Plastic Strapping: Types, Pros, and Cons

With the introduction of plastic strapping over fifty years ago, businesses were able to move away from the limitations of steel strapping and open up a wider range of applications.

In this article, we will delve into the types of plastic strapping available, their advantages and disadvantages, and the applications that they are best suited for.

Polypropylene Strapping

Polypropylene strapping is the most commonly used plastic strapping in the market today. It is cheap and suitable for most light to medium-duty strapping applications. It is compatible with a wide range of manual tools, as well as automatic or semi-automatic tools and machines.

However, it has relatively poor UV resistance, so it is not recommended for outdoor storage. In addition, polypropylene loses 50% of its tension within two hours of being applied, more quickly in warmer ambient temperatures. It also has poor memory, which means it will not recover its original dimensions when placed under additional tension. This makes it unsuitable for heavy materials such as brick and block or for pallet loads that are inclined to shift during transport.

Polyester Strapping

Polyester strapping is a suitable alternative to steel strapping for heavier applications. It is lighter, doesn’t corrode or stain, is safer when cut under tension, and has a good memory that retains tension even after movement or impact. It is also considerably cheaper than steel.

Oriented polyester strapping may appear similar to polypropylene, but it has quite different characteristics that make it more suitable for heavier applications. It is compatible with a wide range of manual tools and some automatic and semi-automatic tools and machines. It is suitable for most applications where steel has been used in the past, such as construction materials and shipping crates.

Polyester is a flexible yet strong and soft yet abrasion-resistant strapping material. It is available in three categories: Cross Woven Polyester Strapping, Composite strapping, and Corded strapping.

Cross Woven Strapping is a cost-effective and safer alternative to steel strapping. It offers bi-directional strength and split-resistance for harsher environments and is suitable for securing heavy loads.

Composite Strapping lacks some of Cross Woven's bi-directional strength and split-resistance, but it is coated with clear polypropylene. This coating enhances its water resistance and makes it more rigid – a boon when feeding it through pallet frames and through metal buckles.

Corded Strapping is an inexpensive product for general purpose use. Bale press strapping is a variation of corded strap used in automatic bale press machines for bundling waste materials destined for recycling.

Unlike oriented Polypropylene Strapping, which is secured with a crimped seal or friction weld joint, polyester strapping uses a plastic or metal buckle. The buckle locks onto the strap to prevent it from loosening. If the strap stretches or the load contracts, additional tension can be applied without having to re-strap the load.

Polyester strapping also has another unique feature – system strength. All strapping has what we call break strength, or break strain; this is the maximum force that strap will sustain under tension before breaking. The break strain of polyester strapping is lower than that of oriented strapping, but the combination of the strap and the buckle (system strength) almost double the break strain of the strap alone. That’s why, when choosing corded strapping, you should compare system strength as well as break strain.

StrapTite has the UK’s widest range of plastic, steel, stainless steel strapping, tools and accessories, and SureFast® oriented polypropylene and polyester strapping is recommended for use with SureFast® premium quality tools and strapping products.