How to Tell Polyester and Polypropylene Strapping Apart
Look and feel - Polyester strapping is glossy and smooth. Polypropylene strapping has a matte finish and is usually embossed.
Tension retention – Polyester retains tension over a long period of time. Polypropylene has low retained tension, often losing about half of the applied tension with an hour of being applied. This loss can be accelerated by certain environmental factors as well.
Application methods – Polyester can be applied by manual tools, battery-operated strapping tools, and fully automatic machines. Polypropylene can be applied by hand, manual tools, battery-operated tools, semi-automatic machines and fully automatic machines.
Polyester strapping is the more rigid and strong option. Often used as a replacement to Steel Strapping in many industries. It’s used in heavy-duty bundling applications such as shipping bricks, metals, beverage pallets, and other heavyweight packages. It’s the preferred choice in situations where you need a higher initial and retained tension with less elongation, which allows it to hold a load effectively for longer periods of time.
Polypropylene strapping is economical and designed to be used for light to medium duty bundling. When people use the term 'Poly Strapping', they are most likely referring to polypropylene. It’s often used to unitize food products, timber, and packages of a lighter weight. It’s used in situations when you aren’t concerned about high initial tension and only require low retained tension. Polypropylene also offers higher elongation, which is better for loads that are fragile or will be transported for shorter periods.
You also need to assess your current strapping tools. There are no tools that cover every strap size or type. Some tools and machines can be used with any type of plastic strapping and some can only be used with either polyester or polypropylene. (Handheld tools for steel strapping are always exclusive to steel and cannot be applied with a machine.)
Assessing Your Banding and Strapping Needs
The strapping you choose for your packaging operations will have a huge effect on load containment, so it’s critical to choose the correct type for your application. Since polyester and polypropylene strapping provide specific benefits and advantages over one another, it’s important to fully understand the differences in the two materials and their intended uses to assure your loads are secure. If you aren’t sure which type of plastic strapping option is best for your needs, contact a packaging specialist for assistance.
