The Stainless Steel Banding Guide | Types, Applications & Tools

Everything You Wanted to Know About
Stainless Steel Banding – In One Place!

Do you need to replace old or broken street sign brackets? Do you need to strap down insulation or metal pipes and get them to stay even in a tough environment? Or are you looking for something to secure steel cabling together for a bridge or underground drilling project?
For these jobs and many others, this guide provides everything you need to know about stainless steel banding material, including its history, main types of alloys, applications, and how to use a steel banding tool. Whether you’re securing a steel banding strap for construction or fastening heavy materials, this guide has you covered.

What Is Stainless Steel Banding?

Stainless steel banding also called steel banding strap, is a versatile material made from steel alloys available in various widths and thicknesses.  It is commonly used to secure, bundle, or fasten objects in industrial and commercial applications.. Think of it as  using stainless steel as a belt to attach one object to another or make a stack of items stay in place. This type of banding is used across several industries, so there’s a good chance your business could benefit from learning more about it as well.

Different Alloys of Stainless Steel Banding

Just like about any other kind of material, stainless steel banding comes in a variety of different types, known as alloys. When selecting stainless steel banding material, there are generally only three key types worth considering.

These are:

• Type 201
• Type 304
• Type 316

Each of these alloys offer unique properties for different environments or industrial applications. Choosing the right steel banding strap is essential to getting the results you need, so let’s take a moment to look into each one.

Type 201

What Is Type 201 Stainless Steel?

Type 201 is the most affordable option, it is composed largely of manganese instead of nickel (though some of the latter is present). This is probably one of the main reasons it is the industry standard. Compared to Type 304, Type 201 steel banding  is harder and stronger – making it ideal for industrial applications that require reliable solutions on a budget.

Type 304

What Is Type 304 Stainless Steel?

Type 304  stainless steel banding material offers exceptional corrosion resistance.  for businesses that work in environments where moisture, salt, and other threats are constantly working against the metal. Type 304 is a great choice for attaching lightweight signs to metal poles, fastening insulation to pipes, and much more.

Type 316

What Is Type 316 Stainless Steel?

Type 316 isthe most expensive form of stainless steel banding material available, but its corrosion resistance and durability make it worth the investment. This alloy is specifically designed to  withstand  extreme temperatures, chemicals, and demanding environmental factors. Due to these properties,  Type 316 steel  is popular on oil rigs and on machines that go underwater -making it a reliable industrial banding solution for securing equipment where long-term performance is crucial.

Always Choose American Steel

No matter what kind of alloy you deem best for your needs, don’t be surprised to find distributors of it all over the world. However, you’ll be best off ensuring that the kind you go with was made in America. Also be aware that just because you’re dealing with an American distributor it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where their metal is from.

America has the highest standards for manufacturing and quality in the steel industry, which is why it’s so important to make sure your banding was made there. Have the distributor confirm as much before ordering and then be sure to check for our exclusive code right on the steel that guarantees it was “Made in the USA.”

The Size and Width of Your Banding

Stainless steel banding comes in a wide range of sizes and shapes. This is why it can be used for so many different applications. Across the three main types of alloys we mentioned earlier, the sizes generally run from ¼ to two inches wide and from .015 to .044 in terms of thickness.

How to Pick the Right Size and Width for Stainless Steel Banding

When choosing the correct stainless steel banding material, keep these tips in mind:

Thicker the steel banding material offers greater strength and withstands higher pressure from the items it’s binding.

However, this added durability come at a price.  Due to its strength, thicker banding material is flexible and more challenging to work with. Bending a thick slab of steel is never going to be easy. For the best results, choose a steel banding solution as well as  the correct product for your application and ensure you have the correct tool to handle operations effectively.

The Necessity of Closures

By itself, no stainless steel band is going to do you much good. After all, it’s not like you’re going to tie the band together like you would with a ribbon or a rope. Instead, you need what’s called a closure to “close the circle” around the object. Obviously, this is an important job, meaning you should take your time choosing the right closure device.

There are four main types of closures:

• Buckles
• Screw Buckles
• Wing Seals
• Pusher Seals

Tools for Using Stainless Steel Banding

As we mentioned above, stainless steel banding isn’t always the easiest thing to work with. However, if you have the right tools for the job, it doesn’t have to be so much of a challenge.

The three main types of tools you’ll need are:

Cutting Tools: These are obviously the tools you need to cut steel banding. The exact kind you need will depend on the type of banding you’re using. Heavy-duty steel is going to need equally heavy-duty cutting tools. You’ll need to cut your banding once when you get enough of it for the job and then probably once more after you’ve applied closure if you find there is excess banding hanging off.

Tensioning Tools: Applying a closure also means applying tension. That’s how you get the banding nice and tight. Without this tool, the amount of tension necessary would be all-but-impossible for a person to bring about on their own.

Crimping Tools: Crimping tools are necessary when using pusher seals.

How to Use Steel Banding Tools

Tensioning Tools

What They Do: a steel strap tensioner wraps the banding nicely snug around your materials.

How to Use: Wrap the banding material around your object, feed the end into the tensioner, and crank it until it’s tight. Lock it in place with a seal or clip.

Pro Tip: Don’t overdo it—too much tension can damage the banding or what you’re securing.

Cutting Tools

What They Do: Easily trim stainless steel banding to the perfect length.

How to Use: Line up the cutter with the excess banding and give it a firm squeeze. Trim any leftover bits after securing the band.

Pro Tip: For thicker banding, heavy-duty cutters will save you time and frustration.

Crimping Tools

What They Do: Lock seals or clips onto the banding solutions to hold everything together.

How to Use: Place the seal on the banding, position the crimper over it, and give it a good squeeze to secure it.

Pro Tip: Double-check the crimp—it should be tight enough to hold but not crush the banding.

Choosing the Right Vendor

Even with all the above in mind, you need to make sure you’re getting your stainless steel banding from the right company. Like we said, be sure they carry American steel. However, you should also make sure they have enough in their inventory on a regular basis to meet the demands your company has.

Furthermore, check to confirm they ship your order immediately or no later than a day after you place it.

This may seem like a lot of information, but the truth is that stainless steel banding is actually fairly easy to understand and apply. Once you begin working with it, a lot of the above will make more sense, and you’ll become more confident in all the minute details.