Author: teamA-GG

Why You Should Use Rubber Friction Mats to Secure Your Shipments

Posted on by teamA-GG

I would like to start out this blog by addressing a problem: the many terms to describe rubber friction mats, such as “anti-skid mats”, “rubber transportation mats”, and various brand names. Our industry refers to them as rubber friction mats. I encourage you to do the same.

If you had the choice between using wood bracing or rubber friction mats to secure your shipment, which would you choose?

Many who have had the pleasure of using friction mats would say it’s no contest; they would choose friction mats for their anti-skid needs.

It is important for companies to abide by the railroads’ methods of securing loads. However, we are here to tell you that wood bracing is not always the answer and can be replaced in many situations. This would save your company the cost of wood, nails, energy, and time, along with providing a better, safer workplace for your employees.

By using our Load-Secure™ Friction Mats, you can easily secure your loads and keep them from shifting during transit – with no need for nailing, gluing, or constructing dunnage. Simply lay down the suggested mats underneath your shipment and let the product do its job.

As part of an effective load plan, rubber friction mats almost always eliminate the need for wood bracing. These products have been tested and approved by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) for use, but not all rail carriers are ready to change. In certain situations, wood bracing is still used but we urge you to ask why.

Why use wood bracing when something more cost-effective and efficient is available? Load-Secure products eliminate a potentially dangerous work environment. There is no loss of time due to injury from hammers, nails, or saws.

Rubber friction mats meet the North American Cargo Securement Standard. Friction mats don’t damage the rail carrier’s floors, and they save your company from the frustrations of wood bracing.

Many industries can benefit from replacing wood bracing with friction mats. Manufacturers working to produce varied commodities including metals, forest products, roll paper, glass, pharmaceutical, and even the food industry use Load-Secure™ products.

Free yourself from the old ways of load securement. You’ll be glad you did.

>> Need help with your cargo securement plan? Want to order our Load-Secure™ products? Contact us today!

Like this? You might also like:
Avoid These 4 Mistakes! Prevent Damage to Your Air Dunnage Bags
What are the Most Common Types of Damage to Paper Rolls in Railcar Transit?
Tex-Steel™: A Cord Strap as Strong as Steel

Avoid These 4 Mistakes! Prevent Damage to Your Air Dunnage Bags

Posted on by teamA-GG

Air dunnage bags are applied as a preventative measure, ensuring your products/shipments arrive to their destination unscathed and safe. Due to the bags’ strength and resilience, many believe they cannot be harmed or compromised.

Unfortunately, this leads to the dunnage bags being applied and handled incorrectly, leading to potential failure. Synthetic airbags are comprised of a polyethylene woven outer shell and an interior plastic air bladder.

In today’s blog, I will go over some of the errors, misconceptions, and habits occurring in the field that contribute to airbag damage. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to get the most from your dunnage bags.

No product is 100% guaranteed never to fail, but about 99% of the failure we see is caused by exterior outer fabric abrasion. Exterior abrasion is essentially a stretch or tear caused by an outside force acting on the bag, often creating an escape for the trapped air. Since the outer shell is woven and not a solid piece this causes the bags to deflate, sometimes at a rate not noticeable over a few minutes.

4 Ways to Avoid Exterior Abrasion Damage to Your Air Dunnage Bags 

  1. Keep bags in their box until they are needed.
  2. Make sure bags are never left unattended or on the ground where lift trucks could run them over.
  3. Ensure there are no nails, splinters, or sharp edges making contact with the dunnage bags.
  4. If needed, use honeycomb dunnage products or corrugated sheets to buffer the bags from sharp edges. This will ensure the bags maintain air pressure and your product arrives safely.

Avoid these four simple mistakes and your dunnage bags will perform as intended, ensuring your shipments arrive safely and damage-free!

Lastly, Complete Packaging Systems offers comprehensive training throughout North America for customers purchasing our products. We will help you to stay compliant within the Association of American Railroads (AAR), rail carriers, and other governing bodies. You will become more efficient and learn how to get the most out of your cargo securement products. (Click here to contact us for further details on our training programs.)

>> For more information about our Cyclone™ dunnage bags or to order products, please contact us today.

Like this? You might also like:
Cyclone™ Dunnage Air Bags: Inflation Technology
What are the Most Common Types of Damage to Paper Rolls in Railcar Transit?
Tex-Steel™: A Cord Strap as Strong as Steel

Cyclone™ Dunnage Air Bags: Inflation Technology

Posted on by teamA-GG

In our industry, bringing new and exciting technology to market is a daunting task. Many people in purchasing roles and at dock level like their old technology because it works for them. Unfortunately, most inflation systems that we see out in the market are bulky, heavy, and not designed for the human hand. This ergonomic issue, combined with long fill times, puts an unnecessary strain on the user.

People need education about the cheaper, more reliable, and faster ways to fill dunnage air bags. And weÂ’re taking the challenge head on through innovation, ergonomics, and speed. To that end, our new inflators are lightweight and designed with the end user in mind.

Speed is a large factor at the dock level. We aim to cut the time filling air bags by nearly 2/3. We have performed tests with industry-leading bags (all of them the same size and volume,) and our inflation system was 66% faster.

Along with being the fastest tool on the market, it is also very accurate. Each tool comes with a digital PSI gauge. Once again, this saves time by not having to disconnect the inflator to use a secondary measuring tool.

Using old, outdated inflation technology out of habit only makes filling dunnage bags more difficult and time-consuming. With new technology available, there is no need to put the extra strain on users and waste valuable time. Start improving your processes now with our line of ergonomic, speedy inflators.

Benefits

  • Lightweight and durable
  • Accurate PSI reading
  • Ergonomic grip
  • 66% faster than traditional air dunnage inflators
  • No unnecessary strain on the user
  • Easy-click button
  • Cheaper than conventional systems

>> For more information about our Cyclone™ inflation technology, please contact us today!

Like this? You might also like:

AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Wire Buckle [Video]
AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Boxcar Wall Anchors [Video]
Tex-Steel™: A Cord Strap as Strong as Steel

What are the Most Common Types of Damage to Paper Rolls in Railcar Transit?

Posted on by teamA-GG

The damage prevention load plans used in transporting paper rolls on rail have changed drastically over the years. Metal strapping and wood bracing were once the norm but recommendations have changed as more effective and safe solutions were created: including air dunnage bags, honeycomb products, and synthetic cord strapping.

Not only do these changes bring increased safety to the users of these products on the docks and shipping yards, but they also improve damage prevention.

The size of paper rolls, as well as the railcars that house them, have changed in the past 30 years. The total weight these railcars can hold has nearly tripled in the last 3 decades.

You know the saying, “the bigger the tree, the harder it falls”. That may not be written in stone, but the premise holds true. Larger and heavier loads are subject to immense forces while in transit. The forces exerted on these paper rolls via shunts, turns, and other movement causes damage in many forms.

The most common types of damage that occurs to paper rolls in a boxcar are:

  • Wet Damage
  • Gouges / Foreign Object
  • Splits / Cuts
  • Chafing / Abrasion
  • Crushed Core / Flat Spots
  • Edge Wrinkles / Transit Burst

Many of these can be prevented by either implementing pre-load checks or injecting damage prevention products into key areas of the load plan.

As an example, use a rail carrier or AAR approved load plan and bracing method to avoid flat spots and crushed cores. Ensuring you are compliant with the AAR and other governing bodies will not only protect you from potential fines and law suits, but will ensure that your product arrives safely and without damage.

>> If you would like more information on this topic or need help with developing an AAR approved load plan, please feel free contact us by email or by calling our toll free number – 1-866-858-8800. Thank you for reading!

Like this? You might also like:
Tex-Steel – A Cord Strap as Strong as Steel

Tex-Steel™: A Cord Strap as Strong as Steel

Posted on by teamA-GG

Recently, we unveiled our new privately branded cord strap – Tex-Steel™. The name is derived from the product itself; it’s a woven polyester TEXtile that is as strong as STEEL.

Tex-Steel™ replaces traditional steel banding used to transport cargo. It is specifically designed to unitize and palletize cargo in any mode of transportation (truck, railcar, ocean-going vessel). This product can be used for transporting materials in a variety of industries, from forestry to fabrication.

The key benefit of Tex-Steel™ is its enhanced safety. Steel banding has a lot of tension and can be dangerous for those who aren’t properly trained in safety procedures. When cut, a steel band can release with a great deal of strength and cause harm with its sharp edges.

Tex-Steel™ was developed to address this safety concern. It is made of polyester, which means that it does not pose the same risks as its steel counterpart. However, it is just as strong and effective as steel banding.

We met with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) at a state-of-the-art lab to test Tex-Steel™ for break strength and joint efficiency. Previously, the AAR stipulated that to be compliant, the joint efficiency of the strap and buckle needed to be 50%. The AAR has recently upgraded the minimum regulation from 50% joint efficiency to 75%. We’re very pleased to announce that Tex-Steel™ has surpassed the new higher joint efficiency standards.

Features

  • Safe for operators to use, eliminating accidents and injuries related to steel strapping
  • Ergonomically-friendly
  • Lighter, more flexible, and easier to handle than steel
  • Available in bonded, woven, or composite materials
  • Suitable for all weather conditions; will not rust or damage your product
  • High retained tension; can be re-tensioned if necessary
  • Custom printing available if product or brand recognition is desired
  • Available in standard size rolls and jumbo size rolls
  • Fully recyclable and easy to dispose
  • Widths of 5/8” to 1 5/8” available
  • Lengths of 670 ft. to 2250 ft.

>> For more information about our Tex-Steel™ synthetic cord strapping, please contact us today!

Like this? You might also like:
AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Wire Buckle [Video]
AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Boxcar Wall Anchors [Video]

AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Boxcar Wall Anchors [VIDEO]

Posted on by teamA-GG

This video shows viewers the approved method of threading Tex-Steel into boxcar (train car) wall anchors. The method shown is the strongest and most reliable, and will keep you compliant within AAR guidelines and regulations. Viewers with any comments or questions are urged to contact us directly. Thanks for watching!

AAR Approved Method – Threading Tex-Steel into Wire Buckle [VIDEO]

Posted on by teamA-GG

This video shows the AAR’s approved method of threading Tex-Steel, synthetic cord strapping, into a phosphate coated wire buckle. Viewer’s with any questions or comments, feel free to contact us via either phone or e-mail.