Manufacturers everywhere require customized containers to hold their products. They often have things like wash baskets, metal storage containers, and cardboard shipping boxes, but they might also consider industrial wire baskets for sale.
Using appropriate containers or wire baskets to meet your needs is crucial. Think about your parts finishing process. Depending on the components you make and the treatment/condition requirements you have, you might be putting those things through various processes, including:
- Electroplating
- Vapor greasing
- Heat treating
- Ultrasonic parts cleaning
- Simple washing
Those are only a few of the processes. Everything will put the components and the wire baskets holding them through stress.
Let’s learn more about the wire basket, the consequences of using the wrong one, and tips for finding something that meets your needs when buying new wire baskets.
Explore Our Selection of Industrial Wire Baskets
Using the Wrong Collapsible Wire Baskets – Consequences
If you use the wrong basket type for the process at hand, you could damage the basket, making it useless for future projects. Plus, you could damage the parts and injure employees.
Damaging the parts means refinishing them or using more resources and time to remake them. Sometimes, they must be scrapped, so you’ve wasted the resources and labor! Therefore, it’s important to know how to choose industrial wire baskets.
Tips for Buying a Wire Basket
Here are a few tips to help you choose a wire basket:
1. Consider What It’s Holding
What parts are you processing in the load? You must think of the shape, weight, and size of every part you process and ensure that you have a wire basket that meets your needs.
However, there is more to consider than simply the basic weight and dimensions of the parts you’re processing. For example, you should know how hard the part’s surface is and whether the surface condition focuses on functionality or value.
When you choose a customized metal container, such as a wire basket, you must know that it offers appropriate protection to the components within. Usually, you’d need rigid wire baskets for ultrasonic cleaning. Likewise, you want to ensure the wire mesh pattern isn’t too large so that the parts fall out.
Often, a collapsible wire basket is an excellent idea for many reasons. They will fold flat when not in use, and they take up less area. Vertical space is all you need, and you can ensure they’re safely stacked.
You will also need a separate wire basket for waste materials, raw materials, and everything else. Typically, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities will have plenty of storage space, so this isn’t a concern.
However, you also have to think about drop doors or a drop gate to help employees get the products out of the industrial wire baskets.
2. Talk to an Experienced Mechanical Engineer
In some cases, you’ll need expert advice when choosing a wire mesh basket for your company. Mechanical engineers can help you examine your processes to deal with:
- Protection levels required for parts
- Severity and frequency of impacts
- Environmental factors (harsh environments)
- Operational temperatures
- Chemicals used
- Parts load
You should take the factors listed above into account to determine what materials and coatings you’ll need for your collapsible wire baskets or rigid wire baskets. A mechanical engineer can suggest modifications in the industrial wire basket design to help you. For example, a drop gate might offer easy access for frequent use.
3. Focus on the Expected Useful Life of the Wire Basket
Would you want to pay $150 for a wire basket that lasts five years, or do you want to spend less for a wire basket you’re replacing every year? It’s often easier to go with the less expensive choice initially because it keeps costs down. However, you could pay much more in the long run.
Overall, a high upfront investment is hard to swallow, but you’ll save money in the long term. Longevity matters, and it’s wise to choose rigid or collapsible wire baskets that meet all your needs.
4. Consider Your Processes
Different parts may require varying processes. Collapsible wire baskets must be sufficient to go through those things because the containers must survive exposure to the elements.
For example, the parts-washing process often involves many chemicals, which could be corrosive. Whether you choose a collapsible wire basket or a rigid one, it must be corrosion-resistant.
Overall, the wire basket must withstand heavy loads and feature a lightweight design. You might choose to apply a protective coating to your wire basket to prevent chemical reactions.
Final Thoughts on Choosing Industrial Wire Baskets
There are various types of wire baskets out there, including a collapsible wire basket and a rigid wire basket. Overall, it’s important to understand which industrial wire containers will work right for your needs.
Container Exchanger offers many options for wire containers and has many years of experience helping customers find the right products for their needs. Please call (404) 551-5599 today to get assistance!