To facilitate the centuries-old weaving process, wire mesh suppliers must employ specialized weaving looms designed to work with metallic wires. These looms consist of seven components: a warp beam, warp wires, heddle frames, weft wires, a rapier band, a reed, and a front take-up mechanism.
The warp beam is a cylindrical beam that is used to wind the warp wire after the volume and length of the wires are calculated based on the specifications of the mesh.
Warp wires are the wires that run vertically and are threaded through the entire loom.
The heddle frames are holsters that are used to organize and separate the warp wires. Looms set up to produce a square mesh may have two sets of heddle frames, whereas more complex filter cloth weaves may have more.
Weft wires are the wires the run horizontally and are typically fed by a separate spool of wire.
The rapier band system is responsible for threading the weft wire through the sets of warp wires between heddle frame movements.
The reed is one of the most essential elements of a weaving loom as it is used to position the warp wires they will be woven in and drive the weft wires into their exact potion.
The front take-up mechanism rolls the woven mesh once it is fully woven.
To initiate the weaving process, a loom operator will attach and arrange the individual wires on the warp according to their position in the weave. To prevent entanglement, these wires are housed in a wire housing unit known as a creel.
Once attached, the warp beam is wound, allowing the proper length of wire to be wrapped around the beam.
Each wire wound on the warp beam is threaded through its own heddle in a specific heddle frame then carefully threaded through the reed openings based on their order in the weave. At this point, the warp beam, heddle frame assembly are transferred to the weaving hall, and the remainder of the loom is assembled.
NOTE: A great deal of attention to detail must be applied when threading the wire through the heddle frames and reed, as this process control how accurate the mesh specifications are.
Once the loom is fully assembled and the wires are properly threaded, the weaving process can begin.
When first initializing the weaving loom, the warp beam unwinds slightly to feed a small increment of wires. At the same time, the front take-up mechanism winds the same increment of wires to maintain the required tension to produce high-quality mesh.
Once these movements are made in conjunction, the heddle frames shift to separate the wires. In a two-heddle frame system, the first heddle frame lifts one half of the wires, and the second heddle frame drives the other half of wires down.
While the two sets of wires are separated, a weft wire, typically fed from a wire spool that is separated from the creel and placed next to the loom, is shot between the wires by the rapier band. The rapier band then moves back to its resting position.
It's at this point that the reed propels the weft wire to its final position, creating the precise cross-sections that wire mesh is known for. Once the weft wire is positioned, the reed returns to its resting position.
This marks the completion of the first interval.
To continue the weaving process, the warp beam and front take-up mechanism make the same slight, rotating movement to begin another interval. At the same time, the heddle frames will switch potion, wedging the previous weft wire as the two sets of wires are separated in the opposite direction.
These joint movements repeatedly continue until the desired length and mesh specification is woven.
Stainless Steel Architectural wire mesh is a series of high-tensile, grade 316 stainless-steel wires interlocked together and is commonly produced from 70% recycled material. The individual wires are woven on large weaving looms at Haver & Boecker, our German-based parent company, using a similar technique used to make clothes.
While it appears rigid and unyielding, stainless steel architectural mesh proves to be fairly flexible when a certain length is reached. Because of this characteristic, architectural mesh panels can be applied to countless applications.
The term weave type refers to the way in which the warp and weft wires cross each other. It encompasses four different mesh categories: Woven wire, Cable, Fine, and Specialty.
Wire mesh is best defined as an assortment of rigid wires that have been woven together to form a sheet of mesh that is interlaced.
Cable mesh is a mesh type that is woven on a specialized weaving loom, much like woven wire. The key difference between the two is that cable mesh uses cables rather than stainless steel wires in the warp (vertical) direction.
Mesh profiles that are constructed out of wires that have a very small wire diameter. Fine mesh is particularly sensitive when introduced to mechanical stresses. That said, the application of the mesh is a key factor when classifying fine mesh.
Specialty mesh is a mesh that features a unique pattern and carries the characteristic of employing several different wire types.
A weaving loom that is specifically designed to properly weave stainless steel wires is employed to weave architectural mesh. These looms consist of a warp beam, heddle frames (predetermined amount), a reed, a rapier band, and a front take-up mechanism.
The warp wires are the wires that run lengthwise and are fed directly from the warp beam.
The weft (or shute) wires are the wires that run across the width of the cloth during the weaving process.
The warp beam is a cylindrical drum that is wound with a specific number and length of warp wires depending on the mesh profile and size of the mesh panel. These specifications are calculated prior to winding the wires.
Heddle frames are holders used to separate the warp wires. Each loom contains at least two heddle frames. In a loom that uses two heddle frames, heddle frame 1 initially lifts half of the warp wires while heddle frame 2 pulls the other half down. The heddle frames switch positions after the weft wire is driven between the two sets of warp wires.
A rapier band is the mechanism that drives the weft wire between the two sets of warp wires after each heddle frame cycle.
A reed is the instrument that holds the warp wires in the desired spacing while also driving the weft wire into position.
Lastly, the finished roll of woven wire cloth is wound onto a front take-up mechanism and is removed in increments needed by the framing system of the project.
Once the beam is wound, and the heddle frames and reed are threaded, the whole assembly is transported to a weaving loom. The setup of the loom is then completed by a dedicated technician.
Once assembled, the weaving process is virtually automatic and seamless.
As the loom starts up, the warp beam begins to unwind in very small increments. The front take-up mechanism simultaneously winds the woven cloth at the same small increment in the same direction.
This movement allows the loom to maintain specific tensioning, which is critical when producing high-quality mesh panels.
As the two beams rotate, heddle frame 1 pulls half of the warp wires up while heddle frame 2 drives the other half down. It's at this point that the rapier, whether a two-part or one-part rapier, drives a weft wire between the two sets of warp wires.
Each weft wire is delivered from a separate spool of wire located at the side of the loom. As the rapier returns to its resting position to gather another weft wire, the reed pushes the latest weft wire into its final position.
This process is what creates the precise cross-sections needed to create the perfect aesthetic.
Once the weft wire is in place, the reed returns to its original position. The warp beam and front take-up mechanism then rotate at the same small increment, the heddle frames change position and the loom begins a new cycle.
These simultaneous movements are repeated over and over until the entire mesh cloth is woven.