Automatic baling wire (What is it? And how is it used?)

Automatic baling wire (auto-tie baling wire) is manufactured as a continuous piece that coils into a box or a stem. It feeds into the auto-tie balers used by the recycling industry for baling large quantities of recyclables, such as plastic, cardboard, and office paper.

Where bale ties are pre-cut to fit bales and manually tied by baler operators, automatic wire is part of an auto-continuous baling process; the baler operates independently. This streamlined baling process improves operational efficiency, minimizes wire and shipping expenses, and reduces human error and accidents through automation.

How is automatic baling wire made?

Automatic baling wire is manufactured like any other baling wire product. The main difference is that it is drawn as a long strand instead of pre-cut to fit the bales. Here’s our automatic wire production process:

1. We begin by purchasing 100% American steel rods from select family-owned mills, complete with full metallurgical traceability specs.
2. The raw materials arrive at our state-of-the-art factory where our team of over 120 trained technicians and 5 onsite engineers get to work.
3. We use an innovative mechanical descaling technique to prepare the rods. This process reduces die wear and removes mill scale and surface rust, leaving behind a smooth wire surface.
4. A heavy-duty, bull-block continuous wire machine draws the wire, narrowing it with increasing die gauges until the correct diameter is achieved. The inverse relationship between diameter and gauge means a lower gauge correlates to a thicker wire diameter.
5. After the wire has been drawn to size, it is gently air-cooled to ensure consistent tensile strength.
6. The automatic wire is cut to fit its future box or stem weight.

We exercise rigorous protocols so our wire exceeds industry standards. We remove wire that doesn’t pass testing so our customers only receive high-quality products.

What kinds of automatic baling wire are there?

Automatic baling wire can be uncoated steel, annealed, galvanized, or high-carbon, high-tensile steel.

Regular automatic wire

Low-carbon steel is drawn to length, cut, and cooled. The result is a cost-efficient wire for general baling. Without any protective coating, this baling wire will rust within a few years. Recycling facilities use regular automatic wire for baling materials that won’t be stored long, such as paper or cardboard.

Annealed automatic wire

Annealing is a heat treatment process that improves a wire’s ductility and elongation potential (up to 25%). Baling operations can save money on baling wire by more densely compacting recycled commodities and allowing the bale to expand after tying. Annealed wire is also useful for baling materials that shift or have inconsistent shapes, such as e-waste.

Galvanized automatic wire

The galvanization process protects a wire against rust, corrosion, and abrasion. Baling wire manufacturers offer different galvanization classes so baling operations can choose the thickness of the zinc coating and the protection level they need. Recycling operations that bale chemical-coated scrap metals or plan to store bales outside for long periods choose galvanized automatic wire.

High-tensile automatic wire

High-tensile automatic wire is manufactured from high-grade carbon. Additional carbon grades increase tensile strength and load strength. Recyclers who generate heavy bales or dense bales of expansive materials, such as tires, use high-tensile automatic wire. High-tensile wire is also often required for use with two-ram balers due to increased bale density.

Which balers use automatic baling wire?

Auto-tie balers come in several varieties, and all of them use automatic baling wire.

• Auto-tie horizontal balers are the most common type of high-volume industrial baler. The baling chamber stretches horizontally, which requires more floor space than a vertical baler. The ram also compacts materials horizontally.
• Auto-tie vertical balers are less common than horizontal balers. They require less floor space, but their vertical chamber limits bale size or requires a conveyor or loader to feed materials into the tall hopper. Vertical balers are usually manually operated and use bale ties.
• Two-ram auto-tie balers are usually horizontal balers. They have an additional ram that provides maximum compaction. 

Why use automatic baling wire?

Automatic baling wire is heavily utilized in industrial recycling operations because it’s:

• Faster: Automated baler feeding and tying produce finished bales quicker than manual baling. Automatic wire lets recyclers process higher daily throughput.
• Cheaper: Manual bale ties are often longer than needed and cut after tying. Automatic wire is cut to fit the bale, reducing wire consumption. Recyclers can also save money on baling wire by purchasing large quantities of automatic wire in bulk; stems are the most cost effective baling wire product.
• Safer: Automatic balers minimize human interaction, protecting workers from potential hazards.

Automatic baling wire for sale

Baling Wire Direct is your go-to supplier of automatic baling wire. Choose from the following types of wire for automatic balers:

• Galvanized baling wire: Subjected to hot-dip galvanization to protect the wire from rust and corrosion, galvanized baling wire keeps bales secure during prolonged outdoor storage—sold by the stem.
• Black annealed baling wire: Subjected to an annealing process to enhance elongation and ductility, annealed wire handles expansive materials (rubber and cardboard) and sharp angle changes. We finish our annealed wire with a coat of wax for improved corrosion resistance and smooth feeding into automatic balers—sold as annealed box wire or annealed carrier wire.

• High-tensile baling wire: Made from high-carbon steel, high-tensile wire binds the heaviest, densest bales (scrap metal, e-waste, and glass)—sold by the stem.

We also carry single loop and double loop bale ties for manual balers. Our commitment to quality produces the best finished products in the baling wire world. Try our wire, and experience the difference.