Cable ties are plastic fasteners that bundle your cables and wires together to keep them organized and prevent damage. They come in different sizes, lengths, materials and even colors. The different uses of cable ties vary across industries, but what they all have in common is that they’re the most effective way to manage your cables. These ubiquitous pieces of nylon are a staple in any tradesperson's toolkit, offering a low cost solution to bundling cables, organising groups of wires and securing loose items.
Cable ties were first invented by Thomas & Betts, an electrical company, in 1958 under the brand name Ty-Rap. Initially they were designed for airplane wire harnesses. The original design used a metal tooth, but over the years, manufacturers changed it to the current nylon/plastic design.
A fantastic all-rounder, cable ties come in numerous forms and sizes. They're generally single use and can be trimmed as desired for neatness. Using coloured cable ties can be an effective means of identification with a range of sizes available for varying diameter requirements. They're usually made of nylon, and have a flexible tape section with teeth that engage with a pawl in the head to form a ratchet so that as the free end of the tape section is pulled the cable tie tightens and does not come undone.
Cable ties are manufactured carefully by cyclical injection molding method wherein nylon resins are melted and then injected into the mold cavity. It’s shape and size depend on the mold used during the manufacturing process. The zip tie molding process involves two sets of molds. The first half contains the self-locking head mechanism called ratchet, and the second mold includes the tip of the cable tie that is designed to slide into the ratchet. When these two molds come together, molten nylon 66 or nylon 12 resins are then injected into the cavity, and the space between creates the shape of the zip ties. After inserting the molten nylon resins, the newly formed zip tie is allowed to solidify within the mold cavity. After the appropriate amount of time, the cable tie is removed from the mold. All freshly made zip ties are then gathered for quality inspection. When nylon wire ties are determined to contain defects relating to the molding process, the particular mold that created them is set to be replaced by a non-defective one. If it determined that there are no defects on the mold, the cable tie quality inspector will identify other possible causes that could have caused the fault.
Some of the most popular types of cable ties include the following:
Standard cable ties: self-locking, usually single use, and available in different colours for colour coding Releasable cable ties: can be used more than one, can be opened to add more cables, and often come in different colours Push mout cable ties: constructed with a mounting device, making additional fixings unnecessary, have an adhesive base or are affixed with a screw, have a fast mounting process, provide a more secure fastening, and snaps into pre-drilled holes Screw mount cable ties: deal for fastening to either metal or wooden panels, and can be either screwed or bolted down Belt cable ties: flexible design with a quick release mechanism Marker cable ties: essentially a standard cable tie, but with a tag for writing on Heavy duty cable ties: for bundling heavy cables Stainless steel cable ties: withstand high temperatures, and are radiation, vibration and flame resistant Heavy duty strap and buckle: perfect for heavy duty applications with a max tensile strength of 350 lbs, have steel teeth on the buckle that grip the strap permanently Double headed cable ties: keep two wire bundles separated without the need for additional cable ties Hook and loop cable ties: used when you need a temporary bond, can be fastened and released several times, ideal for fragile cables, and reuseable