A wire mesh production system comprising: a wire straightener (16, 36) for wire; a cutter configured to receive wire straightened by said wire straightener; a longitudinals storage (12, 32) configured to receive longitudinal wires cut by said cutter, said longitudinals storage having a plurality of longitudinals receptacles (13,45) configured to restrain longitudinal wires; a rotator unit (20, 71) configured to controllably rotate cut longitudinal wires around their longitudinal axes to specified angles, said rotator unit having a gripper assembly (20, 93, 95), said rotator unit being located at an intermediate location between a location of said cutter and a location of transverse wire welding; a longitudinals carrier (11,31) configured to transfer longitudinal wires from said longitudinals storage (12, 32) towards a welding unit, said longitudinals carrier having means for restraining against rotation wires held by it; the mesh production machine being characterized by: a controllably-openable wire collector (19, 79) located in spaced relation to said longitudinals storage and said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a movably-mounted wire gripper assemply (20, 93, 95): a first motor (73, 74) operatively connected to controllably translate said wire gripper assembly in controlled translatory motion along a travel path that extends at least between a first position aligning said wire gripper assembly with said controllably-openable wire collector, and a handover position that locates wire gripped by said wire gripper assembly proximate to one of said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a wire holder assembly (21, 72) situated to guide wire during controlled translatory motion of said gripper assembly between the first position and the handover position; and a second motor operatively connected (98, 103) to controllably drive said wire gripper assembly to axially rotate gripped longitudinal wire. a wire straightener (16, 36) for wire; a cutter configured to receive wire straightened by said wire straightener; a longitudinals storage (12, 32) configured to receive longitudinal wires cut by said cutter, said longitudinals storage having a plurality of longitudinals receptacles (13,45) configured to restrain longitudinal wires; a rotator unit (20, 71) configured to controllably rotate cut longitudinal wires around their longitudinal axes to specified angles, said rotator unit having a gripper assembly (20, 93, 95), said rotator unit being located at an intermediate location between a location of said cutter and a location of transverse wire welding; a longitudinals carrier (11,31) configured to transfer longitudinal wires from said longitudinals storage (12, 32) towards a welding unit, said longitudinals carrier having means for restraining against rotation wires held by it; the mesh production machine being characterized by: a controllably-openable wire collector (19, 79) located in spaced relation to said longitudinals storage and said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a movably-mounted wire gripper assemply (20, 93, 95): a first motor (73, 74) operatively connected to controllably translate said wire gripper assembly in controlled translatory motion along a travel path that extends at least between a first position aligning said wire gripper assembly with said controllably-openable wire collector, and a handover position that locates wire gripped by said wire gripper assembly proximate to one of said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a wire holder assembly (21, 72) situated to guide wire during controlled translatory motion of said gripper assembly between the first position and the handover position; and a second motor operatively connected (98, 103) to controllably drive said wire gripper assembly to axially rotate gripped longitudinal wire. a controllably-openable wire collector (19, 79) located in spaced relation to said longitudinals storage and said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a movably-mounted wire gripper assemply (20, 93, 95): a first motor (73, 74) operatively connected to controllably translate said wire gripper assembly in controlled translatory motion along a travel path that extends at least between a first position aligning said wire gripper assembly with said controllably-openable wire collector, and a handover position that locates wire gripped by said wire gripper assembly proximate to one of said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a wire holder assembly (21, 72) situated to guide wire during controlled translatory motion of said gripper assembly between the first position and the handover position; and a second motor operatively connected (98, 103) to controllably drive said wire gripper assembly to axially rotate gripped longitudinal wire. a first motor (73, 74) operatively connected to controllably translate said wire gripper assembly in controlled translatory motion along a travel path that extends at least between a first position aligning said wire gripper assembly with said controllably-openable wire collector, and a handover position that locates wire gripped by said wire gripper assembly proximate to one of said plurality of longitudinals receptacles; a wire holder assembly (21, 72) situated to guide wire during controlled translatory motion of said gripper assembly between the first position and the handover position; and a second motor operatively connected (98, 103) to controllably drive said wire gripper assembly to axially rotate gripped longitudinal wire.