Weaving or knitting makes a mesh. Treatment makes it a component. The processes that follow forming decide how the mesh behaves in assembly and in service.
Annealing
Drawing wire and then weaving or knitting it work-hardens the metal. Annealing is a controlled heat treatment that relieves that stress and softens the material.
- Improves formability, so the mesh can be corrugated or shaped without cracking.
- Tunes hardness and springback.
- Gives a more uniform structure across a roll.
The right atmosphere and temperature profile depend on the alloy, so ask your supplier how the furnace is controlled.
Cleaning and surface preparation
Degreasing and cleaning remove drawing lubricants and handling residue. For electrolyser and fuel cell parts, a clean, consistent surface is essential for catalyst adhesion and for keeping contamination out of the cell.
Coating
Coatings add a function the base metal does not have: conductivity, catalytic activity, corrosion protection or a defined surface chemistry. Thickness and pattern control determine whether the coating performs as intended, so they should be specified rather than assumed.
Forming and cutting
- Corrugation adds stiffness and open channels and can increase effective filter area.
- Laser cutting produces clean, repeatable edges and complex outlines, with minimal fraying.
- Slitting and cutting to size turn rolls into the widths and shapes an assembly needs.
Choosing the right sequence
- Define what the mesh must do in service.
- Decide the form it must take and how it will be assembled.
- Select the treatments in an order that does not undo each other, for example anneal before final forming and clean before coating.
- Specify inspection for each step.
BVK Hydrotech runs annealing, coating, corrugation and laser cutting alongside weaving and knitting. See process and treatments and engineering and manufacturing.