A Cure for Brittle Nylon Cable Ties and Parts
Try this Simple Soluiion
Nylon cable ties and parts can become brittle and snap during installation, especially in the winter when it’s cold and dry. But, rarely is defective material the cause.
Instead, it’s typically lack of moisture.
Jodie Swain, an Atlantic Fasteners’ inventory manager with over 25 years of experience in the industry, was recently talking to a customer with concerns about how to fix this very issue.
Her time-proven recommendation is a pretty simple one:
Technical explanation
According to Swain, common nylon ties and parts are made from type 6/6 Nylon. Manufacturers ship the parts in heavy-wall, heat-sealed, polyethylene bags. Before the bags are sealed, they add moisture at the rate of .025 times the weight of the parts. Then, they recommend the bags be stored at 73°F (± 15°F) at 50% relative humidity.
If warehouses, factory floors, or assembly areas are not kept at that temperature range or relative humidity, or if bags of nylon parts are opened and not resealed airtight, brittleness and snapping may result.
Then, Swain says manufacturers recommend the following:
- Weigh the parts
- Measure an amount of water that’s .025 times the weight
- Put both the parts and water into an airtight, poly bag
- Swish the water back and forth in the bag to evenly cover the parts
- Wait a minimum of 48 hours before opening the bag and using the parts