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Open area calculator for wedge wire, plate and mesh

The open area calculator works out the open area of a wedge wire screen from the slot and the profile wire width, and compares it with perforated plate and woven mesh at the same opening. For wedge wire, open area (%) equals slot x 100 divided by the sum of slot and wire width.

Screen type for the headline result

Wedge wire

Perforated plate

Woven square mesh

Wedge wire open area21.7 %

Open area per square metre of screen
0.217 m²
Wedge wire
21.7 %
Perforated plate
22.7 %
Woven mesh
37.2 %

Wedge wire: OA = S / (S + W) x 100. Perforated, 60 degree: OA = 90.69 x (d / p)^2. Square pitch: 78.54 x (d / p)^2. Woven mesh: OA = (a / (a + w))^2 x 100.

Open area is not the whole story: wedge wire's V-slot resists blinding and its welded structure carries load, where mesh and plate with a higher figure may clog or deflect.

Send this to an engineer

Your inputs and results go into the quote form, so an engineer can check them against your operating conditions.

How the open area calculator works

Open area is the proportion of the screen surface that is open to flow. The calculator works it out for three types of screen, so that they can be compared at the same opening.

ScreenInputsFormula
Wedge wireslot S, wire width WOA = S / (S + W) x 100
Perforated plate, 60 degree staggeredhole d, pitch pOA = 90.69 x (d / p)^2
Perforated plate, square pitchhole d, pitch pOA = 78.54 x (d / p)^2
Woven square meshaperture a, wire diameter wOA = (a / (a + w))^2 x 100

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

The result also gives the open area per square metre of screen, which is the open area percentage divided by 100. The wedge wire tab lists the SIMO profile wires from 12SB (1.0 mm wide) to 56SB (5.0 mm wide).

Worked example

A 0.5 mm slot on 18SB profile wire (1.8 mm wide) gives 0.5 / (0.5 + 1.8) = 21.7 percent open area, or 0.217 square metres of opening in every square metre of screen. A perforated plate with 3 mm holes on a 5 mm staggered pitch gives 90.69 x (3 / 5)^2 = 32.6 percent.

Reading the comparison

The highest open area does not always give the most suitable screen. Woven mesh often shows a higher figure but blinds easily and carries little load, while perforated plate is strong but its round holes trap near-size particles. The wedge wire V-slot widens behind the face, so particles that pass the face do not wedge in the slot, and the welded structure carries the load.

The slot and open area guide and the comparison of wedge wire, perforated plate and mesh explain the trade-offs in more detail.

Questions

Common questions

What formula does the wedge wire open area calculator use?

Open area (%) = Slot x 100 / (Slot + Wire width). For example, a 0.5 mm slot on 18SB profile wire, which is 1.8 mm wide, gives an open area of 21.7 percent.

How is perforated plate open area calculated?

For round holes on a 60 degree staggered pattern, open area (%) = 90.69 x (hole diameter / pitch) squared. For round holes on a square pattern, the factor is 78.54 instead of 90.69.

Why does open area matter?

Open area sets how much flow passes through each square metre of screen and the velocity through the slots, which together govern pressure drop, wear and the risk of particles being forced into the openings.

Does a higher open area always mean a better screen?

No. A thinner wire raises the open area but lowers strength, so the profile wire and support rod are selected together for the load, the slot and the open area required.

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