Concerned about rising supply costs and looking to cut costs without cutting corners?
Steel strapping or banding is the oldest type of strapping on the market and is typically used for transporting extremely heavy and stable loads when high strength and minimal elongation (stretch) are desired. But today’s crazy high steel prices are increasing your upfront costs to complete a project and ship product.
Converting from steel strapping to woven polyester strapping can help you mitigate cost increases and improve safety without compromising durability.
Related: How to Select the Best Strapping Material for Your Industrial Packaging Needs
What is Woven Polyester Strapping?
Woven strapping is made from high tenacity polyester cording that’s tightly woven to provide superior tensile strength while remaining lightweight. Woven strapping can be used for heavy shipments, railroad shipments or long-term outdoor storage.
The benefits of using woven polyester strapping include:
- More cost-effective than steel strapping
- No sharp edges to cause injuries or tire damage
- Strong as steel, but weighs 50-75% less
- Easily applied and can be re-tensioned
- Will not rust
- Chemical-resistant
- Weather-resistant
- Lightweight and portable
7 Cost Reduction Strategies for Choosing Woven Polyester Strapping Over Steel
Still not convinced woven polyester strapping is the right industrial packaging material for your needs? Let’s calculate the cost benefits of using woven strap.
Save on Labor Costs
Compared to steel strapping which is heavy, bulky and requires special equipment to apply, woven strapping is easy to use and doesn’t require multiple personnel to apply. Whereas steel strapping is typically a two-person operation, one worker can prepare a load with woven strap using a ratcheting tensioner and a buckle. It’s also available in longer-length coils than steel, requiring fewer changeouts over time.
Save on Production and Tooling Costs
Steel strapping often requires expensive tools or machinery to apply. But with woven polyester strapping, expensive machinery isn’t required. Simple, inexpensive hand tools are all you need. Woven strap is also more flexible than steel and eliminates the need for expensive corner pads or cushions. Additionally, woven polyester strapping does not require the use of special safety gear or PPE like steel banding does.
Save Money from Reduced Defects and Damage
With woven polyester strapping, there is no rust due to humidity or moisture like there is with steel straps. Woven strapping is flexible so there is reduced opportunity for scratching or damaging the surfaces or corners of loads. The flexibility and elasticity of woven straps also enable them to recover better after severe impact or shifting weight.
Save on Workers Compensation Claims Due to Injury or Exertion
One coil of steel strap can weigh between 105 and 110 pounds, making it cumbersome to handle and maneuver. Woven polyester strapping is lightweight — improving worker ergonomics and reducing fatigue and exertion.
In addition, steel strapping can be dangerous. When a worker removes a steel strap from a load, they are subject to injury from the recoil of the newly cut and sharpened edge. Woven polyester strapping has dull edges that allow it to be cut under tension without recoil, protecting workers from the risk of cuts and lacerations.
Fact: In 2019, more than 121,000 workers experienced occupational hand injuries with an average of 5 days away from work (NSC Injury Facts). The average cost for workers’ compensation claims related to the hand, fingers or wrist is approximately $25,000.
Save on Shipping Costs
Woven polyester strapping is more conformable to packages than steel banding, making it easier to configure loads economically. Additionally, steel banding is heavy and adds to the gross weight of the package. The heavier the load, the higher the fuel transportation costs that are factored into shipping costs.
Save on Strap Replacement
Once steel banding is cut to release the package it can’t be reused. Woven polyester is re-tensionable and reusable when used with buckles, saving on strap replacement costs. Woven strap is also flexible so it is resistant to damage if it were to be bent or twisted.
Save on Storage and Handling Costs
Steel strapping is environmentally unfriendly and expensive to recycle. Used strapping requires a lot of space to store and to dispose of because it doesn’t compact. When debanded, steel strapping is very hazardous to workers if not removed and disposed of properly. Due to the high tension and sharp edges associated with steel banding, there is often a recoil effect upon removal that can be extremely dangerous to workers and bystanders. Woven polyester strapping requires less storage space than steel coils and is safer to handle.
While steel strapping remains a common solution for bulky loads, it is costly and can increase the risk of worker injury. For these reasons and more, companies have begun using woven polyester strapping for their packaging, transport and storage needs. Not only is woven polyester strapping a safer alternative to steel banding, but it can also be more economical as well.
LINC Systems is proud to carry a variety of industrial packaging products like polypropylene strapping, polyester strapping, woven strapping and steel strapping from top-rated brands like BOSS, Carolina Strapping, Fromm, Signode, ACME, and Polychem. To learn more about how LINC Systems can improve your packaging applications and save you money, contact us today by calling 800-513-9918 or visit LINCsystems.com.