Ordering Wire Mesh

How To Specify Wire mesh

In order to request a quote or order material, it is essential to identify your complete wire mesh specifications. Please find below the seven key criteria needed to request a quote or to place an order with Darby.

1. Quantity – how many pieces or rolls do you require for your application? Do you need 1 roll, typically 100 feet, or 1 piece cut to 50 feet long? Do you need 3 pieces cut to size, each piece 8 feet in length? Do you require 1000 discs 7.25″ diameter? Or 50 pieces cut to 4 foot by 10 feet.
2. Dimensions— what are the dimensions of the roll or piece you need? Rolls, which typically measure 100 feet in length, are often available in widths: 3 foot, 4 foot, and 5 foot. If you require cut pieces, do you need 1 piece, 4 foot by 12 foot, 6 pieces, 2 foot by 4 foot, or 48 pieces, 1 foot by 1 foot? If your requirement needs custom manufacturing, will 30″ by 72″ pieces fit your template or frame?
3. Mesh (Mesh Count) — first, measure 1″ (from center to wire to center of wire), then count the number of openings in that 1″ span. This number is your mesh, or mesh count. If you require a space cloth, what is the clear opening (in inches) between parallel and adjacent wires?
4. Diameter Wire—what is the diameter of the wire you need, in inches? Often times a micrometer, a specialized instrument which measures diameter is used. If you happen to know your mesh count, and you’re a bit unclear in terms of the diameter wire, the standard or market grade meshes are an excellent starting point.
5. Metal or Alloy— what metal or alloy will work best in your application?
6. Type of Weave— do you requirements call for a plain weave? Or is it a twilled weave? Do you need a welded wire mesh specification?
7. Type of Crimp— if your requirements call for a woven mesh, there will need to be a crimp style. Is it a plain crimp, intermediate crimp, lock crimp? A hybrid crimp style? Plain crimp is considered the most common.

Examples:

Of course, if you know your Darby item number, your quantity and your dimensions, we can offer competitive pricing and delivery information quickly and easily.

If you are unsure or unclear about any of these criteria, please visit the wire mesh essentials portion of our website. The wire mesh glossary and metals & alloys page contain images and descriptions of the key terms used throughout the industrial wire mesh industry.

If you already have a sample of mesh that you are looking to match, we do offer free mesh analysis where we will identify the mesh count, diameter wire, type of weave and type of crimp at no charge.

Finally, it is important to note that this website has been designed with an emphasis on meeting the requirements of a broad range of wire mesh users. This website, including the Mesh by Application portion, is intended to be used as a guide to assist in the purchasing of wire mesh and wire cloth. We cannot make specific wire mesh recommendations for use in specific applications. In order to proceed with an order, Edward J. Darby & Son, Inc. needs to be given the seven criteria as detailed above.

If you are unsure about what mesh to use, we recommend purchasing samples or prototypes or contacting an expert—engineering or otherwise—in your field for more tailored advice for your application.

Shipping Information

How does wire mesh ship?

Unless otherwise stated, pricing does not include shipping costs, and delivery is considered FOB Origin. Origin includes our Philadelphia, PA warehouse or any of Darby’s mills.
The shipping method is determined by what is ordered and how much of it is ordered. Edward J. Darby & Son, Inc. stocks over 2,000 different industrial wire mesh specifications, not including our ability to custom manufacture almost any requirement. To adapt to this wide array of inventory and custom manufacturing options, Darby offers two primary shipping methods—UPS and Motor Freight.

A significant portion of the thousands of wire mesh orders that we ship each year are via UPS. UPS is our preferred carrier and with good reason. They offer competitive pricing, responsive service and excellent convenience for our customers. Additionally, Darby is a daily pick up for UPS, and just 6 miles from their terminal, allowing us to get our mesh to you faster than many other options.

UPS does, however, have specific weight and size restrictions for packages that our mesh shipments must adhere to:

• Packages can be up to 150 lbs.
• Packages can be up to 165″ in length and girth combined.
• Packages can be up to 108″ in length
• Packages with a large size-to-weight ratio require special pricing and dimensional weight calculations. (Source www.ups.com)

UPS shipping costs are determined by the destination zip code as well as the weight and size of the shipment. UPS also offers expedited services, including next day and second day delivery.

If a shipment exceeds any of these requirements, an order must ship via LTL Motor Freight Carrier.

LTL (Less-than-Truckload) Carriers are used in the instances when material is too heavy or too large to ship via UPS. Some of the more recognizable carriers include: Fed Ex Freight, UPS Freight, Pitt-Ohio, Con-way (CCX), and Yellow-Roadway (YRC). Shipments requiring LTL Carriers are often packaged on a pallet or placed into a crate (ideal for fragile shipments), and in many cases, require a lift gate, fork lift or pallet jack to unload.

Like UPS, LTL Carrier pricing is based upon the destination zip code as well as the weight and size of the shipment.

LTL Carriers prefer to deliver material to a commercial or business address, as opposed to a residential one. Citing the special services required in handling a residential delivery, including setting up an appointment and utilizing a truck outfitted with a lift gate, LTL Carriers often impose extra charges for these deliveries. Should a customer require a residential LTL delivery or any other type of special delivery (correctional facility, farm, church, jobsite delivery, etc.) it is critical that the customer inform us of these requirements before your order ships. Please keep in mind the decision of a delivery location is made solely by the carrier and applies to both UPS and LTL shipments.

From time to time, Edward J. Darby & Son, Inc. does handle other types of shipments including: international air freight shipments, truckload shipments and courier services. Please contact us with your requirements for more information.

How can shipping costs be kept to a minimum?

Darby realizes the importance in keeping your costs down. We constantly negotiate with these carriers to make sure pricing is competitive and in-line with the marketplace. We also take the necessary precautions to avoid extra shipping charges imposed by a carrier by packing material as efficiently and economically as possible.

As previously mentioned, LTL motor freight carriers often impose a surcharge for extra services required with a residential delivery. It is important to discuss with Darby’s shipping administrator or sales person various options that seek to minimize these charges. For example, many freight companies offer a terminal pick up, which can eliminate residential delivery fees.

We also offer pick-up at our facility for local customers. Please be sure to discuss this with your sales person or shipping manager. Your order must be pre-scheduled to ensure your order is ready. Directions to our Philadelphia, PA facility can be found here.

Finally, most parcels that ship FOB: Origin ship “prepaid and add.” This means that the shipment cost will be added to your transaction. Should you have a UPS account or an account for a preferred motor freight carrier, please let us know and we can ship your parcel out accordingly.

How long will delivery take?

Assuming a customer opts for standard and non-expedited delivery, the number of days in transit will depend on your location. The maps below illustrate the standard days in transit for shipments that originate from Philadelphia, PA 19133:

UPS Shipments:

LTL Shipments:

Pricing Information

Pricing in the wire mesh industry can be both confusing and volatile. By and large, because the wire mesh market is closely linked to the metals market, pricing for wire mesh can be impacted by fluctuations in the value of copper, nickel and iron. Further, because there are so many different specifications and countless ways in which mesh can be purchased, pricing for wire mesh is not always straight forward. We have developed the following section to help resolve some of these common pricing related questions.

More Information About Pricing