(847) 717-3300Plastic strapping from Millennium Packaging is the most cost-effective way to secure your packages for all your shipping and handling needs, with clear performance across many applications. A great alternative to steel, plastic strapping can take care of your heavy-duty packages.
There are two types of plastic strapping: Polyester strapping and polypropylene strapping. Either material can be cost-effective when compared to steel strapping, which makes this form of strapping an excellent choice when you are working with smaller loads.
If you are looking for a strapping material that has some give, ultimately preventing damage to your most sensitive packages, then plastic strapping material would be a great fit for you in a variety of situations. Strapping plastic comes in a variety of strengths and sizes, meeting your packaging needs.
What Is Plastic Strapping Used For?
Plastic straps are generally used to secure, bundle, and unitize products, helping keep items stable during storage, handling, and shipping. Plastic strapping is commonly used in applications like palletizing paper products, lumber, bottles, cans, and corrugated cardboard, ensuring loads are ready for storage and shipment.
How Much Weight Can Plastic Strapping Hold?
It depends on the material, width, thickness, and preferred application. Polyester strapping can reach breakpoint strengths as high as 2,200 lbs, making it a strong alternative to lighter steel strapping. Polypropylene is designed for lighter-duty applications like bundling and carton closing.
Plastic strapping coils are 80% lighter than steel strapping, making them easier to use for hand-strapping products. Machine-grade strapping makes it easier to get larger volumes of products out the door while still taking advantage of the lower cost of plastic strapping. This form of strapping is an excellent complement to stretch wrap to help ensure your pallets are secure, no matter what happens during the shipping process.
Polyester Strapping
Polyester strapping is the strongest form of plastic strap material. Polyester strapping can withstand high initial tensioning, provide extremely high break strength levels, and offer superior impact resistance. This makes polyester strapping material an excellent and cost-effective alternative to steel. The minimal elongation properties of polyester strapping material help to maintain load retention levels during transport or long-term storage.
The rubber band effect of polyester allows the strapping to stretch and retain tension with less chance of snapping if the load shifts during transport, ensuring your products (such as lumber, glass bottles, cans, and other heavy pallets) arrive at their destination in one piece and sealed securely.
Polypropylene Strapping
Polypropylene strapping has a weaker breakpoint than polyester strapping, but it is the most economical and commonly used material on the market. It is lightweight and durable, providing you with the peace of mind knowing your products (such as meat and seafood, magazines, and linens) will make it to their destination in the same condition they left your warehouse in.
Polypropylene’s high elongation and recovery properties make this product an excellent choice for a wide range of applications, including palletizing, unitizing, carton closing, and bundling. This form of strapping comes in both hand and machine grade, making polypropylene suitable to meet even large volumes of products.
If you need to secure lightweight materials that do not require or would be damaged by a heavy-duty strap, then polypropylene strapping might be the best strapping material for you.
Can plastic strapping be used with stretch wrap?
Yes, and it’s a best practice. Plastic strapping reinforces pallet stability while stretch film protects against moisture, dust, and load shifting. Using both together is an effective, cost-efficient solution for securing heavy or irregular pallet loads before shipping.
What Is the Difference Between Polyester Strapping and Polypropylene Strapping?
Not all plastic strapping supplies are created equal. Polyester strapping is stronger, maintains tension longer, and is ideal for heavy-duty loads and storage. Polypropylene is the more economical option, best for reinforcement of lighter loads like carton closing and bundling.
Polyester strapping is usually glossy and smooth and can retain tension over a long period of time, making this a great product to use for storage. Polyester strapping material is more cost-effective than steel, but polypropylene strapping is the least expensive option out there.
Polypropylene usually comes in a matte finish and is typically embossed or cut in a waffle-like design for better hold. The low retained tension of polypropylene does mean that the strapping will often lose about half of its applied tension within an hour of being applied. This makes polypropylene the best option for delicate packages, but probably not the best choice for more heavy-duty loads.
What strapping equipment do I need for plastic straps?
Plastic strapping can be applied by hand with handheld strapping tools or with automatic and semi-automatic machines for higher-volume operations. Both polyester and polypropylene strapping come in hand-grade and machine-grade options, so your team can work efficiently across operations.
Our tensioners and sealers help you to add the best packaging plastic straps to your products so you can protect them throughout the entire shipping and handling process.
Complimentary Strapping Evaluation
As a leading strapping supplier, Millennium Packaging is here to help you meet all your packaging needs, including plastic strapping material.
As a plastic strapping supplier, our experienced and knowledgeable technicians are available to answer questions to help you choose the best strapping and strapping equipment that meets your needs before you purchase. Reach out today!
