Plastic Strapping Machine

Compare PLASTIC STRAPPING MACHINES or Banders or Bundlers. These machines are used to strap plastic bands around a product.. A Plastic Strapping Machine is often used for securing boxes, bundling two or more products together or securing a load. 

Plastic Strapping Machines most commonly use strapping material from polypropylene although for some heavier applications some Plastic Banding Machines may use polyester strapping material.  The strapping material can be smooth or embossed (waffled).  Typically the embossed is less expensive but creates more dust inside the Plastic Strapping Machine which can lead to less reliable performance.

Plastic Strapping Machines typically use a heat knife to melt the two ends of strap together around the package.  Some Bundlers may use a friction weld to melt the strap. Heat knives are faster but must be kept clean to work reliably.  Friction welds are slower but require less maintenance and work better in dirtier or harsher environments.    

The machines are available in three levels of automation:

 

Table Top Strapping Machine

The operator places the package on the machine over a narrow channel that the strap sits in. He then takes the end of the strap by hand and feeds it over the load and into a slot. The table top strapping machine then pulls strap tightly around the load and seals the two ends.

Semi Automatic Plastic Strapping Machines

This type of machine has an arch or chute that the package in placed under by an operator.  Then the operator pushed a button or steps on a foot switch to cycle the machine.  The Plastic Strapping Machine pushes the strap around the chute very quickly and the pulls the strap securely around the load.  Then the strap is sealed and released.  Now the operator removes the strapped package   

Automatic Plastic Strapping Machines

The machine moves the load into position with belt conveyors, straps the package in the same sequence as a Semi Automatic Plastic Strapping Machine and moves the load out of the machine position. This is all done without operator intervention.

 

Other important parameters are:

Chute Size

This determines the largest size the Plastic Strapping Machine can strap. There is a dimension for package height and width.  Be careful not to buy a chute size that is much larger than the smallest package size.  Strapping very small loads with a very large chute Plastic Strapping Machine can cause strap feeding problems and strap missing the load.

Strap Size

Strap is available in 5 mm, 6mm, 3/8 inch, 7/16 inch, ½ inch and ¾ inch sizes.

 

Break strength, applied tension and price are the three primary considerations to determine which strap size to buy.  Most Plastic Strapping Machines are not adjustable for strap size but a few offer limited strap size adjustments. 

It’s best to know what strap size is needed before buying a machine.

Tension

This is measurement of how tightly the strap is pulled around the package.  Higher tension requires wider strap.  Usually heavier boxes need more tension. Smaller Plastic Strapping Machines will pull between 6lbs and 100lbs.

Larger machines can pull over 250lbs.  With most Plastic Strapping Machines tension applied can be controlled with a knob