Most buyers approach this from the wrong end. They compare machine models first, then try to work out which one fits their product. It is far easier the other way round: start from the mesh you sell, and the machine specification falls out of it.
Here are the six parameters that actually decide the answer, in the order they matter.
1. Mesh opening
Mesh opening is the inside dimension of the hexagon — written as two numbers, such as 80 × 100 mm. It is the first thing to fix, because it drives the gantry geometry and cannot be changed later without rebuilding the machine.
In practice, most gabion production falls into three bands:
- 60 × 80 mm — smaller baskets, erosion control mattresses, lighter duty work
- 80 × 100 mm — the most common specification worldwide
- 100 × 120 mm and above — heavy retaining structures and rockfill
If you sell more than one size, note that a machine can normally cover a range of openings, but the range is fixed at build time. Tell the supplier both the smallest and the largest opening you intend to sell.
2. Wire diameter range
Wire diameter decides the drive power and the strength of the twisting mechanism. A machine built for a 2.0 mm maximum will not produce a clean 4.0 mm mesh — you will get inconsistent twists and premature wear.
Be honest about your upper limit. Buyers frequently under-specify here because their current product line is light, then take an order for heavier mesh a year later and find the machine cannot do it. Specifying one step above your current maximum is cheap at build time and expensive afterwards.
3. Working width
Working width is the width of the mesh the machine produces, commonly 2000, 3000 or 4300 mm.
The trap: working width is not the same as finished basket length. A gabion basket is folded from a panel, so a 2 m working width does not mean 2 m baskets. Work out the unfolded panel width your baskets need, then check the machine covers it.
Wider machines are not simply better. A 4300 mm machine running at half width wastes floor space and power; a 2000 mm machine asked to make wide panels will need more lacing and more seams in the finished basket.
4. Output target
Suppliers often quote output as an hourly figure, which hides the real question: what monthly volume do you need to ship?
Work backwards. If you need 2,000 baskets a month at a known panel area, you get the square metres per hour required. Then check two things:
- Can the weaving machine sustain that rate across a full shift, not just in a short test?
- Do the downstream stages — crimping, cutting, coiling — keep up? A line is only as fast as its slowest stage.
5. Your local power supply
This is the parameter buyers forget most often, and it is the most annoying to fix after delivery.
Electrical panels are built for a specific voltage and frequency. A machine wired for 380 V / 50 Hz will not run on 440 V / 60 Hz without modification. Confirm your site’s supply — including whether it is three-phase — before the order is placed, not after the container arrives.
Also decide the control interface language now. Retrofitting a different language to an HMI after delivery is possible but pointless when it is a checkbox at order time.
6. Wire type and coating
Galvanized, Galfan and PVC-coated wire behave differently in the twisting head. PVC-coated wire in particular is softer and thicker for the same nominal diameter, and it needs different tension settings.
If you intend to run PVC-coated wire — common in landscaping and architectural work — say so at specification time. It may change the pay-off and tension control configuration.
The two most common mistakes
Specifying from a catalogue instead of from your product. A catalogue lists what a machine can do; it does not tell you what you need. Start from your basket sizes and your output target.
Buying the weaving machine as if it were the whole line. Weaving is one stage of five. If you are buying a line, size the stages against each other, or plan for the bottleneck now rather than discovering it during your first big order.
If you want a second opinion on a specification, send us the mesh opening, wire diameter, working width and monthly output you are targeting. We will tell you what the machine needs to be — including when the answer is a smaller machine than you expected.
很多买家一开始就走错了方向：先比较不同机型，再试着判断哪一台适合自己的产品。更简单的做法正好相反：先从您销售的网片着手，设备规格自然就能确定。
以下六项参数决定了设备选型，按重要程度排列。
1. 网孔尺寸
网孔尺寸指六边形网孔的内侧尺寸，通常用两个数字表示，例如 80 × 100 mm。它是首先要确定的参数，因为它决定机架的几何结构，设备制造完成后无法再调整，除非重新制造机器。
大多数石笼网生产规格可归为以下三档：
- 60 × 80 mm —— 小型笼筐、水土保持石笼垫及轻型工程
- 80 × 100 mm —— 全球最常见的规格
- 100 × 120 mm 及以上 —— 重型挡土结构和抛石防护
如果您销售多种规格，通常一台设备可以覆盖一定的网孔范围，但这个范围须在制造时确定。请告诉供应商您计划销售的最小和最大网孔尺寸。
2. 钢丝直径范围
钢丝直径决定设备所需的驱动功率和扭结机构强度。按最大 2.0 mm 线径制造的设备无法稳定生产 4.0 mm 网片，扭结会不均匀，设备也会过早磨损。
请如实说明您需要的最大线径。买家常因当前产品较轻而低估这项要求，一年后接到重型网片订单时才发现设备做不了。制造时把最大线径提高一个档位，增加成本很少；交付后再改则代价高得多。
3. 工作幅宽
工作幅宽是设备生产的网片宽度，常见规格为 2000、3000 或 4300 mm。
容易混淆的一点：工作幅宽不等于成品笼筐长度。石笼篮由网片折叠而成，因此 2 m 工作幅宽不代表可以直接生产 2 m 长的笼筐。请先算出笼筐展开后的网片宽度，再确认设备是否覆盖。
机器并非越宽越好。4300 mm 设备只用半幅生产，会浪费厂房空间和电力；2000 mm 设备如果要做宽网片，则需要更多绑扎和接缝。
4. 目标产量
供应商常用每小时产量报价，但这会掩盖真正的问题：您每月需要发运多少产品？
从目标反推。如果您每月要生产 2,000 个已知规格的笼筐，就能算出每小时所需的网片面积。然后检查两件事：
- 编织机能否在整个班次中持续达到该产能，而不只是短时间测试时达到？
- 后续工序——锁边、切割、卷网——能否跟上？生产线的速度取决于最慢的工序。
5. 当地电源
这是买家最容易忘记、交付后又最难处理的参数。
电气控制柜按指定的电压和频率制造。按 380 V / 50 Hz 接线的设备，未经改造无法直接接入 440 V / 60 Hz。请在下单前确认工厂供电条件，包括是否为三相电，不要等集装箱到港后才确认。
现在也应确定控制界面语言。设备交付后可以改造人机界面语言，但下单时只需确认一个选项就能解决，没有必要事后再处理。
6. 钢丝类型与涂层
镀锌、锌铝合金（Galfan）和 PVC 涂塑钢丝在扭结头中的表现各不相同。尤其是 PVC 涂塑钢丝，同样标称直径下会更软、更粗，需要采用不同的张力设置。
如果您计划生产常用于园林和建筑工程的 PVC 涂塑网片，请在确认规格时说明。这可能会影响放线和张力控制配置。
最常见的两种错误
按设备目录选型，而不是根据产品选型。 目录能列出设备能力，却不能告诉您真正需要什么。请从笼筐尺寸和目标产量开始。
把编织机当成整条生产线。 编织只是五道工序之一。如果您要采购整线，应平衡各工序产能，或者现在就把瓶颈规划清楚，而不是等到接到第一笔大订单后才发现问题。
如果希望我们帮您复核规格，请发送网孔尺寸、钢丝直径、工作幅宽和目标月产量。我们会建议合适机型，也会在实际需要时告诉您更小的设备就足够。
Working on a specification?
Send us the mesh opening, wire diameter, working width and the monthly output you are targeting. We will tell you what the machine needs to be — including when the answer is a smaller machine than you expected.
