When you have a particular project that involves a heavy object or heavy bundles of wiring, how strong the cable ties you are using is paramount.
Tensile Strength
The strength of a cable tie is referred to as its tensile strength. This is usually given in kilograms and measures the amount of outward pressure or weight that a cable tie can bear safely, without breaking. So, as an example, a cable tie with a tensile strength of 20kg will break if it is used to hold a weight in excess of 20kg.
At cableties-online, the tensile strength of our cable ties varies from 8kg for a short nylon 6/6 cable tie, to in excess of 160kg for a long, heavy-duty stainless steel tie.
Why is tensile strength important?
Although it might seem obvious, it’s important to make it clear exactly why you need to be aware of the tensile strengths of the cable ties you are using in your industry. If you use cable ties to fasten heavy objects, for instance attaching pipework to ceilings or securing items inside vehicles, and the tensile strength of the cable ties is not sufficient for the weight of the items you are securing, the chances of the items falling from where you have secured them is high.
Here, we take a walkthrough of our various products, outlining the tensile strength of each, according to the width of the tie. Generally speaking, the wider the cable tie, the greater the tensile strength as follows:
Standard Nylon 6/6 Cable Ties
80mm x 2.5mm - 8kg
All other 2.5mm - 8.1kg
All 3.6mm wide - 18.2kg
All 4.8mm wide - 22.2kg
All 7.6mm wide - 54.4kg
All 9mm wide - 79.4kg
All 12.7mm wide - 114kg
Our standard cable ties are manufactured from nylon 6/6 for strength and resilience and can be supplied in lengths from 80mm to 1530mm. These tensile strengths also apply to all our coloured nylon 6/6 cable ties.
Stainless Steel Cable Ties
Stainless steel cable ties are typically used where harsh conditions such as weathering and corrosion need to be considered. Manufactured from 316 stainless steel, and supplied in a choice of 9 lengths and 2 widths, our stainless steel cable ties are recommended for use in securing heavy weights. The narrower width measures 4.6mm and has a minimum loop tensile strength of 89kg, while the other option (7.9mm) has a minimum loop tensile strength of 160kg.
UV and Heat Stabilised Cable Ties
2.5mm wide - 8kg
3.6mm wide - 18kg
4.8mm wide - 22kg
7.6mm wide - 55kg
9mm wide - 80kg
12.7mm wide - 114kg
Our UV and heat stabilised cable ties are designed for permanent outdoor use and to withstand heat, making them the perfect solution for securing heat conductive cabling.
Screw Mount Cable Ties
2.5mm wide - 8.1kg
3.6mm wide - 18.2kg
4.8mm wide - 22.2kg
7.6mm wide - 54.4kg
Screw mount cable ties feature a mounting device which is secured with a screw, removing the need for additional fixings.
Calculating how many cable ties you need
When planning a project that will involve cable ties, it’s worth doing some calculations first, to know how many cable ties you will need to ensure maximum safety, bearing in mind that the tensile strengths given above indicate the maximum weight that ONE cable tie can tolerate.
If you are planning to use heavy-duty stainless steel cable ties with a tensile strength of 160kg each and you are routing a heavy line that weighs 640kg that needs to be attached to a pipe, the minimum number of cable ties you would need is four (640kg divided by 160kg = 4). We would always recommend using more than the minimum amount of cable ties in order to ensure that each tie is not being used to its maximum capacity. The total weight should be distributed across the number of cable ties being used; in this case, each cable tie should hold no more than 160kg.
Are you working on a project at the moment? Do you need to order cable ties in bulk numbers to ensure an even distribution of weight? For all your specific project requirements, our dedicated sales team is available to advise on the right cable tie for you and will be happy to quote for bulk orders. Contact us today on 01623 706 241 to see how we can help.
