Webbing, also known as narrow fabric, is a strong woven textile, designed and manufactured in various forms for use in multiple industries. It is extremely versatile – often replacing steel wire, rope or chain in industrial, as well as non-industrial, applications.
Some common forms of webbing material used in everyday applications are seatbelts, load straps, and strapping for bags and canvas products. While its commercial applications include sporting goods, furniture, equestrian saddlery, marine and yachting equipment, pet leashes, footwear, and fitness apparel.
Industrial applications in the mining sector, automotive and transport sectors, rigging and other industrial manufacturing operations, tend to choose webbing over old-school materials due to its ease-of-use, low-risk and proven safety benefits.
Generally, webbing takes the form of either flat or tubular fabric. With flat being more rigid and often stronger than its more flexible, although sometimes thicker, tubular counterpart. The type used is often dependant on the requirements of the final application.
Webbing products are fabrics which are woven from yarn. The yarn is chosen based on the application of the webbing and is either a natural or synthetic fibre.
Natural fibre yarn takes the form of cotton, whilst standard synthetic fibres include polyester, nylon and polypropylene. Exotic synthetic fibres would include such fibres as Kevlar ® – which is also used in adventure gear and bullet-proofing; Nomex ® – which is flame resistant; and Dyneema ® and Spectra ® – which are ultra-durable, strong and chemical resistant.
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric. The way the warp and weft interlace with each other is called the weave.
The warp is a term for the longitudinal threads and weft is the term used for lateral threads in the weave.
Weave types or patterns are chosen as part of the construction of the product to either meet certain technical requirements, or the aesthetics needed for the end-use application.
Such patterns and weave types include plain, pebble, twill, herringbone, satin and tubular.
At Webbing Products we specifically weave narrow fabrics – which is the manufacture of high-performance webbing that has a narrow width – up to and including 320mm and usually woven with a selvedge (self-finished) edge.
Once weaving is complete, the finishing stage begins. This is where the webbing is dyed, treated with a specialised finish, branded and cut to length.
During this process the woven webbing is dyed to colour match a specific brand or application. The method and equipment used during the dyeing stage can impact the quality of the final product.
Webbing Products, for example, is capable of dying nylon and polyester, utilising European continuous dyeing equipment. This helps us to ensure a quality product and allows us to provide consistent colour at a cost-effective rate of production. This is supported by the use of a colour spectrophotometer to maintain colour consistency and allow for improved efficiencies within the finishing department.
Specialised finishes are added to the webbing based on the specifications required for its end usage. These finishes, all of which Webbing Products can supply, include flame retardancy, anti-static, Teflon coating, stiffening agent or starches, mould-resistant finishes and water repellent.
Printing is added to the webbing for branding and in some cases safety requirements. The webbing is then cut to length as specifications dictate.
At Webbing Products we are offer a printing service that is capable of adding our clients logo or branding with widths from 20mm to 280mm to the final webbing product. We can also cut to length per your specifications and this option is available to order.
Webbing is often utilised in diverse safety-critical applications which makes testing and quality control a vital part of the manufacturing process.
High quality webbing products are usually tested against set criteria and should adhere to strict standards as dictated by the final specification and intended use. Testing is done using a variety of methods and machines to examine the quality of the webbing.
At Webbing Products we pride ourselves on our ability to consistently supply quality webbing within stringent specifications. This is aided by our ability to test our manufactured products in-house – consistently. This is key to ensuring quality that meets or exceeds the minimum standards required by our customers. Testing procedures and standards are managed within the ISO 9001: 2015 quality management system. (View our testing videos here.)
We also utilise external testing facilities, when required, to provide independent verification of our quality and testing results.
The final stage of the webbing production process involves packaging, storage and delivery of the final product. It is important that this is done in a systematic fashion to ensure minimum damage is caused to the finished product.
At Webbing Products our customers are provided with their product in 100m rolls or in a layered box as standard depending on their requirements. The webbing is inspected, uniquely identified and packaged to ensure traceability and protection during storage.
We are a company who constantly seeks solutions to meet our customers’ requirements. We are proud of our company values, which put quality and service at the centre of our operations. We have a long track record – since we started trading in 1962, of achieving and adapting to customer needs in a changing marketplace.
We have an exceptional and long-serving team with well-experienced team members, who support our aim of providing quality solutions to our clients. Our technical expertise in product development underpins our ability to adapt easily to change and continue to provide excellent service.
Our ISO certification is proof that our efforts to ensure outstanding quality and safety – which are critical to many of our products, are upheld. This is supported by our in-house laboratory which houses state-of-the-art equipment that is utilised in our quality and testing procedures.