Starting the process here is the first step in the right direction. The only way to learn how to ensure you’re doing the best you can for your business is understanding the fundamentals; knowing the different types of strapping available and taking into account the advantages or disadvantages of each; determining whether hand or machine application works best for your needs; and how to choose the right strap and machine for your application.
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It’s not an easy process, nor is it an overnight one. It’s a process that takes time, knowledge, and dedication. We can help provide the knowledge, but it’s up to you dedicate the time to do your own research and get yourself acquainted with the terminology, the systems, and the products, as well as with the advantages and disadvantages. As the person who understands your business and your industry best, you're the one who's ultimately in charge.
Strapping is the most commonly used means of unitization and bundling in the packaging industry.
Because of its long history in the packaging world, there are lots of different types of strapping today; however, most strap is made from either steel or plastic. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages, making it critical to figure out exactly what works for your specific needs.
However, before we look at the different types of strapping, it is important to ensure that you are familiar with the terminology of the strapping industry. These are the common terms used to determine the right strapping product for your application and your needs.
Steel is the oldest, strongest, and highest tensile strength strapping available. It is available in a variety of widths and thicknesses, as well as variations in the grade of steel. Steel is used for heavy duty holding where high strength and minimal stretch are desired, as well as when the product may be sharp or hot.
Surface finishes for steel strap include paint, paint and wax, bluing or zinc and wax. The wax is used to better transmit the tension around the bundle and for use with certain types of tensioners.
While it is still the preferred alternative in some industries, the market is declining, largely because it is dangerous to work with (presenting sharp edges) and difficult to recycle. But, common applications still include steel coils, bundles of metal, baling wire, bricks and pavers, and roll end-binding.
Polypropylene is an economical material designed for light to medium duty unitizing, palletizing, and bundling. It is available in various widths, thicknesses, and polymer variations (e.g., copolymers). This product offers higher elongation, but tends to have irrecoverable dead stretch with constant stress.
What is not generally known to end users is that poly strapping will lose about 50% of the applied tension within one hour, and that this tension loss is accelerated with increases in ambient temperature. Poly strapping can printed, offering security and marketing advantages to the strapped product.
Polyester is the most rigid option, offering the strongest plastic strapping, and is used as a viable alternative to steel in many industries. Polyester provides excellent retained tension on rigid loads and its excellent recovery properties help a load absorb impact without strap breakage. It retains tension over a longer period of time.
Since polyester strapping offers the highest strength and greatest retained tension of all the plastic strapping, it is often used on heavy duty loads that need high initial tension along with high retained tension during handling and storage. Competitive pricing and performance characteristics have motivated many steel strapping uses to switch to polyester. This type of poly strapping is available in both machine grade and hand grade and is easy to dispose of and recycle.
These tools rquires a tensioner, a sealer, and seals. This is the most common way of applying strapping. You tighten your strap with the tensioner and seal it with the sealer. Sounds easy, but if you’re using old hand tools, which are typically very heavy and difficult to manuever, it’s anything but easy. Workers not only have to be strong, but they must also know the proper way to use the tools to avoid injury. Hand tools can take between 2 and 3 minutes to secure just one strap.
These style tools combine all the necessary operations - tensioning, sealing, and cutting - into one tool, offered in varying strengths to accommodate the unique needs of the user. Being much lighter-weight, some as light as seven pounds, means no more struggling and needless injuries. And the power aspect allows workers to secure straps up to six times faster than with a hand tool, sometimes taking as little as 30 seconds per strap.
Also known as “table top” machines, semi-automatic strapping equiment is entry level style machines used for low volume operations and usually about the size of a small desk. These can only be used with poly strapping.
With a semi-automatic machine, an operator takes a loose end of poly strapping that has been fed from the machine, loops it around the package, and hand feeds it into the strapping and sealing area. The machine tensions the strap according to a pre-set tension, heat seals the ends together, and feeds out a pre-set length of strap for the next cycle.
Arch strapping machines are more automated than semi-automatic machines, but still require an operator to position the package, and press an activation button to start the strapping operation. With an arch machine, the strap travels around an “arch” creating a loop before activation. When the operator activates the strapping sequence, the strap tensions, heat seals, and pre-feeds the strap for the next cycle.
Arch size is critical with an arch machine, since package size is limited to what will fit under the arch.
Arch machines are much faster than semi-automatic machines, less operator dependent, and, thus, more expensive.
Fully automatic strapping equipment have built-in conveyor systems which carry products through the strapping process, activated by an automated device, usually a photocell. As such, they do not require an operator. Similar to the arch machines, size is critical, since package size is limited to what will fit under the arch.
The critical factor with fully automatic machines is the total strap rate, which includes transit time through the conveying system. The conveyor speed of your fully automatic strapping machine must be at least as fast as your existing conveyors, but preferably faster. Don’t design a strapping bottleneck.
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The two most common strapping machines are hand-held tensioners and stand-alone strapping machines. Handheld tensioners pull strapping tight around boxes while a strapping seal is crimped to hold the strapping in place. Stand-alone strapping machines use a foot pedal or photo eye to strap boxes as they move through the machine. Perfect for strengthening heavy boxes and bundling more than one item.
Look at the images and steps below to see how to use each type of strapping machine. Obtain a stronger and more secure package by strapping boxes with a strapping machine.
How do you use a handheld strapping machine?
A handheld strapping machine is most often a tensioner that will pull polyester, polypropylene, or metal strapping tight. As the tensioner is holding the strapping tight, a crimper and strapping seal are used to secure and hold the strapping tight so the tool can be removed. Some handheld strapping machines are all-in-one tools including tension and sealing capabilities.
Step 1. Wrap the strapping around the item being secured
Step 2. Bring the ends of the strapping together leaving 8 to 10 inches on each side.
Step 3. With the side closest to the operator on top, place the strapping into the tensioner
Step 4. Close the tensioner and ratchet the two ends tight.
Step 5. With tension tight, place a seal around the strapping and tighten with a crimper
Step 6. Remove the crimper and tensioner along with excess strapping ends.
Handheld strapping machines are an affordable way to secure shipments. Most handheld manual systems can be purchased for under a few hundred dollars with strapping included. Strengthen boxes, bundle loads, and secure products to pallet shipments with a handheld strapping machine.
How do you use a stand-alone strapping machine?
Stand-alone strapping machines can vary on size, quality, and efficiency. Some of the basic strapping machines require the user to wrap the strapping around the item(s) being wrapped and insert the strapping end into the machine for every package. In contrast to fully automatic machines on lines that do not require any human interaction. Skip the second step if inserting the strapping end is not required for the machine being used.
Step 1. Turn the power on and allow the machine to heat up.
Step 2. (optional Depending on Machine) Wrap the strapping over the product or products being secured and insert the end into the strapping machine.
Step 3. Be sure the strapping is properly positioned on the box. Some boxes may require two or more straps in the same direction.
Step 4. Press the foot pedal or position the box over the photo-eye (if applicable) to apply a strap.
Step 5. If the item(s) needs an additional strap on the same side, position the box properly and apply an additional strap.
Step 6. After the first straps are applied, rotate the box to make a strap perpendicular to the first straps. Apply a second strap if needed.
Strapping machines require a larger initial investment than handheld tensioners but are much more efficient. It is important to be mindful of the arch size and the size of boxes being wrapped. The right strapping machine can secure products in seconds.