What is 11 gauge wire used for?
11 gauge baling wire is commonly used in the waste management and recycling industries to bale and bundle materials. It serves primarily to compact and secure materials into bales that can be handled, transported, and stored safely and efficiently.
Baling wire is also sometimes used for non-baling applications, such as agricultural fencing, construction (fastening and securing), and gardening.
11 gauge baling wire provides a combination of tensile strength, load strength, durability, and flexibility.
Recycling applications
Recycling and waste management facilities use 11 gauge wire to bale recyclable materials, including:
- Cardboard and paper
- Textiles and carpet
- Steel and aluminum
- PET and HDPE plastics
- E-waste
- Rubber (flooring, tires, etc.)
Other applications
11 gauge baling wire is also commonly used for:
- Baling hay
- Agricultural fencing and animal enclosures
- Vineyard trellises
- Orchard tree supports
- Electric fencing
- Hanging warehouse ceiling tiles
- Binding construction materials
- Reinforcing rebar
11 gauge baling wire features
Here are some of the notable features and advantages of 11 gauge wire.
Versatility and efficiency
Its strength and durability make 11 gauge wire a good choice for baling a wide range of materials. It is one of the go-to solutions for recycling facilities that deal with a diverse spectrum of recyclable materials. It also creates bales that are extra-compact and easy to manage, optimizing storage space and facilitating the efficient handling and transportation of materials.
Tensile strength
The tensile strength of 11 gauge baling wire sits in the middle of our product line. 11 gauge wire can handle all common recycling applications and feeds into most baler types. We also offer high-tensile 11 gauge wire made with high carbon steel for extra tensile strength.
Good for baling bulky and irregular items
The thickness of 11 gauge wire makes it excellent for binding bulky and irregularly shaped materials such as construction and demolition waste, non-uniform bales of recycled materials, and other challenging applications.
11 gauge wire products
We sell 11 gauge baling wire in single and double-loop bale ties (galvanized or bright finish), black annealed wire (sold by the box or the stem), galvanized stem wire, and high-tensile stem wire.
Our annealed products undergo an annealing process that improves the wire’s ductility and elongation, while our hot-dip galvanization process coats our galvanized wire in a protective layer of zinc. Bright products are unfinished and are the most cost-effective.
11 gauge black annealed wire by the box
Our 11 gauge black annealed box wire is used to bale materials, such as foam, office paper, and other recyclables. Its flexibility makes it a great choice for baling materials that are prone to expansion.
We sell it in 50 lb (approx. 1,291 feet) and 100 lb (approx. 2,582 feet) boxes. Our annealed products are finished with a protective wax coating that resists corrosion and improves handling.
11 gauge black annealed wire by the stem
Our 11 gauge black annealed stem wire is the same as our 11 gauge black annealed box wire but on a stem. A stem is a large spool that holds more wire than a box, and it is commonly used with large-scale industrial balers.
Each stem weighs about 1,900 lb, and comes with 49,058 feet of wire.
11 gauge galvanized wire by the stem
Our 11 gauge galvanized stem wire is a great choice for outdoor applications. Baling wire will rust, but galvanized wire rusts much slower thanks to the protective layer of zinc. We offer optional Class 3 galvanization, with a much thicker zinc coating for longer wire lifespan.
Each stem weighs about 1,330 lb, and comes with 34,340 feet of wire.
11 gauge hi-tensile galvanized wire
Our 11 gauge high-tensile galvanized wire is designed to take on the toughest jobs. It has a maximum tensile strength of 175,000 psi, for baling dense, heavy materials. Its protective zinc coating also makes it a good choice for use outdoors and in corrosive environments.
Each stem weighs about 1,330 lb, and comes with 34,340 feet of wire.
11 gauge black annealed single loop bale ties
Our 11 gauge black annealed single loop bale ties are used in manual balers and feature a single loop. The wax coating ensures smooth handling, and the increased flexibility of annealed wire is perfect for baling expansive materials.
We sell our black annealed single loop bale ties in bundles of 125 at lengths of 11–23 feet.
11 gauge galvanized single loop bale ties
Our 11 gauge galvanized single loop bale ties are a good choice for use with manual balers. They can be manually cut to virtually any length, which allows operators to tailor the tie to their exact needs.
We offer Class 1 and Class 3 galvanization to suit your corrosion-protection needs. Class 3 galvanization offers a substantially thicker zinc coating for the highest level of corrosion resistance.
We sell our galvanized single loop bale ties in bundles of 125 at lengths of 11–23 feet.
11 gauge bright double loop bale ties
11 gauge bright double loop bale ties are used to securely tie bales of recyclables and other materials, and they have two loops for easy tying. They offer exceptional tensile and load strength to secure dense, heavy-duty bales. They are unfinished, which gives them a smooth, shiny appearance, making them great for consumer-facing applications.
We sell our bright 11 gauge double loop bale ties in bundles of 62 at lengths of 180 and 204 inches.
How thick is 11 gauge wire?
A wire’s diameter is inversely related to its gauge, counterintuitive as that seems. The smaller the gauge, the larger the diameter, and vice versa.
Wire gauge is a measurement that derives from the manufacturing process of drawing wires through a series of progressively smaller holes. The drawing process uses a draw plate, which is a tool with a series of conical or cylindrical holes that decrease in size.
As the wire passes through each hole, its diameter is reduced by a specific increment. This process is repeated until the desired diameter is achieved.
The American Wire Gauge (AWG) system is primarily used in North America, while the British Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) system is most commonly used in the United Kingdom and some other countries.
Our 11 gauge wire products are 0.117–0.121 inches (2.97–3.07 mm) thick.
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Baling wire products we offer
Baling Wire Direct sells the following high-quality baling wire products.
