In the food & beverage industry, metal filter materials have become the first choice for key process links (such as filtration, screening, and protection) due to their high strength, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, easy cleaning, no fiber shedding, reusability, and compliance with strict hygiene standards. Its application must meet the requirements of FDA, EU 10/2011, 3-A Sanitary Standards and other regulations to ensure food safety. The following are the main types of metal filter materials used in this industry, selection points and application scenarios:

Types and characteristics of core metal filter materials

1. Stainless steel woven mesh (most commonly used)

- Material: 304 stainless steel: general purpose, resistant to weak corrosion environments (such as drinking water, low-acid beverages), cost-effective ; 316/316L stainless steel (main force): contains molybdenum (Mo), resistant to strong acids, strong alkalis, and chlorides (such as salt water, cleaning agents), meets food grade certification, and is preferred for use in scenarios with high hygiene requirements such as dairy products, juice, beer, and sauces.

- Weaving method: Plain weave: standard square holes, wide precision range (1μm~5mm), used for screening and coarse filtration ; Twill/Dutch weave: high strength, anti-clogging, suitable for filtering high viscosity liquids (such as syrup, pulp).

- Application:

- Vibration screening of raw materials (sugar, flour)

- Filling line nozzle protection net

- Fermentation tank air intake/exhaust filtration

- Conveyor belt anti-foreign matter metal mesh belt

2. Sintered metal filter material (high-precision filter core) structure type:

- Advantages:

- Absolute precision control (no risk of fiber migration)

- Autoclavable (SIP) (resistant to steam >150℃)

- Recoil regeneration (reduces consumables costs)

3. Perforated plate/perforated mesh

- Features: High porosity, extremely strong mechanical strength, but low precision (>500μm).

- Application:

- Fruit and vegetable washing machine filter basket

- Malt mill screens

- Conveying and screening of solid materials (tea leaves, coffee beans)

4. Metal filter element (replace disposable filter element)

- Construction: Sintered metal fibers/powders made into pleated filter elements or filter rods.

- Advantages: Lifespan of several years, long-term cost is much lower than paper/PP filter elements.

- Application: Terminal filtration of water production system, sterilization of fermentation liquid, fine filtration of edible oil.

Key selection factors (exclusive to the food and beverage industry)

1. Compliance Certification

2. Corrosion resistance priority

- Acidic beverages (juice, carbonated drinks): 316L (resistant to citric acid and phosphoric acid) must be used.

- Chlorine-containing environment (CIP cleaning): 316L is resistant to sodium hypochlorite corrosion (304 is prone to pitting corrosion).

- High-salt products (soy sauce, fish sauce): Use super austenitic stainless steel (904L).

3. Typical application scenarios and filter material selection

Dashang Wire Cloth specializes in providing filtration and screening solutions, producing stainless steel square mesh, stainless steel filter mesh, multi-layer filter mesh, metal sintered mesh, metal sintered felt and other filter materials. If you need, please contact sales@dswirecloth.com