Other Voices: A basic guide to strapping tools and industrial packaging machinery

Editor’s note: The following column by Shaun Bryce, director of Melbourne Packaging, is part of Modern’s Other Voices column, a series featuring ideas, opinions and insights from end-users, analysts, systems integrators and OEMs. Click here to learn about submitting a column for consideration.

The strapping and industrial packaging industries can be challenging to get your head around if you haven’t had any exposure to them, or their products, before. Are you feeling overwhelmed about the components that are used with the manual tools as well as the high-tech automatic machines?

Let’s get back to basics and break down everything you need to know about strapping products. With this information, you’ll be able to make the right choice for your business.

The first step is to consider if you need to implement them in your business or not. Small businesses that need strapping for carton, crates, or pallets less than 15 times a month will find a manually operated tool is sufficient for their needs. If you need to perform this task every day, you’ll benefit from investing in a strapping machine. You’ll find it will boost your productivity because it will save your team time.

You should also look at your team’s capacity. Automated machines could free up your staff to focus on other areas that need attention. This could improve productivity, motivation, and quality control. Most important is protecting your product. A simple investment in a strapping tool could drastically reduce the damage your items experience in transit. Damaged boxes or pallets can be an overhead that affects your bottom line and your brand’s reputation. More suppliers may be willing to work with you if they know your packaging arrives safe, secure, and undamaged.

Perform an audit on your loads. If you work with smaller cartons, a table or arch strapper is the right product for your business. Large crates and pallets can be strapped manually unless you’re working with large volumes. In this case, you should investigate horizontal or vertical pallet strappers.

The type of materials you need to secure will also inform your choice in a strapping machine. For example, industries that trade in the print media area will require specialized machines to use on palletized loads.

Another thing you need to explore is the strapping that you will be used to secure your products. They will affect the tools you use and the method you apply them. Polypropylene is inexpensive and can be used for many applications. It is usually secured using a buckle and tensioner system, metal crimping seal or can be friction welded. A tensioner tool can be used to achieve the correct tension. Steel strapping can be secured with metal crimping seals using a device that crimps the strap.

So, what types of tools will you need? Let’s look at the options:

Combination tools

This tool combines a tensioner, sealer, and cutter in a single device.

How it works: Once the strap is locked, tensioned, and sealed, the combination tool crimps the seal and cuts the strap from the spool.

Suitable for: Straps up to 19mm wide.

Safety cutter

This tool is used on plastic strapping. Steel straps need specific tools. They are like metal cutting shears or bolt croppers and may come with rubber pads on the side of the blades.

Friction weld tool

This is a combination tool. It can be used with polypropylene and oriented polyester strapping.

Benefits:

• It saves the operator time because it has a shorter cycle time.
• It also gives consistent strap tension.

Best for: High volume strapping of pallet loads and big crates.

Table strapper

This product uses a polypropylene strap and friction weld sealing.

Benefits:

• Fast and consistent.
• The strap can also be set or increased to any length.
• It can be used on any item that will fit on the table.
• They are mobile and easy to store, so a suitable choice if you seldom need to use them.

Best for: Medium volume carton strapping and bundling.

Side action strappers

These are a variety of table strappers.

How it works: The tensioning and sealing mechanism is mounted to the side of the table.

Best for: Wet or dirty conditions as items cannot fall into the tensioning and sealing mechanisms.

Arch strappers

Benefits:

• Arch strappers can apply multiple straps at pre-programmed positions and timings.

Best for: A situation where many cartons are needed to be strapped continuously. If you work with heavy packages, look for a model that has roller tables and a receiving conveyor.

Pallet strappers

Pallet strappers come in various styles. This includes semi-automatic, lightweight, or mobile units.

How it works: Straps are fed manually by the operator from a probe. It then goes through a tensioning unit. A sensor detects it, and it is then tensioned, sealed and cut by the machine

Benefits: Time saving.

Best for: Businesses that work with higher volumes should choose a fully automatic unit because they are designed with an arch that can enclose a full pallet load.