Zip Ties: A handy little time saver. They certainly have their place but…
How many creative ways have you used a zip-tie? I personally have used them to wrap tarps around a wood pile, hold up fencing to prevent deer from eating my bushes, act like a belt in a pinch, replace a broken buckle on my waders, temporarily hold a pipe while I applied a real clamp… heck, I’ve even used them to bundle wires together (imagine that!). But while the cheap ones from the hardware store are convenient, they have their limitations. Even the best, USA made ty-wraps used by industry for serious applications have their limitations. That’s where PTFE coated fiberglass lacing tape comes in!
While a zip tie (tie wrap, cable tie, wire tie, etc.…) is convenient, there are places where the convenience of these ties cannot be employed. Regardless of what the tie-wrap is made of, it cannot provide the performance in the most demanding environments that a W.F. Lake Corp. PTFE coated fiberglass lacing tape or PTFE coated fiberglass tie cord can provide. And of course, our products are Made in the USA!
PTFE coated fiberglass will not burn or support flame, is unaffected by virtually any chemicals, will not rot or support fungus and is unaffected by UV light. These amazing operating characteristics make them suitable for applications where other cable ties would quickly fail.
W.F. Lake Corp. braided lacing tapes and tie cords are used where failure could be very expensive at the least and catastrophic at worst. Most would be considered Mission Critical. By its nature, a braided product offers a load sharing function between fibers that enhances flexural strength second to none. The fact that our PTFE coated fiberglass lacing tapes and tie cords are PTFE coated prior to braiding means that mechanical transmission of the load within the braid is much more effective and dramatically reduces the tendency of uncoated fiberglass yarns to abrade against each other.
Where wire ties fail, our flat braided PTFE coated fiberglass lacing tapes and round braided PTFE Coated Tie Cords shine. Many specifications call them out by W.F. Lake Corp. part number. Following are a few of them:
Military Specifications:
– MIL-C-20079, Type III, Class 4; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E761-1330
– MIL-C-20079, Type III, Class 6; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E761-314SS
– MIL-T-43435B; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E779-303
– A-A-52083B, Size 2; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E779-303
– A-A-52083B, Size 3; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E779-476
– A-A-52083B, Size 3; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E779-680
– A-A-52083B, Size 4; W.F. Lake Corp. Part No.: E779-1075
Marshall Space Flight Center:
-Table 4.5.2, Lacing Tapes and Tie Cords
–E779-222, E779-303, E779-476, E779-680, E779-1075, E761-314, E761-668, E761-1330
NASA:
NASA/TP-1999-209263- Multilayer Insulation Material Guidelines.
-Table 14: Lacing Tapes and Tie Cords
-Flat Braided Lacing Tapes, PTFE coated before braiding.
–E779-222, E779-303, E779-476, E779-680, E779-1075
-Round Braided Lacing Tape (Tie Cord), PTFE coated before braiding.
–E761-314, E761-668, E761-1330
ASTM International, D578 / D579M:
-Standard Specification for Fabrication of Flexible Removable and Reusable Blanket Insulation
for Hot Service:
–PTFE Coated Tie Cord and Lacing Tape
Remember that we also manufacture a wide range of PTFE coated fiberglass sewing thread and PTFE coated fiberglass draw cord products as well.
OK, so any creative uses for the PTFE Coated Fiberglass Lacing Tapes and PTFE Coated Fiberglass Tie Cords we make here? Of course, but don’t tell the boss!