"The ties were brand new, but one snapped by the head the moment I tightened it" — we hear this mostly in winter. Sometimes the tie itself is at fault, but surprisingly often the cause is how the ties were stored, because nylon 66 changes its behaviour with the humidity and temperature around it. Here is how to keep cable ties from the day they arrive to the day you use them.
Nylon is a material that holds moisture
Nylon 66, the raw material of cable ties, is hygroscopic: it slowly absorbs moisture from the air and gives it back when the air is dry. Nylon with a moderate amount of moisture is flexible and tough, so it copes well with bending and tightening. Once it dries right out it becomes harder but more vulnerable to impact and sharp bends. Kept for a long time somewhere very humid, on the other hand, it becomes more flexible but can lose strength.
Temperature plays its part too. The colder nylon gets, the stiffer it becomes, and below freezing it is more brittle under bending. So ties taken from a heated room with very dry air, or from a warehouse or vehicle that has dropped below zero, and tightened hard straight away are likely to snap where force concentrates, such as near the head.
| Storage condition | What happens to the tie | When using |
|---|---|---|
| Very dry (heated room · left open for long) | Harder, weaker against bending and impact | Test one or two first; avoid sharp bends |
| Cold (sub-zero store · vehicle in winter) | Stiff, more likely to snap when tightened | Let it reach room temperature before use |
| Very damp (floor · condensation · rain) | More flexible, but strength may drop | Avoid wet boxes and bags; move to a dry place |
| Near sunlight or a heat source | UV and heat can degrade the surface | Keep away from windows, heaters and boilers |
Five storage rules
- Keep them in the original bag The bag slows down changes in moisture. Take out only what you need and fold the bag closed again over the rest.
- Indoors and in the shade Avoid sunny windowsills and hot spots next to heaters, boilers or machinery.
- Off the floor Boxes standing directly on the floor pick up damp and condensation. Put them on shelves or pallets.
- Away from big temperature swings A vehicle in summer or winter, or an uninsulated container, is not a place for long-term storage.
- First in, first out Using stock in the order it arrived means fewer opened bags left sitting for months.
Use the pack size to your advantage
Allpum cable ties (AP series) in bulk packing are divided into bags inside each carton — from 1,000 pieces per bag (100, 140 and 200 mm) down to 100 pieces per bag (450 mm and longer). Retail packs come in bags of 50 or 100. If a site will not use everything at once, opening small bags one at a time is better for storage than leaving a large bag open. Pack quantities for each length are in the bulk and retail packing tables on the product page.
Checking ties that have been stored a while
- Test-fasten one or two Tighten as usual and check for cracking or snapping near the head.
- If it came out of the cold Do not use it straight away; wait until it has warmed to room temperature. Outdoors in winter, avoid sharp bends and twisting.
- Look at colour and surface Ties that have faded or roughened from long sun exposure should not be used for important bundling.
- Wet bags or boxes Stock that got wet should be dried out thoroughly and checked with a test fastening.
The environment where ties are used matters as much as storage. Allpum cable ties made in Korea have an operating temperature of -40 ℃ to 85 ℃, and the UV-resistant rating applies to the black ties (except 100 mm). For outdoor spots with long sun exposure, choose black.
How we manage it at the plant
Nylon parts fresh from injection moulding contain almost no moisture. Suryong Industrial gives Allpum cable ties sufficient stabilisation time after moulding and controls the cooling rate to suit seasonal changes in plant temperature. A cold resistance test checks that the ties keep their strength and flexibility at low temperatures. The final step in protecting that quality after shipment is how the ties are stored on site.
