Galvanized steel and stainless steel strapping are used in a wide range of industries, from telecommunications to government suppliers and vendors.
The reasons why are clear: steel is one of the strongest substances available commercially. A refrigerator’s steel hinge, for example, can support 140 lbs of door weight without sagging. Steel is also incredibly environmentally friendly, with nearly 69% of steel in America being recycled annually.
But the strength and durability of steel can make it less pliable and difficult to utilize. That is why a wide number of tools have been developed to help maximize the use of galvanized steel and stainless steel strapping.
Tools
- Strapping Dispensers
Dispensers will help you better access your ribbon or mill wound steel strapping. - Strapping Stretcher
Also called tensioners, these hand held tools help you secure an item by tightening the steel strap around whatever item it is securing. - Strapping Sealer
The sealer works by crimping a metal clip into place, thereby preventing the strapping from coming loose. - Steel Cutters
Steel cutter are used to cut off a length of steel strapping from the dispenser. It can also remove excess strapping once it has been sealed
Application
Knowing what these tools are for means little without understanding their place in the process. In order to help you understand how all these tools might fit together, let’s imagine you are shipping a pallet of brick to a home builder.
Bricks are heavy and dangerous. You don’t want a single one of them coming loose during transportation, let alone a number. You decide the best way to secure the bricks would be to run stainless steel strapping over the pallet to hold them in place.
Your first step is to determine how much strapping you need. Measure the dimensions of all 4 sides of your pallet and then start unspooling some strapping from your dispenser. Always give yourself a little extra strapping when doing this. Next you snip the strapping from the coil and head over to your pallet.
Run the strapping along the bottom of the pallet, so that you can hold both ends at the top. Then you will feed the strapping through the stretcher, which will let you tighten the strapping until the brick is securely fastened in place. Once you are happy with that, you affix the sealing clip, and crimp it shut.
And then all that is left is for you to use your steel cutters again to cut off any extra strapping, and to dispose of the excess. Remember to recycle!
Hopefully we’ve helped you understand stainless steel strapping tools and their uses a little better.
