Every cable tie manufacturer should be intimately familiar with zip tie tensile strength standards and tests. After all, as a commonly used bundling tool, the efficacy and safety of a zip tie hinge directly on its quality. While there are many performance metrics to consider, tensile strength stands out as both foundational and critical.
In our previous article, “1 Min Quick Guide: Cable Tie Tensile Strength“, we delved into the tensile strength (MPa) of nylon zip ties. Today, however, our focus shifts to the tie’s tensile load. It’s worth noting that even though both are often referred to as ‘tensile strength’, they are measured in different units. For today’s discussion, we’re looking at tensile strength in Newton (N) – a unit most of us are more acquainted with.
In this article, Nike Plastic will walk you through the standards and testing methods for nylon zip tie tensile strength measured in Newton.
Zip Tie Tensile Strength Standard
What is the tensile strength of a zip tie? Different widths of nylon zip ties have varying tensile strength standards. The following are the industry standards for the tensile strength of nylon zip ties.
| Width | Tension | ||
| (mm) | lbs | kgs | N |
| 2.5 | 18 | 8 | 80 |
| 3.6 | 40 | 18 | 180 |
| 4.8 | 50 | 22 | 220 |
| 7.6 | 120 | 55 | 550 |
| 9 | 175 | 80 | 800 |
| 12 | 200 | 105 | 1050 |
Please note that while nylon zip ties of the same width theoretically possess similar tensile strengths, in reality, for ties of the same width, the longer the tie, the relatively lower its tensile strength becomes. Therefore, for longer zip ties, we reinforce them by increasing their thickness.
Tensile Strength Test of Cable Tie
- Firstly, a tensile testing machine is essential, and one needs to choose the right fixture. We chose a semi-circular fixture to simulate the usage condition of zip ties.
- Subsequently, based on the chosen nylon zip tie, we input parameters such as width, length, and thickness into the display panel of the testing machine and set the stretching speed. However, from our years of testing experience, this step can be omitted without much difference.
- As the test begins, the lower semi-circle remains stationary, while the upper one stretches the nylon zip tie at a predetermined speed. Throughout, the testing machine continuously monitors and records both the tensile strength and the extent of deformation (elongation at break) of the zip tie.
- The test continues until the zip tie breaks. The machine then records the tensile strength at this point, which represents the maximum tensile strength of the zip tie. Moreover, by comparing the lengths before and after stretching, one can compute the elongation at break.
After testing, we compare the recorded tensile strength to the zip tie tensile strength standards to evaluate the nylon zip tie’s performance. If the results align with or exceed the standards, the tensile performance of the nylon zip tie is deemed acceptable. If not, adjustments to the production process might be warranted. To ensure accuracy, we advise testing a minimum of five samples of the same size and basing our evaluation on the lowest recorded value.
Nike Plastic: Surpass Industry Standards
At Nike Plastic, our tensile tests for zip ties not only follow industry standards but aim to ensure our nylon zip ties exhibit superior tensile strength. Our cable tie with a width of 3.6mm can reach a tensile force of over 200N, and cable tie with a width of over 4.8mm can reach a tensile force of over 260N, and our strongest nylon cable ties can reach over 1700N…
We hope that whether for industrial manufacturing or daily life, the strong zip ties can offer you trustworthy cable management solutions.
