Metal filters are designed from three basic materials: wire cloth, expanded metal and perforated metal. Each material has its own flow rates and individual characteristics making it a "best fit" for particular engineering requirements.
For example, perforated metals can be selected with round holes, square holes, or any other shape required based on size and or shape of the particulate that needs to be strained or filtered. Expanded metal and perforated metal filters offer superior rigidity and durability to wire cloth filters. For filters that require intricate bends and pleats to achieve proper performance characteristics, and where durability is less of a concern, wire cloth filters in mesh ranges from 2 x 2 to 5 micron mesh are the clear choice.