Plastic Strapping Applications
Plastic Strapping Applications.
Plastic containers and trolleys are used by department stores and are an excellent method of supplying product from the distribution outlet to the stores shelves. Plastic containers are based on a standard 800 x 600 mm module and are usually stacked and secured with plastic straps to deny unauthorised access. Maximum load height of a stacked trolley is usually 8 layers with containers stacked two lengthwise and one crosswise requiring up to three straps per trolley. A good low cost way of applying up to three straps simultaneously is to use the mobile plastic strapping machines manufactured by The Plastic Strapping Company Ltd which can complete a three strap application in 60 seconds.
Alternatively a rather more expensive but not necessarily much quicker would be semi automatic strapping machine. The operator can position the trolley for each strapping position and start the strapping cycle via the cycle start button, as shown above. Note however that the determinate governing speed of this system will be the rate at which trolleys are manually placed into the strapping machine.
Strapping of particle board.
Chipboard and fibreboard (MDF, HDF) are inherently stable and provided they are protected from the weather whilst transported and stored, require the minimum of packaging. The packaging methods however can vary because of the wide variance in product type and size produced. It can be in raw form i.e. with untreated surfaces's ,laminated or coated. Particle board and fibreboard in standard sizes is stacked about 900mm high but can of course be cut to size to suit customer requirements. Polyester strapping, used in conjunction with corner protection pieces to protect the strap from any very sharp edges as these can act on the strap like oscillating blades during transit.
Large pallet boxes, and combined with the pallet strapping.
All types of product across all industry sectors require their products to be packaged and transported to all corners of the world and much of this traffic used Triwall cardboard containers. The packaging should be consistent in order for it to be easily stacked and ensure protection against damage from impact and external influences, previously requiring the use of wooden boxes and crates.
With the worldwide use of sea containers there is an ever increasing pressure to ensure that container capacity is fully utilized, whilst goods are able to arrive safely as per ex works despatch conditions on arrival. Plastic Strapping therefore is in widespread use for securing these Triwall containers to pallets, particularly polyester strapping which is unaffected by extreme changes in ambient temperatures. Where this type of packaging is used in high volumes then automatic plastic strapping machines can be used.
Canned food and drink, secured on a pallet.
This type of operation is normally accomplished with the use of automated in line plastic strapping machines due to the very high throughput, the pre-strapped unstability of the load, it's height, and its modular composition - more than 1000 cans. Polyester strapping is always used for this application - 9mm wide - as this can easily be stretched sufficiently to provide good recovery characteristics in the event that the loads are further compressed as happens when the loads are stacked - one on top of the other in distribution areas.
Plastic sheets normally separate each of the layers, and a top board placed on top to ensure even load compression, and to act as top edge protection when the strap is tightened.
Paper is one of the few products that justify the use of film wrapping to maintain a balanced amount of moisture in the paper and to protect it from dirt and dust., and the best way to apply it is with a semi automatic or automatic stretch film machine. The manual application of films to pallets is costly and there is now also a wide acceptance that risk levels to operators are high and to be avoided.
Palletised paper is generally strapped using an in line plastic strapping machine incorporating a top press to remove air trapped between layers before polyester strapping is applied
For the smaller plastic manufacturer there is an easy way to strap tubes onto a pallet using only polyester strapping i.e no timber battens, using a simple strap interleaving method and battery powered strapping tools. The strapping is threaded around the tubes prior to applying tensioning and sealing as shown in the diagram to produce a stable pack that can be safely handled and transported.
The pallets used are to special sizes to suit the wheels, can be made from timber or metal and are generally held in a recirculating pool.
Perhaps the most interesting and surprising point is that ingots, both lead and aluminium, historically secured with steel strapping, are now strapped with polyester strapping after being cooled to 70 degrees centigrade with specialist cooling equipment incorporated into the production line. Robotic picking and stacking is in wide spread use and this coupled with the use of automated inline plastic strapping machines produces a palletised cube weighing approx 1200kgs.
Historically metal billets have been strapped with steel strapping but here's another instance where polyester strapping does a better job, normally applied with pneumatic friction weld strapping tools that can apply the high tensions required to elongate 19mm and 25mm wide strapping. A billet is a length of metal that has a round or square cross-section that are manufactured via a continous casting, extrusion or rolling.
Securing palletised sheet board
To ensure the most stable and compact load neccesary to allow loads to be stacked safely, and to minimise transport costs the load is compressed with 30 - 50 Kn compressive load, before the straps are applied. Compression is achieved either with a stand alone compression press, or an inline strapping machine incorporating a compression strapping head/platen.
Gypsum Plasterboard is manufactured in sizes to conform with the Building Standards and has many uses, the main ones being, ceilings, prefabricating internal walls, renovation and conversion of buildings etc The gypsum boards can have tongued and grooved or square butt edges, that can easily be damaged on edge so care should be exercised not only in handling but particularly when packaging the product.
Straps can be placed horizontally and vertically. The position and number of straps depends on size of slab and method pf packaging used. The one common feature that must be observed is the need to make sure that the pack is fully consolidated prior to the strap being applied. Automated Plastic Strapping Machines can incorporate compression devices to ensure this occurs. The use of polyester strapping is well established and is the defacto standard because of its superior tension retension and resistance to UV deterioration.
A polythene top sheet can automatically be placed on top of the load, to prevent water penetration, but allows brand promotion, and a means of printing batch data etc.
Alternatively a rather more expensive but not necessarily much quicker would be semi automatic strapping machine. The operator can position the trolley for each strapping position and start the strapping cycle via the cycle start button, as shown above. Note however that the determinate governing speed of this system will be the rate at which trolleys are manually placed into the strapping machine.
Strapping Chipboard
Chipboard and fibreboard (MDF, HDF) are inherently stable and provided they are protected from the weather whilst transported and stored, require the minimum of packaging. The packaging methods however can vary because of the wide variance in product type and size produced. It can be in raw form i.e. with untreated surfaces's ,laminated or coated. Particle board and fibreboard in standard sizes is stacked about 900mm high but can of course be cut to size to suit customer requirements. Polyester strapping, used in conjunction with corner protection pieces to protect the strap from any very sharp edges as these can act on the strap like oscillating blades during transit.
Methods of applying the polyester strapping can be simple low cost but very effective strapping machines of the type manufactured by The Plastic Strapping Company Ltd
Automatic in line plastic strapping machines are designed for high throughput 24 x 7 production operations. These machines have top mounted strapping heads which will automatically adjust to accommodate most combinations of package width and height with ease. Un-palletised loads may be strapped at high speed several times along the length with bottom runners and edge protection being automatically applied as required. The strapping head is capable of applying high tension to ensure stability of the most difficult of packages.
Strapping Pallet boxes
All types of product across all industry sectors require their products to be packaged and transported to all corners of the world and much of this traffic used Triwall cardboard containers. The packaging should be consistent in order for it to be easily stacked and ensure protection against damage from impact and external influences, previously requiring the use of wooden boxes and crates.
With the worldwide use of sea containers there is an ever increasing pressure to ensure that container capacity is fully utilized, whilst goods are able to arrive safely as per ex works despatch conditions on arrival. Plastic Strapping therefore is in widespread use for securing these Triwall containers to pallets, particularly polyester strapping which is unaffected by extreme changes in ambient temperatures. Where this type of packaging is used in high volumes then automatic plastic strapping machines can be used.
It is frequently the case that a Triwall packing operation is not conveyorised and in circumstances such as this plastic strapping can be applied manually, which is naturally tiring and slow, or using pallet strapping equipment that is mobile, such as a VP2 Strap Poka that permit two plastic straps to be applied simultaneously in just six seconds. Friction weld plastic strapping tools are frequently used also and The Plastic Strapping Company Ltd manufacture a means of enabling use of this tool type to be virtually 'Hands Free'
Strapping Cans
This type of operation is normally accomplished with the use of automated in line plastic strapping machines due to the very high throughput, the pre-strapped unstability of the load, it's height, and its modular composition - more than 1000 cans. Polyester strapping is always used for this application - 9mm wide - as this can easily be stretched sufficiently to provide good recovery characteristics in the event that the loads are further compressed as happens when the loads are stacked - one on top of the other in distribution areas.
Plastic sheets normally separate each of the layers, and a top board placed on top to ensure even load compression, and to act as top edge protection when the strap is tightened.
Strapping Paper
Wrapping and strapping of sheets of paper
Paper size A4 is boxed in five ream quantities per box, secured with 5mm wide polypropylene strapping - palletised, stretch or shrink wrapped and strapped. The average pallet weight is 700 kg, the maximum weight is about 1200 kg.Paper is one of the few products that justify the use of film wrapping to maintain a balanced amount of moisture in the paper and to protect it from dirt and dust., and the best way to apply it is with a semi automatic or automatic stretch film machine. The manual application of films to pallets is costly and there is now also a wide acceptance that risk levels to operators are high and to be avoided.
Palletised paper is generally strapped using an in line plastic strapping machine incorporating a top press to remove air trapped between layers before polyester strapping is applied
Where paper needs to be strapped off production line then low cost mobile pallet strapping machines not only suit this application but also act as back up strapping systems in the event of main strapping machine failure.
Strapping Plastic Tube & Pipes
For the smaller plastic manufacturer there is an easy way to strap tubes onto a pallet using only polyester strapping i.e no timber battens, using a simple strap interleaving method and battery powered strapping tools. The strapping is threaded around the tubes prior to applying tensioning and sealing as shown in the diagram to produce a stable pack that can be safely handled and transported.Strapping Automotive Wheels
Automotive manufacturers determine how their OEM suppliers package and present their products and generally supply many of the packaging components i.e pallets, interleaves in the form of mouldings that conform to the wheel dimensions and hold them securely.
The pallets used are to special sizes to suit the wheels, can be made from timber or metal and are generally held in a recirculating pool.
Between 40 and 80 wheels (average weight of about 10 kg) are usually placed on a pallet frequently by robotic pickers and stackers, and subsequently pass down line for stretch or shrink wrapping, or of course strapping with polyester banding applied with a top seal strapping machine, equipped with turntable if cross strapping is required.
Pallets of wheels are usually cross strapped with 3 x 2 or 2 x 2 polyester straps. .
.Pallets of wheels are usually cross strapped with 3 x 2 or 2 x 2 polyester straps. .
Strapping Lead Ingots
The number of plastic straps applied is decided by product configuration and can range from 4 x single to cross strapping.
If the pallet is loaded manually then a mobile strapping machine VP4 can be used that will apply up to 4 straps simultaneously in 10 seconds, a low level turntable being used to turn the pallet if cross strapping is
required.
Strapping Metal Billets
Historically metal billets have been strapped with steel strapping but here's another instance where polyester strapping does a better job, normally applied with pneumatic friction weld strapping tools that can apply the high tensions required to elongate 19mm and 25mm wide strapping. A billet is a length of metal that has a round or square cross-section that are manufactured via a continous casting, extrusion or rolling.Strapping Cardboard
To ensure the most stable and compact load neccesary to allow loads to be stacked safely, and to minimise transport costs the load is compressed with 30 - 50 Kn compressive load, before the straps are applied. Compression is achieved either with a stand alone compression press, or an inline strapping machine incorporating a compression strapping head/platen.
Depending on the duration of storage, transport conditions and the instructions of the customer, the load can be wrapped with film. The film protects from dust, dirt and rain and improves the stability of the pallet load. Stretch film can be applied economically with semi automatic or automatic inline stretch wrapping machines.
Strapping Plasterboard
The individual sheets of plasterboard weigh about 20 to 32 kg varying with thickness, 6, 8 or 10mm
The plasterboard sheets are packed on pallets weighing approx 256 kg secured with polyester strapping applied with battery powered hand tools or automated strapping machines that can also apply corner protection.
Strapping Paving Slabs
Standard Paving slabs are packed without pallets generally 20 slabs per unit, secured with two polyester straps. Decorative slabs are generally palletised to minimise surface damage during handling and transit.
Straps can be placed horizontally and vertically. The position and number of straps depends on size of slab and method pf packaging used. The one common feature that must be observed is the need to make sure that the pack is fully consolidated prior to the strap being applied. Automated Plastic Strapping Machines can incorporate compression devices to ensure this occurs. The use of polyester strapping is well established and is the defacto standard because of its superior tension retension and resistance to UV deterioration.
A polythene top sheet can automatically be placed on top of the load, to prevent water penetration, but allows brand promotion, and a means of printing batch data etc.
Strapping Block Paviours
Concrete paviours are not only functional but also decorative. The pallets are subject to vibration during handling and transport and this decorative finish is protected by a separation sheet between the tiles and then securing with polyester strapping generally applied with an automated plastic strapping system. Packs are also shrink wrapped to provide additional weather protection.
