Empty Airplane using security seals

Protect Your Cargo with Plastic Security Seals | Learn How to Choose and Apply the Right Seal

The word pristine often comes to mind each time I have a shipment in transit. Ok – maybe I am taking it a bit too far since ‘intact’ should just about suffice. The thing about being intact though is that it strikes a note of bare survival, a close shave, a narrow escape – that my cargo just about made it in one piece, whew! Now, that’s intact. In truth, I hope for much more.
A smooth, safe passage, not quite untouched, but definitely uncorrupted and unblemished. Pristine. This is what every shipper hopes for.

It is also precisely what security seals were designed to deliver. Plastic Security Seals In providing a deterrent to tampering, security seals provide an assurance that any tampering on a shipment cannot go unnoticed. variety of shapes, forms and sizes to fit various operations.

plastic security seals
POLY SEAL

Plastic Security Seals Still, their diversity not with standing, they generally conform to the following general categories:

Choosing the right Adjustable Length Plastic Seal for your needs

As the name suggests, their length is designed to be adjustable on deployment. The seal may be deployed loose or tight depending on the application.

For instance, a coin bag will require a tight noose to prevent illegal access, hence the moniker ‘Pull-tight’.  An airline catering trolley on the other hand may not. Interestingly, the term ‘pull-tight’ doesn’t refer so much to the seal’s ability to tighten as its inability to slide backward.

When applied, the pull up seal shaft slides only one way (hence tightening the noose) and never backward.

pull up seal

This is really the core of the seal’s ability to seal at all. Remove that and all you are left with is a simple cable tie. Sometimes they have treads along the entire shaft and sometimes they don’t (in which case they are fitted with a metallic clasp allowing the shaft one way and not the other), or they have a rectangular or round shaft, thick or narrow shaft – it doesn’t really matter.

The mode of deployment will still be the same: one-way insertion with a tightening noose. Depending on the length and thickness of the shaft, they are applied on ballot boxes, bio-hazard bags, cash-in-transit bags, airline catering trolleys, courier bags, fire extinguishers, utility meters, jewelry boxes, truck doors, etc..

Benefits of using  Fixed Length plastic seals

These seals lock at a fixed point. The noose is not adjustable, so they simply hang loose, almost like a dog collar. But they provide just as effective a tampering barrier as their adjustable sisters (I like to this of seals as feminine, due to their safe-keep, cuddling effect). Fixed-length seals are quite common on truck and container doors, cash chests, catering trolleys, utility meters (gas, water, electricity), tanker valves, etc..

fixed length seal
fixed length seal

 

How to use  Anchor seals

Anchor seals owe their name to their striking similarity to an actual ship anchor. They will typically have a shank-like shaft and fluke-like ends that latch into their socket on deployment, pretty much like an anchor would to the seabed. And no, they usually do not have the equivalent of a keep-pin, but the shank usually projects from a ring-line point so yeah, their claim to the name is quite solid.

As application and operational demands have changed over time, so have they morphed into the various shapes and forms in use today, some of which just barely resemble an anchor, if at all, but I am sure you get the point.

Anchor seals are typically deployed by looping onto the sealing point and sliding the would-be crown into a socket where the flukes latch.

One popular plastic anchor seal
plastic anchor seal

Dislodging the seal would break the arms, leaving clear proof of They can also be latched onto bag zippers and latches, making it impossible to unzip the bag open without destroying the seal.

Anchor seals are commonly found on diplomatic pouches, inter-branch company bags, fuel-tanker valves, utility metering, fire extinguishers, the food industry, archival storage etc..

Plastic security seals aren’t just regular but permanent fixtures in today’s logistics. Unlike their metallic counterparts which are usually more costly, plastic security seals are quite affordable and perform the job just as well.

So are metallic seals in danger of being rendered obsolete by their cheaper PVC alternatives? Not anytime soon. You see, plastic seals are largely tamper-evident while metallic seals are actually tamper-resistant. With a much higher tensile strength, metallic seals will always have their exclusive turf to roam on.

Request a free sample of our plastic seals 

FAQ:

Q1: What are the different categories of plastic security seals?

A1: Plastic security seals generally conform to three categories: adjustable length seals, fixed length seals, and anchor seals.

Q2: What is the difference between adjustable length seals and fixed length seals?

A2: Adjustable length seals have a length that can be adjusted on deployment, while fixed length seals lock at a fixed point and have a noose that is not adjustable.

Q3: What are anchor seals used for?

A3: Anchor seals are typically used on diplomatic pouches, inter-branch company bags, fuel-tanker valves, utility metering, fire extinguishers, the food industry, archival storage, and other similar applications.

Q4: Are plastic security seals better than metallic seals?

A4: Plastic security seals are largely tamper-evident, while metallic seals are actually tamper-resistant. Metallic seals have a much higher tensile strength and will always have their exclusive turf to roam on.

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