Strapping Machines: An Underrated Ally for Your Packaging

As your packaging production ramps up, so must your processes.

Yes, while it may have been feasible to manually complete some tasks when you were growing the company and working with small amounts, automation is often necessary to streamline efficiency as operations grow.

Though it may seem like an afterthought, one piece of equipment that can achieve time savings and maximize productivity is a strapping machine.

What exactly is a strapping machine?

It’s an end-of-line packaging machine that works to fasten a package or pallet of packages. It helps enhance containment, bundle goods and secure loads to pallets.

Strapping machines work with a variety of different materials to “band” product together, with the most popular being:

• Steel
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyester
• Cordex

There are two main categories of strapping machines: automatic and semi-automatic.

Automatic machines typically integrate and work with conveyors to streamline the strapping process, largely taking any need for an operator out of the equation. Essentially, they detect loads, strap, tighten and cut all on their own.

The big difference between automatic and semi-automatic strapping machines is that the latter requires an operator. The role of the operator with a semi-automatic machine involves applying and tightening straps around the application.

Semi-automatic machines are better suited for companies producing smaller volumes of product. One of the key benefits to them is that these machines are portable and can be moved throughout the facility, while automatic machines are largely stationary.

If you’re manually strapping more than 20 to 25 items per day, then it would likely be wise for your operations to invest in a strapping machine.

Aside from the time savings and streamlining of efficiency, there are various other benefits to having a strapping machine on your plant floor. These include:

Adaptability to Different Tension Requirements:

Every package or good has different tension requirements. One of the nice things about automatic strapping machines is that they come with adjustable tension features to cater to any application.

Minimize Waste:

Waste can be an issue when manually strapping, as there’s a tendency to overestimate the amount of material that’s needed for a particular application. Wasted material translates to wasted money.

You won’t get much – if any – waste when using a strapping machine, as they’re designed to use only the amount of material that is required.

Safety:

Strapping machines are durable, and it’s generally much safer to have a worker operate one that it would be to have that individual strap manually.

Quality control:

You’re only as good as the product you’re supplying, and strapping machines help improve the security of your items as they’re being shipped and transported to their destination.

As you can see, strapping machines can play a crucial role in helping to take your packaging business to that next level. Don’t think of this equipment as an afterthought – it can become a key ally in your operation.