What is load strength in baling wire?

Load strength measures the maximum weight a baling wire can withstand before breaking or experiencing permanent deformation. It determines the wire's ability to securely bind bales of recycled materials. Wire gauge, tensile strength, and elongation properties influence load strength. Galvanization and annealing also impact a wire's load strength.

Recycling operations use load strength to choose the right wire for their bales. To determine if a wire has sufficient load capacity for an application, add the load strength of all wires used on the bale; the total should exceed the weight of a bale.

Why is load strength important for baling wire?

Load strength specifications determine wire suitability. Baling operations use bale weight calculations to select wire that is strong enough for their application, preventing breakage, equipment damage, and costly downtime.

Load strength calculations also prevent excessive overhead. Stronger wire is thicker, more expensive, and more expensive to ship. By selecting wire that is sufficient but not excessive, operations save money and storage space.

What’s the difference between tensile strength and load strength?

Tensile strength refers to the maximum stress a material can withstand before breaking when subjected to a pulling force. It is an intrinsic material property, and it is typically measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) or megapascals (MPa).

Load strength describes the maximum weight or force a specific wire can support before breaking or deforming. It is usually measured in pounds or newtons.

For example, the tensile strength of our black annealed wire is 65,000–78,000 PSI regardless of the gauge, whereas the load strength of 12 gauge black annealed wire is 565–676 lb compared to 9 gauge’s 932–1,118 lb. Load strength will fluctuate heavily between different wire gauges, but tensile strength will not.

Property	Definition	Measurement	Application
Tensile strength	Maximum stress a material can withstand before breaking when pulled	PSI or MPa	Determines the material’s intrinsic resistance to breakage
Load strength	Maximum weight or force a wire can support without breaking	Pounds or newtons	Determines a specific wire's ability to maintain integrity

What contributes to wire load strength?

Several factors contribute to the load strength of baling wire, including:

• Wire gauge. Smaller gauges (thicker wires) have higher load strengths compared to higher gauges (thinner wires).
• Material composition. Higher carbon content increases load strength. Our high-tensile wire is made from 1065-grade steel, while our galvanized wire is made from 1018-grade steel.
• Wire treatments. Galvanization and annealing tend to reduce load strength. While galvanization has only a small effect, the process increases a wire’s brittleness, reducing its strength. Annealing is a heat treatment process that improves a wire’s ductility and elongation properties, weakening the wire, but making it more workable and tolerant to expansion.
• Manufacturing quality. High-quality steel and a meticulous manufacturing process produce stronger wire.

To choose the right wire for your purpose, make sure the wire’s load strength is sufficient for baling your materials.

How do you measure the load strength of a wire?

We subject our wire to load strength testing to confirm that it meets our production standards. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Prepare a defect-free sample of baling wire.
2. Securely attach one end of the wire sample to a fixed point on a calibrated load strength testing machine.
3. Attach the other end of the wire sample to a movable crosshead on the testing machine, which will gradually stretch the wire.
4. Begin the test and monitor the applied load and the wire's elongation percentage.
5. Continue increasing the load until the wire sample breaks or experiences permanent deformation.
6. Record the maximum load achieved before the wire's failure.
7. Repeat the test on multiple wire samples to confirm the results.

This is one of the ways we guarantee our wire meets industry standards and our customers receive only the best wire products.

Load strength wire specifics

This chart displays the load strengths and tensile strengths of our products.

Properties	Single loop black annealed bale ties	Single loop galvanized bale ties	Double loop bright bale ties	Double loop galvanized bale ties	Regular galvanized wire	Hi-tensile galvanized wire	Black annealed wire
Load strength	402–1,074 lbs	402–1,074 lbs	1,060–2,150 lbs	1,015–2,040 lbs	402–1,074 lbs	1,256–1,832 lbs	565–1,118 lbs
Tensile strength	75,000–95,000 psi (551.58–655 MPa)	75,000–95,000 psi (551.58–655 MPa)	220,000 psi (1516.85 MPa)	220,000 psi (1516.85 MPa)	75,000–95,000 psi (517.10–655 MPa)	145,000–175,000 psi (999.74–1206.58 MPa)	65,000–78,000 psi (448.21–537.79 MPa)

Our high-quality baling wire

Our baling wire features superior load strength. It is manufactured from high-quality, American-made steel billets, drawn and treated by experienced technicians, and subjected to rigorous quality control testing for extra strength. Baling Wire Direct is a trusted supplier of high-quality baling wireto the recycling industry and beyond.