Palletising is one of the best ways to sort items that need to be shipped over great distances. This is why palletising is well incorporated at warehouses and other storage facilities. One popular way to palletise items is by strapping them. Pallet strapping helps unitise items together so they stay in place when being transported.

Also known as banding or bundling, pallet strapping is known to keep your products/ items protected and it also helps save space. By pallet strapping your items you ensure the safety of your employees and thus make your workplace a lot safer too. The thing with pallet strapping is that you have all kinds of solutions made of different materials with the most rugged being steel.

Steel Strapping

Steel is a strong material that can withstand all kinds of abuse which is why steel strapping is the preferred material when palletising heavy items. Steel pallet strapping is versatile too since it can be manufactured in sizes ranging from 3 mm to 2 cm. Steel pallet strapping is mainly used to lock items on top of crates and pallets as well as for securing smaller items such as books, tools and newspapers. Wide loads inside large containers can also be secured with steel seal strapping. Packaged glass can be palletised using steel metal strapping.

Types of Strapping Steel

Stainless

Made from iron, chromium, and carbon, stainless steel strapping is corrosion and rust-resistant which makes it a durable solution. No matter the conditions stainless steel is put exposed to, it can keep your items safe. This means you can store your items outside as long as they too can withstand adverse weather conditions.

Regular

Regular steel is low in carbon and while that means it is not rust and corrosion resistant it does mean that id is dent resistant. If you won't have your items exposed to the elements and want to be able to secure heavy shipments then regular steel is the ideal solution.

Galvanised

With galvanised strapping you get a similar solution to stainless steel straps. Also known as zinc-coated straps, they are able to withstand UV rays which means galvanised straps won't crack when exposed to the sun for long periods of time. This is due to the chemical process they have undergone which coats the material in zinc, hence the name.

High-Tensile

If you want your steel strapping machine to use stronger straps than regular or stainless ones, then consider using high-tensile steel straps. These are made to stay intact when used in heavy-duty applications. For example, you can use high-tensile steel straps to secure loads on railroad shipments and to secure open top trailers or cars and steel coils too. You can secure steel with high-tensile straps – they are that strong.

Types of Strapping Seals

Snap-On

The main advantage of snap-on strapping seals is that they do not require you to pre-thread a seal. This is quite helpful since it reduces the time needed to strap up items. Just place the seal over the overlapping ends of the strapping with your steel strapping machine and that's it.

Thread-On

Unlike snap-on seals, thread-on seals need to be pre-threaded. This may reduce the time needed to strap your items but you will be able to strap larger items. Because of this thread-on seals are commonly used for bundles and bales.

Open-Flange

If you are after a heavy-duty snap-on seal then you should go with open-flange strapping seals. When a pallet requires high joint strength. Open-flange seals have one side open and the other one only partially open. This design allows open-flange seals to be a lot sturdier than a snap-on seal.

Nestack

If you're using powered tools or automatic equipment to palletise your loads then consider using nestack seals. Nestack seals are easy to store at workstations and they also help reduce the downtime period which is common in most strapping applications.

Push-Type

Just like snap-on seals, push-type seals are also pre-threaded, but in the case of push-type seals, they are pre-threaded onto overlapping strap ends. This means that the nose of the tensioner is pushed against the seal as the tensioning process begins. Because of this strapping (tensioning) process, push-type seals are best for applications with a heavier load containment.

Serrated & Grit-Coated

Usually, all of the above steel strapping seals are smooth, serrated and grit-coated seals aren't. Serrated seals have small teeth that when tensioned, dig into the surface of the strap to increase friction. Grit-coated seals, on the other hand, are able to provide high holding power due to their rough interior surface. You can find the above-mentioned seals in both serrated and grit-coated variations.

Different Metal Seal Joints

Notch

The most common seal joint used for waxed strapping is a notch joint. This type of seal joint has little tabs that cut into the seal as well as the strapping. Notch joints can either face down or towards the load when formed.

Crimp

A crimp joint is formed when a sealer presses or bends a wavelike shape into the seal and strapping ends. This is what creates small crimps along the edges of the seal and strapping. This deformed seal joint is able to provide a strong frictional force whilst keeping the joint put when in transit.