For those who run wholesale fencing products business, sourcing high-quality products is often a challenge. The challenge could arise from access to good manufacturers to maintaining a consistent supply chain of prime fencing materials. One evergreen fencing product that sees good demand among consumers is the welded wire mesh fence. But what exactly is this wire mesh fence? How are they made? More importantly, what are their benefits to wholesalers and consumers that make them so popular? In this article, we’ll attempt an answer to all these questions.
What is a welded wire mesh fence?
A welded wire mesh is made of different materials; brass, aluminium, and stainless steel being the primary choice and the most in demand. This kind of wire mesh fence is made by aligning individual wires together and welding them at the cross-section. The opening space between the wires can be adjusted as per the requirements mentioned to the wholesale welded wire mesh fence manufacturers.
The welded wire mesh fence is produced in the form of rolls or sheets. Spools of wire are made to go through the welding machine to make the wire intersection firmly attached to each other. This creates a uniform spacing between the units. A series of such welding touches turns the individual strands of wire into sheets or rolls. The material and thickness of the wire depends on the intended use of the mesh fence.
How are welded wire mesh fencing products made?
The rolls and sheets of the chosen fence material are generally welded after coating with a protective coating. Now, this coating could be of PVC, galvanised zinc, or stainless steel. Here we discuss these three manufacturing methods.
1. PVC welded wire mesh fence
The material used in the wire mesh fence is coated with a layer of PVC. It is generally blue or green in colour. The advantage of coating the fence material with PVC is that it provides a strong resistance against corrosion. It protects the underlying material against the vagaries of weather and enhances its aesthetic element to a large extent. The PVC welded wire mesh fence is highly popular in farming and livestock enclosures as well as construction and mining sites.
2. Galvanised zinc coated wire mesh fence
To produce galvanised wire mesh, the wholesale welded wire mesh fence manufacturers coat the material with galvanised zinc. Now, the coating with galvanised zinc could be done either before the welding process or after. Regardless of the period of application, galvanised zinc gives the underlying material added strength and protection against different impacts. There are generally two main methods of galvanised zinc application. These are:
- Hot Dip Galvanisation: In this method, the welded fencing material is dipped into a pool of molten zinc. But before it is dipped into the pool, the material is cleaned with physical and chemical action to remove any impurities. After the cleanup, the material is dipped into the pool so that the zinc coating firmly sticks to the base material. This method is based on the principle of metallurgical bond formation. It means that after the material is removed from the molten zinc pool, a layer of zinc oxide is formed over the base material, giving it an extra protective covering.
- Electro Galvanisation: This method is an improvement over the hot dip galvanisation method as it does not require melting zinc to extreme temperatures. Rather it’s a cold electrolytic process in which an organic zinc solvent is used to apply the zinc coating to the base material. The electrolysis process is based on the creation of cathode and anode ends. The electrolytic process breaks the zinc metal ions which get deposited on the base metal.
3. Stainless steel wire mesh fence
When strands of stainless steel are welded together at the cross-section, you get a stainless steel wire mesh fence. Compared to low-carbon steel, the stainless steel gives better durability and enhanced strength to the fencing structure. Its durability is unparalleled and when combined with a zinc coating, it is a formidable structure. It becomes virtually impossible to break such a structure unless you apply industrial strength force. As a result, stainless steel wire mesh products are quite popular in industrial sites and estate protection.
Popularity of welded wire mesh fencing products
As discussed above, the major benefits of welded wire mesh products, especially zinc coated stainless steel materials, are its durability and toughness. These products last for a lifetime and give protection throughout the year. It’s not just the all-season protection of these fencing products but the robustness with which they serve their intended task i.e. putting a protective barrier around the chosen site. This is what makes wire mesh fencing products so popular and so appealing to consumers.
Key Takeaway
Wholesale fencing products are made of materials like carbon steel, brass, aluminium, and stainless steel. These products are generally coated with an external layer of either PVC or zinc for a more robust covering. Depending on the intended use and the consumer demand, you can source these materials from experienced suppliers.
