Pallet banding involves applying tensioned straps around goods secured to a pallet to create a single, cohesive unit. This process ensures products remain stable and intact throughout transport and delivery. Achieving reliable load integrity through proper strapping is necessary for any business shipping physical goods.
Why Pallet Banding is Essential
Securing a load maintains its structural integrity throughout the shipping cycle. By applying sufficient vertical and horizontal force, banding prevents individual packages from shifting, leaning, or falling off the pallet base. This stability directly translates into a reduction of product damage that can occur during acceleration, braking, or maneuvering by forklifts. A properly banded pallet also protects personnel during loading and unloading operations by eliminating the hazard of unstable stacks. Meeting compliance requirements set by carriers depends on demonstrating safe, contained loads.
Choosing the Right Strapping and Tools
Selecting the appropriate strapping material depends on the weight, fragility, and destination of the load. Polypropylene strapping is used for light to medium-duty loads due to its cost-effectiveness and high elongation, allowing it to stretch without breaking. Polyester strapping offers higher tensile strength and maintains tension more effectively over long transit times, making it suitable for medium to heavy loads that require rigidity.
For the heaviest, most rigid applications, steel strapping provides the highest break strength and minimal stretch. Corded strapping, made from woven polyester fibers, is a safer, lighter option for heavy loads where high break strength is needed without the sharp edges of steel. Applying these materials requires specialized equipment, typically involving a tensioner tool to pull the strap to the desired tautness. A sealer or crimper is then used with metal seals to lock the tension, creating a permanent joint.
Preparing the Load for Maximum Security
The load must be prepared before strapping. Proper stacking involves using an interlocking pattern, where each layer of boxes is rotated 90 degrees from the one below it, enhancing stability. The stack must be centered on the pallet deck to ensure even weight distribution and prevent tipping during movement.
Using slip sheets between layers can increase friction, inhibiting movement between boxes. Corner protectors are placed under the strap at the vertical edges to distribute the tensioning force evenly across the product surface. These guards prevent the strap from cutting into the boxes and maintain the load’s shape.
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying Pallet Banding
The application process begins by determining the necessary strap pattern, which is usually a combination of girth (horizontal) and vertical straps. For standard loads, a minimum of two vertical straps—one running the length and one running the width—is recommended to secure the load to the pallet base. To thread the strap, a tool called a feed-through device or a simple length of PVC pipe is often used to guide the material under the pallet stringers and back up the opposite side.
Once the strap is positioned around the load, the two ends are brought together and inserted into the manual tensioner tool. The tensioner’s ratchet mechanism pulls the strap, gradually increasing the force until the material is taut and the load is visibly compressed. Sufficient tension must be achieved to prevent load movement without crushing the underlying product cartons.
After the desired tension is reached, a metal seal is placed over the overlapping straps near the tensioner. The sealer tool, or crimper, is then used to compress the seal, locking the strap ends together permanently. This sealing action must be applied firmly and consistently across the entire surface of the metal seal to ensure maximum joint strength. Once the seal is crimped, the tensioner’s cutter blade severs the strap. This process is repeated for all required straps, ensuring consistent tension is applied across the entire load for uniform security.
Best Practices for Safe and Secure Shipping
Optimizing the banding process requires consistent application and attention to safety precautions. Always wear appropriate hand protection when handling materials, particularly steel strapping, to avoid potential cuts or abrasions. After the straps are sealed, verify the tension by attempting to slide a finger between the strap and the product; it should feel snug and secure, but not so tight that it deforms the packaging. For exceptionally heavy or unstable loads, consider using a double-wrap technique or increasing the number of girth straps to distribute the forces more widely. Prior to releasing the pallet for shipment, a final inspection should confirm that no load shift has occurred during the application process, ensuring the pallet is ready for transit.