I have always found it amazing that you can pull strapping so hard through the cord buckle and the cord strap does not back out.  The two main secrets are in the coating and geometry.  If your cord buckle is galvanized coated, a woven strap will back right out.  Galvanized buckles lower the friction and are used for composite cord strapping like CC65 or CC105.  Phosphorus coating acts like a sand paper, increasing friction.  It is almost always used on woven cord strap, or on composite that ships on containers.

The other way to get more friction is with a  ladder style lashing buckle.  This rigid buckle does not bend, with the buckle legs clamping down to secure the strap.  Instead it takes a long weave with the strap to put more surface area of the strap onto the buckle.

The latest innovative addition to the world of strapping is cord strapping, made from high tenacity polyester yarns. These straps are a level above the poly straps. Compared to steel strapping and poly strapping, Cord strapping has numerous advantages. As opposed to steel, cord strapping is weather resistant, it does not rust, it is just as strong, and it is light and easily portable. As opposed to poly strapping, cord straps retain more tension and strength; they are cost effective, re-tensionable and even more cost effective.

Cord strap may very easily be confused with poly strapping because they both look and feel very similar. Cord strapping is available in three types: composite, bonded and woven.  The woven cord strap is a combination of the composite and bonded cord strapping. However, the easiest way to distinguish between the two is to add a piece of each to some water. Cord strap floats while poly strapping sinks, this is because cord strapping is lighter and more flexible than poly strapping.

Applications of Cord strapping

Cord strapping is available in a wide range of strengths and flexibility ranging from 100 pounds and up to 45,000 pounds. This allows for a wider range of applications too. Cord strapping is also considered to be safer, more convenient and more cost effective compared to steel and poly strapping.

Cord strapping can be used to package and transport any load in any industry. It is applicable in palletizing, unitizing, bundling, carton packaging, reinforcing, etc.

Cord strapping can be secured with metal fasteners depending on the weight of the package. On the other hand, for smaller loads, it can be tied into knots like rope, and both secure a high joint efficiency.

Why use cord strapping:

• Cord strapping is more flexible as compared to steel and poly straps
• Cord strapping is a safer option with lesser chances of injury
• Cord straps are energy and cost efficient
• Cord has greater shock absorbency
• It has lower chances of damaging the cargo that is packaged

The disadvantage of using cord strapping, however, is that the cord itself may be damaged depending on the nature of the cargo. In situations like this, costs would increase as the package would need to be reinforced.

The choice between the types of strapping is dependent on a variety of factors. What suits one purpose may not suit another. Allstrap offers a variety of strapping options like steel, poly and cord straps, tools and other equipment. It is a one stop shop for all strapping needs, be it industrial or personal.

In the steel service industry, the most popular kinds of strapping are cord strapping, poly strapping and steel strapping. Early on, steel strapping was the most preferred strapping method among the others. However, today, cord strapping and poly strapping have overtaken the steel strapping method as it is more cumbersome, less expensive in the long run, and can hold greater tension.

In the case of cord strapping and poly strapping, there are a variety of options to choose from. From length and width of the strapping to break strength, they have it all. While many industries still prefer poly strapping, there are many in the industry who rely only on cord strapping for several reasons.

Cord strapping comes in three different types: composite, bonded and woven. The composite cord has the strength and rigidity of steel. Rather than using metal seals or friction weld seals that are used for steel strapping and poly strapping, cord strapping uses steel buckles to hold the strap in place. One benefit of cord strap is that it uses only one tool, a tensioner. Like other strapping tools, cord tools make both manual and battery tensioners. The tools to be used with cord strapping differ based on applications. The best manual tools are ASC325 and ASC395. However, we recommend using the newest strapping tool, the Golden Bear C11 battery tensioning tool. The C11 can pull 2,700 pounds of tension, which is more than traditional pneumatic steel strapping tools. It uses a Milwaukee drill as its motor and it’s the easiest tool on the market to use.

Benefits of cord strapping:

•    It is as strong as steel

•    Safe for users & receivers

•    Cost effective

•    Does not damage your products

•    Shock absorbent

•    High retained tension

•    High system strengths

Bonded strapping systems need to be tensioned using manual or pneumatic Cordstrap polyester strapping tools. Minimal wear & tear and low initial cost are just some of the benefits of these tools. The woven polyester strapping is a woven variation of composite and bonded polyester straps. These kind of composite strapping is manufactured from high tensil polyester yarn.

The 1”x 1650 (longer coils) weigh about 2,200 lbs and has good strength. Some of the other advantages of using cord strapping is that it is chemical and weather resistant. It will not rust and is re-tensionable. More and more industries are trying to switch over to cord-polyester strapping as it is very cost effective and also less time consuming. Since it is also light weight, workers use it effortlessly and the work gets done faster. The damage during transit is very minimal. The cord strapping is also specifically designed for palletizing and bundling cargo. Moreover, there are other variables like the nature and weight of your cargo and the mode of transport you choose. Once this is determined, you will be able to choose the strapping product will be suitable for damage free transit.

There are several pneumatic strapping and lashing tools that lets you apply a good amount of tension to your strap with less effort at the push of a button. If you want a safe and cost effective alternative to steel strapping at if you are looking best tools from Signode, Fromm etc, and for cord strapping  and other cord strapping solutions, Allstrap is the best choice.

Cord Strap, a particular type of strapping technique that was devised as an alternative to steel strapping. Originally made of rayon, the composition changed a bit at a later stage. Polyester took the place of plain rayon because of its high strength and shock absorbing properties.

Cord strapping has undergone lots of evolution over past few years. Now, it is available in three different forms, i.e., bonded, composite and woven. While the bonded cord is designed to meet varied bundling applications across a multitude of industries the composite category is the best choice for heavy duty applications because of its water and shock resistance properties. No wonder this strapping has made its way through a range of cargo securing applications.

Cord strapping is commonly used in applications like

• Bundling
• Unitizing
• Palletizing
• Closing of cargo/crate

Apart from these, the strapping also works best for reinforcing, containerization, railcar loading, deck lashings and intermodal loads.

How to apply Cord Strap:

• Feed the strap around the buckle and thread it through the buckle properly
• Squeeze the tensioner handle as this triggers the gripper foot
• Place the tensioner on the bottom strap so that the bottom strap is fed under the gripper foot
• Make sure that the tensioner is positioned at least a foot away from the buckle
• Tension the strap by pushing the button on the grip
• On completion, squeeze the handle thus cutting and releasing the strap

This technique is more or less the same with bonded or woven cord strap. There are several reasons why cord strapping is preferred over steel strapping. Though similar to steel strapping in many respects, cord strap scores higher in cost effectiveness, security, shock absorbance, strength, retained tension, lightweight, portability and chemical resistance.

In order to decide the best cord strapping option, you need to consider variables like nature, weight of the cargo and mode of transportation. A detailed discussion with a reputed dealer helps in making the right selection.

Composite Cord Strapping

Composite cord strapping is designed as one of the best alternative to metal strapping. It can be used for the most heavy-duty strapping applications without any worries. It can offer the same strength and tenacity of its steel or stainless steel counterparts while being safer, easier to handle and cost-effective.

Why Composite Cord Strapping?

Composite cord strapping is also highly resistant to the elements. It is so durable that it has also been called the best alternative to steel. Composite cord is made from high-tenacity polyester yarns with polymer coating. You can choose it in a large variety of strengths and widths.

This poly strapping is what comes closest to steel strapping in terms of strength. It is widely used in the lumber industry, and is being accepted by other heavy-duty industries too. You will need only a buckle to seal it. There is no need for other types of seals like closed or open seals. Composite strapping has also found application in the rail road due to its very high strength. Besides, it can easily withstand the elements.

Advantages of Using Composite Cord Strapping

• It can be as strong as steel
• It is much more cost effective
• It is also much safer than steel or stainless steel strapping
• There is no damage to the load/package
• It has high shock absorbing capacity
• It can retain very high tension, so you can use it with highly powerful strapping tools
• It is weather-resistant and chemical-resistant
• Composite plastic strapping is lightweight and easily portable
• There is no risk of rotting or rusting

Composite strapping is manufactured to be extremely rigid as compared to other types of cord strapping. The coating gives it a more steel-like rigidity and strength. It is easier to loop around the load that has to be packaged. It is also easier to thread through the closed seals or buckle before pulling.

Using Buckles for Sealing

When used with buckles, composite strapping provides you the strongest and most reliable joint. In fact, it is considered the most durable joint in the strapping industry. There are many reasons why. It has a joint efficiency that can be as high as 90% of the strength of the strap. It is also considered the most reliable closure technique. It has a special self-locking mechanism.

You can also consider other sealing mechanisms like push seals, but composite strapping is always recommended to be used with a buckle seal.

Cord is the newest heavy duty steel strap replacement. It is simple to use, and has very little start up cost.  Buy the cord strap, buckles, a tensioner, and a dispenser, no sealer needed.  The buckles work like a boy scout belt buckle.  They allow strapping to pull through in only one direction.

The strapping is so easy to use, it has taken over the lumber yards in the US market and across Europe.  It is great for several key reasons:

• Safety
• Ease of use
• Does not damage product or paint jobs like steel strapping did!
• Cord strap can be re-tightened down the line

The leading US supplier is Allstrap: 866-779-CORD, they are experts in application and the tooling that goes with cord strapping.