Few people without certain industrial or agricultural backgrounds have heard of baling wire. However, even those who know and use the term ‘haywire’ may not be aware that this term came from the excellent ability to bale or ‘hay’ wire to be used in machinery or farm equipment fixes. Though there are many different types of baling wire with many different gauge options, understanding the uses and features of cardboard baling wire is actually quite simple.
Uses
Baling wire was traditionally strong wire used to keep hay bales together on farms, but its tensile strength and ability to withstand pressure from packed items has made it widely used in the industrial sector to package commodities together. Cardboard is one such commodity that needs to be packaged at many stages along its life. When it is produced, it needs to be packed for shipping, whereas when it is being stored as stock it needs to be in bales, and when it is being recycled or disposed of in large quantities, it needs to be stored efficiently, which are achieved by baling. In short, cardboard baling allows better management of space by containing and compacting cardboard in a safe way.
Why is baling wire needed?
To those who aren’t familiar with baling, baling wire may seem like an extra variable cost that compacting cardboard does not require. However, despite compacting and baling having similar space-saving benefits, the process that is right for your business depends on what is happening to the cardboard after the process is undertaken. Baling and compacting reduce the volume of cardboard, but only baling keeps the materials safe for re-use. If you need to reduce the space of waste cardboard before simply disposing of it a compactor may be right for you, but if your cardboard is going to be re-used you need baling wire to keep the cardboard compact as well as safe and reusable.
Types
Baling wire comes in many different shapes and sizes.
- Single Loop Bale Ties – single loop bale ties typically range from 9 to 24 feet in length but can be made in almost any length depending on the requirements. They come in gauge lengths from 11 to 14, and for cardboard, the gauge requirement depends on the baling machine to be used as well as the size of the bale. For example, if using a vertical baler, 13 or 14 gauge wire should be used for cardboard, but if you are using an auto tie baler you can form large bales that need the stronger 10 gauge wire to keep the cardboard safe and compressed.
- Black Annealed Baling Wire – this baling wire is often the choice when there is only space to store cardboard outdoors (e.g., some recycling operations), as it is resistant to climate and environmental factors. It is also resilient and flexible, so if you have different sizes of cardboard that need to be stored you may want this wire.
- Galvanized Stem Wire – if you are storing a high volume of cardboard in a bale, this wire is recommended due to its incredible strength.
Whatever the baling wire gauge or type you need for your cardboard Baling Wire Direct can assist you with its large selection of cardboard baling wire.
