp

        4 mesh is suitable for protecting headlamps from stone chips.

  • Marine

    316 stainless steel is recommended if the mesh will be in regular contact with salt water. The material alloy is detailed in the specification section.

  • Biodiesel Oil Filter

    30 mesh for screening debris from oil.

  • Ozone generator

    10 mesh has been used in ozone generators.

  • Plastic reinforcing

    18 mesh provides a low profile, flexibility and good strength.

Manufacturing & Industrial

  • Papermaking

    A variety of mesh can be used depending on the type of paper required, 60 mesh is recommended as a general purpose size and a good starting point for any further refinement.

  • Silk screen printing

    120, 200 & 400 mesh have all been used for silk screen printing, preferred mesh count depends on set up and ink.

  • Sand / Grit blasting

    A very broad range of particles sizes are used, but some typical values are given as guidance: 8 - 30 mesh (Coarse), 10-40 mesh (Medium), 30 - 80 mesh (Fine).

  • Hydrogel based molecularly imprinted polymers

    200 and 400 both used.

  • RFI Shielding

    60 mesh Copper material should be used for this.

  • Washing & Dip baskets

    A mesh with a hole below the smallest component is recommended. 4, 8 and 10 mesh are best as they require less reinforcement.

  • Alignment grid

    Mesh can be a useful way of setting out complex Cartesian coordinates, for example, nails could be aligned to a 1/8th inch grid by aligning to the same corner of each hole in a sheet of 8 mesh, or 5mm LEDs could be fixed to a 4 mesh (1.2mm wire) matrix. Be sure to check straightness of wires and be aware this method is not suitable for precision alignment.

  • Kiln firing tray

    4 and 8 mesh are used, depending on the item size.

Living creatures (Loved and hated)

  • Pest Exclusion

    • Rats, mice and rodents

      Mice cannot fit through 5.5mm holes or bite through 24 gauge mild steel, Rats cannot fit through 13mm holes or bite through 19 gauge mild steel. 4 mesh with 0.9mm stainless steel wires is recommended to keep out rats and mice. Stainless steel is stronger than mild steel and does not rust, 4 mesh has a 74% open area with excellent air flow.

    • Slugs

      30 mesh, slugs to not have a skeleton and especially very young slugs can fit through amazingly small holes.

    • Birds

      4 mesh is suitable for keeping birds from gaining entry through openings in a building.

    • Flies

      18 mesh fly screen for excellent air flow and screening of flies, for better exclusion of smaller flying insects 30 mesh, slightly reduced airflow.

  • Beekeeping / apiary

    • Varroa control hive floor

      8 mesh allows varroa to drop through, but bees can still walk on.

    • Queen excluder

      5 mesh with 4.1mm openings allows worker bees but not the larger queens and drones to traverse the barrier.

    • Hornet guard

      4 mesh will block hornets from entering a hive but allow free passage to bees.

  • Birds

    • Avery

      Stainless steel woven mesh is not usually an economical material for the large areas required, galvanized welded wire is recommended.

    • Bird feeder

      4 mesh is ideal for peanuts. For smaller seeds, choose a mesh slightly smaller than the seed.

  • Fish

    • Pond and Aquarium Filters

      20 mesh for pump inlet to prevent sucking in small fish or debris, finer mesh can be used to remove sediment.

    • Moss and plant framework

      10 mesh pads are used for growing mosses and plants.

    • Marine / saltwater aquariums

      316 stainless steel is recommended if the mesh will be in regular contact with salt water. The material alloy is detailed in the specification section.

  • Reptiles / Insects

    • Vivarium vent

      40 mesh will allow air flow while preventing any escape. If you would like to pass through cables or tubes, we can set stainless steel eyelets in mesh.

Food & Pharmaceutical

  • Homebrew

    • Mash filter / hop stopper

      30 mesh

  • BBQ

    • Cooking surface

      Wire mesh is not a suitable reusable cooking surface as it is very difficult to clean. We can build grills for 6mm stainless steel bars to give you the best possible cooking surface.

    • Charcoal basket

      4 mesh allows for good airflow, retention of coals and ash clearance.

  • Frying

    Depending on the size of the food being cooked, 8 or 4 mesh make excellent frying baskets. We can build mesh baskets to your requirements.

  • Powdered / Granular items

    • Bread Flour

      90% finer than 80 mesh.

    • Coffee

      Regular ground coffee is between 16 and 40 mesh.

    • Pepper

      Fine ground black pepper is typically between 30 mesh and 50 mesh.

    • Salt

      Table salt is typically between 30 and 80 mesh.

    • Sugar

      Sugar is typically between 50 and 80 mesh.

  • Vaporisers

    400 mesh has a very high surface area and make excellent high temperature wick.

Household, Hobby & DIY

  • Pest Exclusion

    • Rats, mice and rodents

      Mice cannot fit through 5.5mm holes or bite through 24 gauge mild steel, Rats cannot fit through 13mm holes or bite through 19 gauge mild steel. 4 mesh with 0.9mm stainless steel wires is recommended to keep out rats and mice. Stainless steel is stronger than mild steel and does not rust, 4 mesh has a 74% open area with excellent air flow.

    • Slugs

      30 mesh, slugs to not have a skeleton and especially very young slugs can fit through amazingly small holes.

    • Birds

      4 mesh is suitable for keeping birds from gaining entry through openings in a building.

    • Flies

      18 mesh fly screen for excellent air flow and screening of flies, for better exclusion of smaller flying insects 30 mesh, slightly reduced airflow.

  • Kitchen

    • Kettle filter

      30 mesh

    • Tea strainer

      30 mesh

    • Mulled wine filter

      200 mesh removes spice powders from the liquid, giving good clarity. 400 mesh gives greater clarity, but slow speed under gravity filtration.

    • Flour sieve

      20 mesh

    • Tap aerators

      30 mesh

  • Heater / Fire guard

    4 and 10 mesh are used for heater guards, for spark guards, 10 or 20 are recommended.

  • Garden Riddle / sieve

    Commonly used sizes are 2, 3 and 4 mesh, depending on the type of soil or material.

  • Airsoft

    8 mesh is most suitable for protection from 6mm and 8mm airsoft pellets.

  • Speaker Grill

    4 mesh with 1.2mm wires or 8 mesh are best for speaker grills, neither mesh will change the sound.

  • Computer Fan Grill

    20 mesh will catch most dust that is likely to build up in a heat sink without reducing airflow.

  • Masks (Costume)

    30 mesh or finer will be suitable for obscuring the wearer's eyes, while still allowing the wearer to see out.

  • Kiln firing tray

    4 and 8 mesh are used, depending on the item size.

  • Modelling / craft

    As this is a broad area, almost any mesh count can find use. Stainless steel tends to spring back a little, for fine, precise modelling, aluminium may be more suitable.

  • Scale models, model railways

    • N gauge

      60 mesh can be used to build chain link fences. Contact us for pre-cut fences.

    • OO gauge

      30 mesh, cut diagonally can be used to build chain link fences, individual wires pulled from 30 mesh can be used as individual lengths of barbed wire. Contact us for pre-cut fences.

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