The Basics of Stainless Steel Banding
When choosing Stainless Steel Banding/Stainless Steel Strapping for a particular application, there are a number of basic considerations. Being aware of these issues beforehand and doing a bit of research can help to ensure that the banding that is chosen will properly suit the task at hand, greatly lowering the chance of failure or other disappointing outcomes. In fact, becoming familiar with the basics of steel banding takes relatively little in the way of work and will therefore be worthwhile for just about anyone in a range of industries and job roles.
The two most basic and obvious characteristics of steel banding are the width and thickness of a particular type. Banding available from producers like It Straps On regularly varies from a fraction of an inch in width to two or more, and this obviously has major implications for the way the banding will perform. Thinner banding, naturally enough, is typically used for light duty applications, particularly where relatively delicate parts must be secured. The thinnest banding, in fact, can be flexible enough that it resembles, in handling characteristics, other materials like cord or wire, while still offering quite a bit in the way of tensile strength.
Wider varieties of banding, then, are used for jobs where even more in the way of strength and holding power is required. Two-inch banding, for example, is often used in the oil and gas industry, where it can keep rugged pipes bundled together securely without fail. It might also be used for a variety of permanent mounting needs, whether for large signs aboard an ocean-going ship or for holding transformers and other electrical equipment securely to utility poles.
If the width of a particular kind of banding is important, its thickness is just as much so. As with width, thickness affects the ultimate strength of ISO Stainless banding, and it has an even greater effect on the handling characteristics. A thinner style of banding will adhere more closely to the contours of whatever it is strapped to, while thicker banding will be more capable of making loads conform to the regular arc it describes when put under tension.
Beyond these two simple considerations, alloy strength and corrosion resistance must also be taken into account. In many cases, these vary in an inverse relationship, with marine-grade alloys that resist corrosion under the harshest conditions giving up something in the way of strength. Once again, then, there are normally some trade-offs to be assessed and chosen among, as is described at isostainless.com.
