The Rapstrap
In a complex world, simplicity is important. With so many things competing for people's attention, the more basic you can make something, the better.
Take the humble Cable Tie. Ever since the first piece of electrical equipment required that more than one wire be routed to it, from it or held in place within it, there has been a need to collect, contain and control multiple wires into neat, tightly organised bundles. Thus the first form of Cable Tie was developed.
Cable Ties now come in many different sizes, colours and styles, for a diverse range of applications. They have also been modified into specialty ties, with all the built-in qualities of the basic tie, but with added moulded-in features for different uses.
Even though there are many different types, the fundamentals are the same, they are designed to prevent or reduce damage to wiring; they keep wires away from moving parts; help engineers with ease of trace and servicing of complex wiring systems, and provide for orderly, efficient wiring layouts.
However, they have a downside!
It you've ever used traditional cable ties you'll know that the excess tail is either often left sticking-out, or is normally cut off and discarded. In many cases, this results in up to 80% of the product being wasted. Now you might think that the cost of this is negligible, but when you consider the millions of Cable Ties that are used in this way, collectively the wastage runs into £Millions!
That is until now!
A simple but clever idea by a UK manufacturer is set to revolutionise the way that Cable Tie devices across the world are constructed.
The company has become increasingly busy since being featured on the BBC’s Dragons' Den. On the show the East Midlands based company secured the assistance of Dragons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, and also received the backing of a new business partner - Peter Moule, the entrepreneur who was behind revolutionising the electrical connector industry, by creating the innovative ‘Chocbox’ (a safe and simple solution to protect and insulate electrical connectors.)
Available in a wide range of colours, the new product, which is called the Rapstrap was developed in a bid to be a much more efficient alternative to existing products. Essentially, the Rapstrap is a long chain of cells that have been designed to slide through each other, forming loops at any point, which can then be pulled tight.
When the Rapstrap system is used correctly, then the remaining portion can be cut off and used again & again & again! As a result, a single Rapstrap can perform several ties; it just gets a little shorter with each use. This negates the present need for users to carry different lengths of cable ties, as the standard Rapstrap can be used on a multitude of applications. This dramatically reduces waste, saves time and more importantly, saves money.
Alternatively, the same Rapstrap can be used as a single temporary tie, by simply rethreading it back through the same hole. Users then simply pull to undo when needed. Once fastened like this, a Rapstrap can be removed in under a second!
As well as producing standard stock product lines, the company also intends to manufacture a number of customised versions for specialist applications, which include:
Horticulture, (Plant & Tree ties) Sacks, Bin Bags, Computer Cables, Audio, Pipes & Hoses, Temporary Light Hangers and Lining fastenings in Marquee applications and other General DIY applications.
Last year the company developed a 12mm range specially for use on music and instrument cables (which are exclusively available from selected local music stockists), and have recently produced a super heavy duty 50mm Rapstrap that can be made in continuous lengths (the 50XX) for special applications.
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