For dry abrasive mining and quarry decks, Spring steel is the standard screen mesh material: it reaches at least 885 MPa tensile strength after quench and temper. Step up to high-carbon 70#/72A only when you need maximum hardness, and choose stainless 304/316 only when the deck is wet or corrosive.
Spring steel wins on the common case — abrasive dry screening at the best strength-to-cost ratio (≥885 MPa). High-carbon 70#/72A wins only on maximum hardness decks. Stainless 304/316 wins on corrosion, not wear. Match the material to the failure mode, not the catalogue price: most quarry panels fail by wear-through, so carbon grade and wire size matter more than stainless unless water is present.
Strength and wear numbers are drawn from the crimped wire mesh specifications page.
| Property | Spring steel (standard) | High-carbon 70# / 72A | Stainless 304 / 316 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | ≥ 885 MPa | Maximum hardness carbon grade | Lower raw hardness, corrosion-rated |
| Wear resistance (dry abrasive) | High | Highest | Moderate |
| Corrosion resistance | Low (oil / galvanize only) | Low (oil / galvanize only) | High; 316 adds 2–3% Mo |
| Relative cost | Moderate | Moderate–high | High |
| Best-fit application | Mining, quarry, aggregate vibrating decks | Maximum-hardness heavy-duty decks | Wet, saline, acidic, food-grade |
| Zhaobang recommendation | Default for abrasive screens | Only where spring steel wears out too fast | Only where water/chemicals attack the wire |
Carbon grades specified to GB/T 699 (equivalents ASTM A29, SAE J403, JIS G3506, DIN EN 10083); stainless to ASTM A240 / GB/T 20878. Spring steel tensile per quench-and-temper treatment.
High hardenability from 0.62–0.70% carbon and 0.90–1.20% Mn (SAE 1566, JIS SWRH67B, DIN 66Mn4).
Spring steel reaches tensile strength of at least 885 MPa after quench and temper. Under continuous vibration and abrasive feed, that hardenability and wear resistance show up directly as screen life. It is the standard grade for mining screen mesh, quarry decks and aggregate sizing panels.
For the bulk of vibrating screen mesh the question is not whether spring steel is strong enough — it is whether the feed is so aggressive that you need the harder 70#/72A, or so wet that you need stainless. On dry abrasive service spring steel is almost always the right answer and the best value.
The complete grade chemistry table for spring steel and its carbon neighbours is on the crimped wire mesh specifications page.
When spring steel still wears through too fast.
70# and 72A sit above spring steel in carbon content and are the maximum-hardness carbon grades in the Zhaobang range. They suit the heaviest vibrating decks where impact and abrasion are extreme and where even spring steel retires early.
The trade is cost and brittleness at the very high end: harder wire resists wear but is less tolerant of sharp impact and mis-tensioned decks. Specify 70#/72A only after confirming the deck is correctly tensioned and the feed truly demands it — otherwise spring steel delivers nearly the same life for less money.
Both grades share the same GB/T 699 basis as spring steel, so interchange within the carbon family is straightforward once the deck is characterised.
Choose stainless for water and chemicals, not for abrasion.
Stainless 304 and 316 (composition per ASTM A240 / GB/T 20878) are the correct choice when the deck is wet, corrosive, saline, acidic or food-grade. 316's 2–3% molybdenum gives pitting resistance no carbon or galvanized grade can approach.
Stainless is softer in raw hardness than spring steel, so on dry abrasive quarry feed it is the wrong value — it wears faster than carbon steel while costing much more. Use 304 for mild wash-down and 316 where chloride or acid exposure is expected. Galvanized carbon is a middle option for outdoor but only mildly corrosive service.
Where both corrosion and abrasion are present, the usual answer is spring steel with a suitable surface treatment rather than stainless, unless chemical attack is the dominant failure mode.
Match the material to the dominant failure mode.
Yes for abrasion service. Spring steel reaches tensile strength of at least 885 MPa after quench and temper, versus roughly 600 MPa for 45#. Under continuous vibration and abrasive feed that roughly 40% strength advantage translates directly into longer screen life. 45# remains the economical choice for light protective mesh, grilles and decorative work where fatigue is not the limit.
Choose stainless when the deck is wet, corrosive, saline, acidic or food-grade. 316 with 2–3% molybdenum resists pitting that no carbon or galvanized grade can match. Stainless costs more and is softer in raw hardness, so on dry abrasive quarry feed spring steel is usually the better value. Use 304 for mild wash-down and 316 where chloride or acid exposure is expected.
70# and 72A are the maximum-hardness high-carbon grades in the range, above spring steel in carbon content and suited to the most demanding vibrating decks. Spring steel remains the standard specification for the bulk of mining and aggregate screens because it balances hardenability, wear resistance and cost. The full grade table is on the crimped wire mesh specifications page.
Carbon grades such as spring steel and 45# are specified to GB/T 699, with equivalents ASTM A29, SAE J403, JIS G3506 and DIN EN 10083. Stainless 304/316 follow ASTM A240 and GB/T 20878. Zhaobang verifies wire grade and dimensions against these material specifications on every order.