A drawing that calls for “titanium mesh, 1 mm” leaves several questions unanswered. Does 1 mm describe the sheet thickness, wire diameter or clear opening? Is the component intended to retain small parts, support another screen or carry a mechanical load? Until those questions are resolved, two suppliers can quote substantially different products against the same description.
The first useful distinction is construction. Expanded titanium mesh, woven titanium wire mesh and perforated titanium sheet should be treated as separate engineering options, not interchangeable versions of the same material.
### Start with what the mesh must retain
Consider a basket holding machined components. The relevant dimension is not necessarily the overall length of each component. A slender part may rotate and pass through an opening that initially appears too small. An irregular part may remain inside but become trapped halfway through the mesh.
For this application, define the smallest part profile, permitted orientation and acceptable projection through the basket wall. For a filtration screen, define the particle-retention requirement instead. These are different questions: retaining complete components does not establish a filtration rating.
### Expanded mesh for a connected sheet structure
Expanded titanium mesh is produced by slitting and stretching sheet, leaving connected strands and bonds around the openings. Raised and flattened versions have different surface profiles. Edgetech lists both configurations for its expanded titanium mesh. [^1]
This construction is worth considering when the component needs an interconnected panel rather than individual woven wires. However, specify strand dimensions and diamond orientation alongside the opening size. A visually similar pattern can contain different amounts of metal.
For a fabricated basket, ask how the panel will connect to the frame and where the cut strands will terminate. A pattern that looks satisfactory in a flat sample may leave inconvenient edges at a corner or attachment point.
### Woven mesh when aperture control comes first
Woven wire cloth offers combinations of opening size, wire diameter and weave geometry. ASTM E2016 addresses general industrial woven wire cloth, including dimensional tolerances; its scope does not extend to every specialty weave or filter construction.
In a purchasing specification, mesh count should be accompanied by wire diameter or a directly stated aperture. Otherwise, the supplier has not been told exactly how much clear space is required between wires.
Also decide whether the mesh is a self-supporting component or a liner supported by another structure. Asking fine cloth to retain small particles and carry a heavy batch creates two separate requirements. They may be better addressed by a fine retention layer and a suitably designed supporting basket.
### Perforated sheet for defined holes and borders
Perforated titanium sheet starts with solid sheet into which holes are produced. Edgetech’s stamped mesh range includes circular holes and other configurations subject to manufacturing review.
This option is useful to investigate when the drawing needs an unperforated mounting margin, a defined hole layout or a solid region around an attachment. Specify the hole diameter, spacing, arrangement and sheet thickness together.
Do not assume that a hole pattern feasible in one thickness can be reproduced unchanged in a much thicker sheet. Ask the fabricator to review the pattern before fixing the final geometry of adjoining parts.
### Compare complete components, not photographs
A sensible comparison uses the same operating requirements for all three constructions. Keep the required retention, installed dimensions, support conditions and service environment constant. Then compare the proposed designs.
For example, replacing a woven liner with expanded mesh might simplify edge restraint but require a different opening pattern to retain the same parts. Replacing a perforated wall with woven mesh may require additional framing. Neither change should be evaluated from open-area percentage alone.
Edgetech supplies these three titanium mesh constructions and custom mesh products. For a useful quotation, send the intended function, titanium grade, opening requirement, finished dimensions and service conditions. A marked-up drawing should identify the dimensions that control installation and those that can be adjusted during fabrication review.
