Evolutions in Wire Cloth Manufacturing: Then and Now

From ancient Egypt to the modern era, the invention of wire cloth has long been the essential tool of choice for manufacturing processes. Wire cloth, as many manufacturers know, has come in many shapes and sizes with materials ranging from vintage cloth covered wire, nylon and galvanized metals to bronze and stainless steel wire cloth. We’ll take a look at how far wire cloth has come and how it has played a big role in technological innovation with mass production and manufacturing processes.

The History of Wire Cloth

History scholars have found the first evidence of wire mesh dating back as far as ancient Egyptian times. Wire cloth then was made from silver, gold, and other metals to craft fine jewelry for the wealthy class. The Vikings later on crafted wire mesh too in a similar fashion for their leaders, which helped trademark the distinct style of their decorative helmets in battle.

It was not until the Dark Ages, however, that wire cloth became useful for practical purposes. Medieval European countries developed a new method that allowed them to craft chain mail that was worn like clothing to protect themselves in combat. This type of vintage cloth wire is still useful today for commercial applications such as those in the meat processing industry and in grocery stores.

Everything changed for wire cloth, of course, when the Industrial Revolution came on the scene. Production of wire cloth on weaving machines became possible in 1798, and a whole new world of opportunities suddenly opened up. Wire cloth could now be made for different specifications to use in filtering, straining, processing, and much more. The hole size in wire cloth was also much more uniform and could be better controlled. Since then, wire cloth production has marched forward and never looked back.

Wire Cloth Applications Today

Sizing specifications became more accurate with each passing decade. By the 1940’s, manufactured wire cloth was a staple to help the United States and Allies win World War II. It was used in many applications such as petrochemicals, land and aircraft vehicles for military, and explosive weapon sieving equipment. After the war, modern uses for wire mesh continued as barrier cages to block radiation, patches for holding muscles together in surgery, durable metal fencing in industrial parks, and many more uses.

Today, wire cloth remains to be a crucial part for manufacturers in their production facilities to purify, protect, sift, and perform other functions to produce great products for their customers. It comes in many different kinds of metals as well as vintage cloth covered wire.

Wire Cloth has Come a Long Way!

The journey has certainly been a marvelous saga for wire cloth! It has been proven to be useful to people since ancient times:

• It was commonly crafted for decoration by ancient Egyptians and Vikings.
• Chain mail, a type of wire cloth, protected medieval knights and other warriors in battle.
• Wire cloth production really took off after 1798 and in the Industrial Revolution for manufacturing use.
• From World War II to today, wire cloth has played a key role in modern manufacturing practices to deliver products to customers and keep machines running smoothly.

A Longstanding Wire Cloth Company

Did you know that Newark Wire has been around for more than 100 years? From World War II to industry manufacturers and beyond, we know a thing or two about quality wire cloth. We carry a wide variety of wire cloth and can also custom order them. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us today for your wire mesh needs.