A guide to strapping and pallet banding – Updated 19.11.24
Your products deal with numerous hazards before arriving to your customer; from knocks to tumbles, keeping your product (and its packaging) safe is a simple method to minimise returns.
Two popular methods for securing items together are strapping and banding! Their job is to keep products from shifting or becoming damaged during transit.
Whether you’re packing products for shipping or storage, choosing the right materials and techniques can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about strapping and banding, including the different types of materials, the tools and equipment you’ll need, and tips for selecting the right methods for your specific packaging requirements.
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Strapping and pallet banding glossary
Before we dive into the guide, some terms around strapping and pallet banding can be complex. Here is a list of seven commonly used terms that you may come across…
- Break strength or break strain: The amount of force required to break the strapping expressed in kilograms.
- Elongation recovery: The strap’s ability to return to its original state after tensioning.
- Camber: The side-to-side curvature of strapping. Machine grade strapping must be camber free to allow the strapping to move through the equipment.
- Cord strapping: Manufactured from polyester fibre, one of the strongest synthetic fibres. It is commonly used in outdoor applications due to its excellent moisture resistance. This type of strapping can only be used in manual applications and can be sealed with buckles, metal seals, or hand-tied.
- Creep: The loss of strapping tension that occurs over time.
- Embossing: The textured pattern found on the strapping surface. Quality embossing will increase joint efficiency, enhance split resistance and improve stiffness characteristics. However, a lower embossed strap can increase the thickness and lower break strength.
- Joint efficiency: The usable strength of strapping is only as powerful as the joint holding the two straps together. The total breaking strength of the strapping is expressed as a percentage.
What is strapping used for in packaging?
Strapping, also known as banding or pallet banding, is a vital part of product packing and distribution. It is used primarily to secure pallets and to bundle items in transit. The choice does vary but comes down to two main categories – metal and plastic.
What is strapping made from?
Most metal strapping is made from steel, and most plastic types are made from either polypropylene or polyester.
Traditionally, steel is used to ship heavy-duty items, such as bricks or timber. Plastic is deemed more suited to the palletisation of lighter-duty products. It is also applied directly to cardboard boxes to improve handling.
Types of application
There are two ways strapping and pallet banding can be applied:
- Manual application is when strapping is applied by hand directly or using a manual dispenser and secured manually using a hand-help tensioning or sealing tool.
- Automated application is when the application of strapping uses some sort of machinery. This could include semi and fully automated machines, friction welders and battery-powered tools, and semi and full-automated strapping tables.
Both polyester and steel strapping are hand-applied. Polypropylene strapping can be either hand or machine applied.
Choosing between manual, semi automatic and fully automated strapping application – Key points to consider
Four ways to speed up strapping application:
- For low-volume applications, use manual tensioning, cutting, and sealing tools.
- To speed up the manual process, switch to a battery-operated friction welder, which tensions, cuts, and seals at the touch of a button
- Semi-automatic strapping machines are recommended for higher volume, single-product runs. They apply quickly but require the operator to feed the strapping around the pack.
- Fully automated machines are well suited for high-volume use where packages vary in shape and weight. No intervention is required and applied in seconds.
Products
We offer a wide range of strapping and pallet banding products, including those made with polypropylene, polyester, and steel. Incorporating different types of application methods, such as hand or machine; we can provide dispensing equipment too, making application a breeze.
Below you will see a small range of what we have to offer; if you are looking for a specific type, please get in touch with us today!
- Polypropylene Machine-Applied – Light, flexible and easy to handle, it offers excellent performance and reliability for most strapping tasks, with no staining or rusting of the product or package.
- Hand-Applied Polyester – Polyester strapping is a robust yet soft, lightweight, and weather-resistant alternative to steel. It takes 2.5 times more energy to break than steel with the same break strain. An ‘elastic memory’ maintains tension even with pack settlement or shrinkage.
- Hand-Applied Corded Polyester – A soft, lightweight, strong and weather-resistant alternative to steel strapping, with a textured finish for an ultra-firm grip.
Common questions about strapping and banding
Below we have listed some popular questions about strapping and pallet banding, but if you have any more queries that are not listed, our team of experts will be happy to help you.
Strapping automation
We can offer a full range of packaging automation solutions to help take your business to the next level, including strapping and banding automation.
Our services cover reviewing your operation and recommending, testing, and supplying packaging machinery for your business.
Imagine the time and effort of assembling, packing, sealing, and dispatching your products. Automating your process can dramatically improve productivity, help you control material use, cut waste, and allow you to future-proof spikes in demand.
Carefully planned packaging automation will make your business more resilient and flexible year-round!
Can I have strapping printed with my logo?
If pallet security, product tracking or branding is essential to you, consider custom options that can help! Contact us to learn more.
Which strapping is best for your business?
The kind of strapping you need will depend on your sealing product.
For a recommendation tailored to your packing processes and product, contact us to speak with one of our packaging experts, who will help you determine the best strapping option for your requirements. If you want any other packaging advice, why not contact us today?
What’s the difference between strapping and banding?
Both terms are often used together or interchangeably; “banding,” typically refers to the process of securing goods, whereas “strapping,” refers to the material used.
Do I need special tools for strapping?
Special tools may be needed Depending on the volume and type of strapping. Macfarlane Packaging offers a range of strapping tools to help speed up your packaging operation.
Can plastic strapping be recycled?
Unfortunately, plastic strapping and banding are not recyclable at the kerbside. It can, however, be recycled at an industrial level and is made of recycled content, so it is kinder to the environment.
Should I choose plastic or steel strapping?
Steel strapping is often perceived as the better option for high tension strapping. However, this isn’t entirely the case; when choosing the right strapping for your packaging operation, there are a number of factors and benefits of each material to consider…
- Break Strength – No strapping product should be used beyond its safe limits. Often a plastic strap with a lower break strength will hold more securely than steel with a higher break strength due to its elongation recovery. This means that plastic strapping may be suitable for heavier loads as packages which may move and condense in transit, as the plastic can stretch and return to its original state as this happens. However, steel strapping still has its benefits for securing heavy duty loads with a break strain between 500 – 930kg, compared to polyester strapping which has a break strength of 300 – 450kg.
- Cost – Polyester strapping is extremely strong and can withhold up to two and a half times more energy to break than traditional steel strapping. This reduces the chance of pallets becoming loose in transit, reducing damages and associated costs, Polyester strapping is a cheaper option than steel strapping, too!
- Sustainability – Steel strapping is widely recyclable but contains no recycled content. Polyester strapping cannot be recycled but contains a minimum of 30% recycled content depending on the product. Polypropylene strapping also cannot be recycled however contains a higher percentage of recycled content at a minimum of 50% depending on the product.
- Other key factors – The type of strapping also depends on the products that need sealing; their weight and material can impact the decision. For example, steel strapping may not be the best choice for sealing products susceptible to rust and corrosion, unlike polypropylene strapping, which has the highest break strain.
How Macfarlane Packaging can help with your pallet and strapping needs
The kind of strapping you need will depend on your sealing product.
For a recommendation tailored to your packing processes and product, contact us to speak with one of our packaging experts, who will help you determine the best strapping option for your requirements. If you want any other packaging advice, why not contact us today?