Advances in technology have recently moved wire mesh screening beyond the normal steel wire mesh, and into the world of polymer compounds that can be applied to a wider range of applications in both commercial and industrial settings. The most popular selection in the polymer compound arrays now available is nylon mesh screening, and its popularity has a lot to do with its long-lasting lifespan, and other inherent qualities that is not always possible to get out of the old fashioned steel and mesh.
What Makes it So Popular
Nylon mesh screening can be created to have the same tensile strength as steel wire mesh, but without the higher costs of production, making it one of the more affordable lines of mesh material available on the marketplace today. Its versatility in use has also made it the material of choice for operations that need the finest apertures of wire mesh for applications like sifting and sorting of fine powders, but without the possible contamination factors that can happen when using ordinary wire mesh.
Its lower cost also makes it popular for operations that involve high levels of vibration, because the nylon mesh can handle the sound waves and high speeds better than most stainless mesh, and has less of a chance of being corroded during high temperature water baths or some acid washes. Even if it does break down over time and constant use, its lower cost per yard makes it an affordable choice for replacement screening in most applications.
Commercial Applications
Even though most operations of its kind today are computerized and run at higher speeds, nylon mesh is still a popular choice as a medium for commercial screen printing operations. Its low density makes it perfect to run with highly detailed and stylized designs, and its chemical compounds will not cause cross contamination when the emulsifier compounds are applied. The emulsifier is the key, because, over time and constant use, the chemicals within the emulsifier can begin to corrode wire mesh screening, and force new templates to be created when those screens can no longer be used for printing standard designs.
Light acid washes used in some commercial processes done on a smaller scale, like jewelry cleaning or removing dirt, soil and other contaminants from antique sculptures, carvings and fine art pieces require a medium that will not cause damage to the pieces being worked on, while it is moving around on the mesh. Nylon wire was first used on a small scale as these procedures require, but could still kink or break over time. The nylon mesh has a coating on it that makes it a gentle medium for uses that require such a delicate touch.