| Industrial products such as paneling, steel coils, and | | | | compression. This machine catches one side of the |
| piping are shipped in large quantities, as they are used | | | | strap and with the press of a button, will cinch the |
| in large scale construction projects which require | | | | load up tight by drawing in the slack. Leftover pieces |
| several pieces for completion. A major concern for | | | | of the coiled strapping are placed into an eater which |
| any industry that manufactures and ships large | | | | assists in recycling the material, reducing waste and |
| quantities of industrial products is making sure the | | | | cutting costs. |
| bundles stay together throughout transport. Not only | | | | Products such as steel coils are packaged in much |
| will the bundles have to remain as a cohesive unit | | | | the same way, although the shape of this particular |
| during transport, but the packaging material used | | | | product calls for a surface which can more readily |
| must be put on the material in such as way that it | | | | keep the products in position while the strapping is |
| does no damage to the exterior of the product. | | | | cinched. |
| When it comes to a product such as panel board, | | | | For smaller operations, there are hand-held cinching |
| much of the packaging will be done in house by the | | | | devices that require a lot more manual power than |
| mill that produces the plywood. These mills will usually | | | | strapping machines, but cost much less. These tools |
| have a packaging station which utilizes several | | | | lie on top of the material in formation, and the |
| components for an integrated packaging system. At | | | | strapping is placed in a groove. A hand lever is then |
| the most basic level are the wire straps used to | | | | worked back and forth to draw the strapping tight. |
| bundle the package together. These straps are | | | | Once this is achieved, a twist of the tool will allow a |
| generally composed of thin but strong metal which | | | | blade to cut off the excess strapping. |
| won't break easily and yet is simple to remove with | | | | With the strapping in place, the load is ready for |
| basic wire cutters. The higher quality boards are | | | | transport. Once the product leaves the packaging |
| always packed in between boards that don't | | | | station, it will be subjected to a multitude of forces |
| measure up, or cover boards, in order to prevent the | | | | as it makes it way in the world to its final destination. |
| metal edges of the strapping from cutting into the | | | | At any point along the way, inadequacy of the |
| side of the better boards. | | | | strapping system could have disastrous results; failure |
| The package is created at a strapping station, which | | | | is not an option. For more information on this article |
| includes a machine that draws power through air | | | | or a VK30 Titan strapping head, visit ItipackSystems. |