Common Terminology for Wire Products:

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Calendering:
A rolling operation which flattens the knuckles of wire cloth giving it a smoother surface.

Crimp:
Undulations in warp and fill wires which hold each other in place.

Fill Wire:
Also known as shute wire, wire running across the width of the cloth.

Filter Cloth:
Cloth used for flattening or straining (primarily plain and twilled dutch wire cloth and certain specifications of square mesh and off-count standard wire cloth).

Flat Top:
Top surface of wires all lie in same plane. Irregular crimped surface on underside.

Hardware Cloth:
Plain weave square mesh cloth of relatively light wire galvanized after weaving or welding (usually between 2 to 8 openings per lineal inch).

Intercrimp:
Wires are crimped in a zigzag fashion with intersections at every 3rd, 5th, or 7th, etc., crimp or pocket.

Lock Crimp:
Distinct crimp or pocket at wire intersection with straight connecting sections of wire.

Market Grade:
Applies to wire cloth specifications most commonly used for general work. Market grade cloth is made of one size wire for each size closed mesh.

Mesh:
Number of openings per lineal inch, measured from center of wire to center of wire.

Micron:
1/1000 millimeter, 0.00003937 inch. The unit of measure for particle retention of filter media.

Oil Tempered Wire:
High carbon steel wire that is heat treated to produce good strength and abrasion resistance.

Opening:
Dimension between parallel adjacent wires.

Plain Weave:
Wires are crimped in a zigzag fashion with wires intersecting at every available crimp or pocket.

Rectangular Mesh:
Wire cloth with different warp and fill wire mesh counts which results in rectangular openings. The most common have a higher warp mesh than filter mesh. Advantages are increased open area and reduced cost.

Selvage:
The finished edges of wire cloth running the length of the roll which are produced by the weaving operation.

Space Screen:
Wire cloth specified by the opening size rather than by the mesh count.

Square Mesh:
Mesh with equal spacing of warp and shute to give square openings.

Warp Wire:
Foundation wires running parallel to the length of the cloth.

Weaves:
Pattern in which wires are interwoven.

Wire Diameter or Gauge:
Diameter of wire used in weaving cloth.