Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC is a leading manufacturer of high-performance sheet metal and steel wire forms and baskets, working with a diverse client base since 1968. We produce and stock standard baskets for fast order fulfillment, as well as provide custom wire basket fabrication for the shape, size, material, and features your application requires. With proper material composition and care, our custom-made wire baskets can last for years or even decades, cutting down on replacement costs over time.

Discover the advantages of custom wire baskets for various industries, and learn how our team of mechanical engineers can help support your operations by designing, refining, and producing high-quality custom baskets for your application. Marlin Steel's ISO 9001:2015/Amd.1:2024 and ISO 13485:2016 certifications demonstrate our commitment to quality and regulatory compliance, so you can count on products built to meet rigorous industry standards.

Why Choose Marlin Steel's Custom Wire Baskets?

Every industrial wire basket we build is:

• Engineered for efficiency. Our design software and automated fabrication keep production consistent from the first basket to the last.
• Built to last. We select materials and designs based on your specific chemical, thermal, and weight requirements.
• Fast and reliable. Our automated welding and wire-bending systems keep delivery times short, even on custom orders.
• Designed with your engineers. Our team works directly with yours to understand your application before we finalize a design.
• Fully customizable. We build to any shape, size, or feature set, including handles, hoists, dividers, and lids.

[Explore Our In-Stock Wire Basket Selection]

Quality Metal Basket Design & Engineering Capabilities

Our engineers take a collaborative approach, working closely with your team to develop custom wire baskets that meet your unique requirements. We use virtual testing software like Autodesk to vet designs before production, which reduces costly trial-and-error prototyping and saves you time and money.

Our robotic welding and wire-bending automation capabilities produce baskets with a level of consistency manual labor can't match, so every industrial wire basket meets your tolerances from the first unit to the last.

Industrial Wire Basket Material Options

We work with a range of materials to fit your application, including:

• Steel (grades 1008 and 1010)
• Stainless steel (grades 304, 316, and 330)
• Carbon steel (bright basic, low, medium, and high varieties)
• Galvanized steel
• Aluminum
• Brass
• Copper
• Other alloys

Expanded Metal vs. Wire Mesh Baskets

In addition, choosing between wire mesh vs. expanded metal comes down to your process:

• Wire mesh. Welded wire in an open grid, so liquid drains and parts dry quickly.
• Expanded metal. Cut from a single sheet of steel, then stretched into a diamond pattern for extra rigidity—a better fit for heavier parts or sharp edges that could snag an open weave.

If you're handling heavier stock, expanded metal baskets usually offer better impact resistance; for small parts that need fast drainage, wire mesh is typically the better choice.

304 Stainless Steel Wire Mesh: Benefits & Applications

Most of our stainless steel wire baskets are available in 304 stainless steel wire mesh as the standard grade. 304 resists rust and staining from common washing chemicals and can tolerate temporary exposure of up to roughly 1,598 °F (870 °C) without oxidizing, well above most washing and sterilization cycles.

These 304 stainless steel benefits translate into fewer rejected batches and less time spent replacing corroded baskets. Common 304 stainless steel applications span parts washing baskets, food-processing equipment, and pharmaceutical handling, where corrosion resistance and easy sanitation matter most.

If your spec calls for stainless steel wire mesh 304, that's our default material. For saltwater or high-chloride environments, we offer 316 stainless steel. Ask our team whether a 304 stainless steel basket or a 316 upgrade fits your process better.

Metal Basket Coatings & Finishes

Beyond material choice, we offer more than 40 coating and finishing options to improve basket performance and appearance, including:

• Natural finish
• Scratch-resistant hard polymers
• Soft polymers
• Electropolish
• Coating: Teflon®, Niloxy, Kynar, Halar, powder, and plastic coat
• Plating: Zinc, nickel, chrome, and galvanized
• Passivation: Stainless steel and steel

Our engineers can help match the right finish to your chemical exposure and handling process.

Heavy-Duty Wire Baskets Built to Spec

For applications that demand more than a standard basket, we build heavy-duty wire baskets engineered to your load and durability requirements. Our engineers can adjust wire gauge and mesh thickness to withstand higher loads, repeated handling, and demanding wash or transport cycles, and our robotic welding process keeps weld strength consistent across every basket in an order.

Unlike light-duty consumer wire baskets, our heavy-duty wire baskets are built for continuous industrial use, backed by our ISO 9001:2015 quality standards.

Industries & Applications of Custom Wire Baskets

Our metal wire baskets support material handling, high-temperature part sanitation and sterilization, ultrasonic cleaning, aqueous parts cleaning, and vapor degreasing. As a wire basket manufacturer, we build heavy-duty wire baskets for these industries:

Aerospace Wire Baskets

Our aerospace wire baskets are engineered to tight tolerances, and Marlin Steel's CAGE code registration and ISO 9001:2015/Amd.1:2024 certification support the contamination control and traceability that aerospace and defense customers require.

Automotive Wire Baskets

Automotive wire baskets from Marlin Steel are built for high-throughput wash cycles and part-specific fit, keeping components secure through repeated handling on the line.

Food Processing Wire Baskets

Our food processing wire baskets use food-grade stainless steel for easy cleanability and sanitation, with antimicrobial coating options available for added infection control.

Medical Wire Baskets

Medical wire baskets meet the sterile design standards of medical and pharmaceutical environments, backed by our ISO 13485:2016 certification, with electropolishing available as a finishing option.

Telecommunications Wire Baskets

Telecommunications wire baskets support cable management and component handling in cleanroom-compatible designs.

Custom Configurations: Dividers & Lids

We also build wire baskets with dividers to keep delicate parts separated during handling, and wire baskets with lids to keep small components contained during high-pressure or high-agitation wash cycles. Both configurations are available across our full range of materials and finishes.

Wire Baskets for Parts Washing

Wire baskets for parts washing need to balance drainage, chemical resistance, and part protection. Our parts washing baskets are available in wire mesh or expanded metal, depending on your part size and cleaning method, and we provide a published chemical resistance chart to help you match materials to your wash chemistry.

We also build dedicated wire baskets for parts washing lines that run continuously. Custom mesh sizing and open-area design let cleansers, water, and air reach every part of the basket, and our engineers can adjust wire gauge to withstand repeated wash cycles without deforming.

Marlin Steel, Your Trusted Wire Basket Manufacturer

As your custom wire basket manufacturer, Marlin Steel delivers 100% USA-made products under our Quality Engineered Quick® approach. We combine industry expertise, in-house design and production, a team of degreed engineers, and factory automation to produce precision metal forms. Our ISO 9001:2015/Amd.1:2024 and ISO 13485:2016 certifications back our quality process, and we can provide our ASME BTH-1-2008 compliance documentation on request.

Ready to design your next custom wire basket? Contact our engineering team or request a free quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between wire mesh and expanded metal baskets?

Wire mesh is welded wire in an open grid, built for drainage and airflow. Expanded metal is a slit and stretched sheet steel, built for rigidity against heavier or sharp-edged parts.

What are the benefits of 304 stainless steel for wire baskets?

Strong corrosion resistance, easy sanitation, and a high operating temperature ceiling, without the added cost of 316.

Where is 304 stainless steel commonly used?

Wire baskets for parts washing, sterilization trays, and food-grade handling—anywhere corrosion resistance and cleanability matter most.

Can I get custom wire baskets with dividers or lids?

Yes. We design baskets with dividers, lids, handles, and other features based on how your parts move through your process.

Do you build heavy-duty wire baskets for parts washing?

Yes, in either wire mesh or expanded metal, depending on your part size and cleaning method.