Package strapping has been a near constant in the shipping industry since the advent of the sailing ship and overland cart travel. While we have moved away from wood binding and woven cords, it is no less essential than 1,000 years ago. Steel strapping, which became popular in the early 19th century, saw the advent of the modern packaging systems we enjoy today. Now, with innumerable strapping options, steel is still a potential and timeless option, but with new technologies come new techniques. The most recent innovation in the strapping industry is polyester strapping, quickly becoming the go-to choice for strapping products globally.
Strong As Steel With Greater Versatility
Steel is an unyielding product that sports incredible shape retention and doesn’t fray. However, with little give and an inability to flex around oblong-shaped objects, it falls short compared to polyester strapping, which sports the same characteristic strength while defying traditional rigidity. Moreover, where polyester shines is in its elasticity. When objects packaged in a pallet shift in transit, steel can potentially damage the cargo. On the other hand, polyester has a little give to it, allowing products to push and bend around it without shifting and, more importantly, with little to no damage. Furthermore, steel banding has to be formed into shape, magnifying the danger of misplacement of products or oddly shaped packaging. Polyester doesn’t suffer from these shortcomings, as the banding is easily shaped and conforms to even the most obtuse products without losing tension.
The Environmental Advantage of Polyester Strapping
While steel is recyclable, so is polyester, which has several other eco-friendly advantages over the traditional strapping material, which include:
- Lighter weight, lower energy consumption in transport, and lessening shipping costs
- Rustproof and 100% recyclable, compared to the roughly 80% recyclability of steel
- Lower damage to loads, reducing potential refabrication needs
- Non-toxic to the environment in production and use
Polyester Strapping is Safer Than Steel
When working with steel strapping, you must wear cut-resistant gloves to avoid the sharp and unyielding edges of the banding. Polyester is rounded and has a more fabric feel, making handling a breeze and reducing the number of potential injuries to hands and damage to heavy equipment such as forklifts. Furthermore, it is difficult to know when and if steel strapping will fail, and when it does, it does so in spectacular fashion, splitting apart with a force that can do severe damage to anyone standing nearby. Polyester, which has a similar strength and chance to fail, frays with overuse, which makes it incredibly easy to see with the naked eye when it is likely to fail, therefore giving you invaluable time to make repairs and replacements before any catastrophic failure. Additionally, polyester is incredibly weather-resistant and can withstand multiple weather conditions without failure. While steel may rust in damp air, polyester lets moisture run right off it and does not transfer the same heat levels in hot conditions as steel.
Polyester Strapping: An Industry Leader In Versatility And Cost Effectiveness
As we stated above, polyester is far lighter than steel, lowering the overall weight of the packaging and reducing the cost of transport. Furthermore, it is lower priced and comes with an ease of use that requires little upfront training for those utilizing the product. All this and more make polyester strapping the go-to for construction, heavy shipment, and warehouse shipping companies across the globe.
For All Your Shipping And Strapping Product Needs, Contact Strapping-Products.com Today!
We have an extensive inventory of the highest quality polyester strapping materials, your traditional steel strapping and everything in between. Contact Strapping-Products.com today by phone at 888-803-8140 to learn more.
