Most of our weaves can be woven in a variety of metals. We keep a wide selection of wire in stock for specialty applications.

300 Series Stainless Steels are the logical choice for a wide variety of applications where excellent corrosion resistance under a wide variety of circumstances is desired. These alloys contain nickel in sufficient quantity to make them austenitic at room temperature. In the annealed condition, they are non-magnetic, but once work hardened they are slightly magnetic. These alloys are not heat treatable, but cold work increases the physical properties.

T304 Stainless is the basic alloy of this group that is used for wire cloth manufacture. Nominally containing 18% chromium and 8% nickel, it is sometimes referred to as 18-8. Maximum carbon content for this material is 0.08%. T304L (low carbon) contains a maximum of 0.03% carbon. Low carbon grades are often specified when there is fear that carbide precipitation will occur during welding.

T316 Stainless has Molybdenum added to the basic alloy to improve corrosion resistance to many acids and salts. There is much anecdotal evidence that suggests that increasing levels of acid rain and widespread use of salt compounds for de-icing demands that T316 be used instead of T304.

Other stainless alloys - There are myriad chemical compositions of stainless that are used for specialized applications including special corrosive or high temperature applications. Banker Wire can produce all alloys.

The following documents are available for downloading courtesy of The European Stainless Steel Development Association.

• GOOD FABRICATION IN ARCHITECTURAL STAINLESS STEEL (PDF)  
• CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF STAINLESS STEEL
  ARCHITECTURAL SURFACES (PDF)
• PICKLING AND PASSIVATING STAINLESS STEEL (PDF)

Plain Steel—or low carbon steel—is typically a C1006 to C1012 alloy that is direct drawn from hot rolled rod. This material represents very good value and is widely used in applications where its weld-ability, strength and economy make it the material of choice.

Galvanized (before woven) Steel is slightly more expensive than plain steel wire. This material has a very light coating of zinc applied to it during the manufacture of the wire. Absent any additional coating treatments, Banker Wire does not recommend the use of this material for any but the most mild, dry and indoor applications where corrosion conditions will be minimal.

Conventional galvanized steel wire coating can be applied only in extremely light coating thicknesses because of a brittle layer that forms between the steel and the zinc. Heavier coating thicknesses that would yield better corrosion resistance will flake off during the weaving process. The addition of 5% aluminum to zinc dramatically increases the pound per pound corrosion resistance and, because there is no brittle interface layer, permits much heavier coating thicknesses to be applied. Galfan®, a product of the Galfan Technology Center, Inc., and Bezinal™, a product of Bekaert Corporation, are two such products. Preliminary salt spray testing has proved encouraging. We are proud that we are the first weaver to be stocking selected diameters of this material.

High Carbon steel is an abrasion-resistant steel used in any application where corrosion is not a problem but wear is. Its carbon content is typically at least 0.40%. This material is difficult to weld properly, and its use in applications requiring welding should be carefully considered.

Aluminum is a very versatile engineering and construction material. Its light weight, moderate cost and myriad surface treatment options make it a likely candidate for many architectural applications. Disadvantages include relatively low strength, and a modulus of elasticity only 1/3 when compared to steel and stainless. To maintain the required stiffness for a particular application, it is advisable to increase wire diameter somewhat. Multiple alloys are available. Consult our engineering department for recommendations.

Copper - Since the Bronze Age, which preceded the Iron Age, thousands of copper based alloys have been developed. Unlike most metals, which when polished reflect the color of the light that illuminates them, copper based alloys have a distinctive red to yellow color that gives them a 'warm' feeling. Copper and bronze alloys are also well known for the wonderful patina that they develop under natural aging conditions.

Nickel based alloys have as their primary constituent nickel, and 100's of specialty alloys are used. Primary alloying elements include Chromium, Molybdenum and copper. Special alloys are used for both high temperature and chemically corrosive applications. Banker Wire can produce material in all alloys.

Titanium, while most commonly associated with aerospace, has some outstanding corrosion resisting properties. Commercial grades typically used for weaving are grades 1 and 2.

All raw wire shipments received by Banker Wire are accompanied by material certification sheets (Certs). These mill certifications are based on physical tests performed on the wire at time of manufacture (typically tensile) and chemical tests performed on the raw material at the time of melting. You should always request these certifications when your project has strict traceability requirements.

Additional tests can be performed at additional cost.

It is Banker’s policy that if it is intended to do independent chemistry analysis before woven material is put into service, a mutually agreed upon testing service be chosen before manufacture of the material begins. We have a discipline of strict traceability, but we do rely on the veracity of the test reports furnished to us. Modern steel producers, because of the high price of metals such as chromium, nickel and molybdenum, are producing grades of material that are very near the lower limit of chemical acceptability.

Because of unavoidable instrument calibration variations, it is possible that material that has been certified to be a certain grade, might test as unacceptable by a particular lab. If that should happen, considerable time and expense can be incurred attempting to determine the ‘exact’ chemical composition.