GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG, a market leader in application specific, high-performance mesh made of metal and other industrially weavable materials, will present its end-to-end consulting, development and manufacturing expertise at Techtextil, which take place in Frankfurt, next month.

“The wide range of weave types and material combinations opens new solutions in areas in which metal mesh has not yet been used for optimising products or processes. The latest examples are hybrid mesh and the new optimised dutch weaves (ODW), which GKD will present at the world's leading trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens,” the company reports. “These tap a broad range of potential – from waste water filtration to carpets – and provide the inspiration for lateral thinkers to come up with new solutions.”

Hybrid mesh

At the exhibition, GKD will show how a new hybrid mesh can help enhance qualities of high-tech solutions for carpets. The typical hair yarn-style appearance of the Perlon Rips woolen yarn from ANKER, which is woven from polyamide fibres, is coupled with the typical properties of stainless steel. The warp and weft wires made of stainless steel – combined with woolen yarn in the weft direction – are the defining feature of this mesh structure. In terms of functionality, the product is said to exhibit strength and shielding from electromagnetic radiation while also maintaining the flexibility typical of a carpet.

GKD views this latest example of the possibilities offered by technical weaving as an invitation to discuss new ideas and applications.

The company uses intelligent blends of materials such as aramid, basalt, glass, ceramic or polymers with metal wires and fibres when developing and manufacturing high-performance mesh structures, thereby combining properties that are normally mutually exclusive in one product, and often realising significant cost savings. For example, the mix of process-relevant material properties in a hybrid mesh can replace time- and cost-intensive special coatings, the company reports.

Optimised dutch weaves

In the form of optimised dutch weaves, GKD offers a mesh structure for demanding tasks in ultrafine filtration. In polymer filtration, this special weave with a separation rate of 10 μm is used as ODW10. Due to the specific pore geometry and arrangement, particles settle on the surface, the mesh does not become clogged and the dirt holding capacity increases, the manufacturer explains.

The high permeability and mechanical strength are said to underline the efficiency of this mesh structure. As an option designed for optimised flow, the ODW6 aims to guarantee permanently reliable levels of separation precision in micro filtration, high pore stability and a throughput rate that is up to three times higher than in comparable products. According to the company, this makes it ideal for a multitude of applications in water filtration.

Volumetric mesh

“Volumetric mesh is in demand all over the world and also demonstrates GKD's leading weave competence,” the company reports. This solution is characterised by a highly porous, 3D mesh structure, with asymmetrically arranged pores of different sizes, which results in a broad particle separation rate with minimal loss of pressure.

“Because of the huge variety of materials that can be woven, product properties such as temperature or media resistance can be adjusted individually. The examples exhibited at the GKD stand offer visitors at Techtextil plenty of opportunity to discuss special tasks and solutions with the mesh experts,” the company concludes.

www.gkd.uk.com