If you’re looking for the proper strapping material to secure your next load, you likely know that you have several options. While it’s great to have options, the choices can also be a bit overwhelming.
There are a whole host of properties that go into choosing the right type of strapping material for your needs. You’ll need to be familiar with terms such as elasticity, recovery, shear, tensile strength, and others.
When looking at different strapping materials you’ll first want to make sure the material you choose is strong enough to stand up to the amount of force it will be subject to during transport. This is referred to as the strapping material’s break load. This can be calculated by looking at the weight and size of the load, as well as the stress it will be under while being moved or transported.
A few other factors to keep in mind are temperature changes and exposure to corrosive materials and moisture.
The three most common strapping materials are steel, polypropylene and polyester.
Steel Strapping
Steel strapping is still one of the most popular options on the market due to its ability to secure extremely heavy loads. Steel is also resistant to temperature changes and exposure to moisture. In addition, the properties of steel has minimal elongation during transport allowing it to keep strong tension on a load at all times.
While steel strapping has its positives, there are a few negatives that you need to keep in mind as well. Steel is very heavy and can be dangerous when applying or removing tension. When steel strapping breaks it can snap back causing serious injuries to people as well as damage to the products that are being transported.
Polypropylene Strapping
Polypropylene strapping is both extremely light and economical making it a great option for transporting a wide variety of different products. It’s often used for transporting light to medium-duty products. It’s also extremely stretchy allowing it to move with a load during transport without breaking.
Polypropylene strapping is typically not the best choice for extremely heavy loads as the material’s ability to stretch can prevent it from being able to hold large loads during transport. Extreme temperature swings and exposure to sunlight can also impact its performance.
Polyester Strapping
Polyester strapping also sometimes referred to as PET has become a great alternative to steel strapping for a wide variety of cases. In many applications, polyester strapping is actually stronger than steel strapping. In addition, PET strapping is much easier and safer to work with.
Polyester strapping is still more elastic than steel so it may deform and lose the ability to retain tension over time. However, polyester strapping is still one of the most versatile packaging materials currently on the market.
Still Unsure About Which Strapping Material To Choose?
If you still need help choosing the right strapping material, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone at 888-803-8140 or through our online contact form.
