Webbing Explained

What is Webbing?

Webbing is a tightly woven fabric produced from materials like nylon, polyester, and high-performance fibres such as HMPE or aramid fibres.

Common Uses

Webbing is a versatile material used across many industries due to its strength, durability, and flexibility. Common applications include industrial lifting slings, cargo restraint and tie-down systems, and safety equipment such as harnesses and protective gear (PPE).

It is widely used in the outdoor and sports sectors, for backpacks, tents, climbing gear, and adventure equipment.

Webbing plays a key role in automotive, transport, marine, medical and defence industries, providing reliable, high-performance solutions wherever strong, lightweight, and durable straps, belts or lifting slings are needed.

General Types

Webbing comes in a variety of materials, weaves, and widths, each engineered for specific strength, flexibility, and performance requirements. Explore some of the types of webbing we manufacture below, or get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Types of Webbing

Polyester Webbing – strong, durable, and UV-resistant
Nylon Webbing – flexible with high abrasion resistance
HMPE (Dyneema®) – high strength, lightweight, cut resistant
Aramid Fibres (Kevlar®) – heat-resistant and flame resistant
Tubular Webbing – tight weave construction
Flat Webbing Slings – lightweight, high strength polyester with an eye at each end
Seatbelt Webbing – safety-critical, high-strength design
Reflective Webbing – woven using reflective fibres

Webbing Explained

How is Webbing Made?

Webbing is made by weaving strong fibres into a flat, narrow strip of fabric (hence the commonly used term ‘narrow fabrics’). Materials such as polyester, nylon, HMPE (Dyneema®), Aramid Fibres (Kevlar®) are carefully selected for their strength and durability.

The fibres are stretched and interlaced using industrial looms to create tight, consistent patterns, ensuring uniform strength across the webbing.

After weaving, webbing may be finished, dyed, or treated for specific properties such as UV resistance, abrasion resistance, or fire retardance, depending on its intended application.

The Weaving Process

At Ribbons, our webbing is crafted using four warping machines, including one equipped with advanced laser technology for precise yarn fault detection.

We have over fifty weaving looms, including bobbin looms, traditional shuttle looms and modern high-speed needle looms. A range of looms allows us to manufacture everything from lightweight, thin-profile webbing to wide, heavy-duty webbing.

Our range of machines combines with the skill of our expert weavers to ensure consistent high-quality, durable products.

The Finishing Process

After weaving, webbing usually undergoes a range of finishing processes to enhance its performance, durability, and appearance, according to the intended application. This includes pre-shrinkage for polyester webbing, application of protective coatings, and preparation for dyeing, printing, or cutting.

Finishing ensures that each length of webbing meets strict quality standards and is ready for its intended application.

Webbing can be supplied either in a loose, cut or rolled state, depending on customer preference.

Dyeing

Ribbons operates three dye machines, allowing us to handle both small bespoke batches and large-volume production runs. Our continuous dye range ensures uniform colour across long lengths of webbing, while a computer-controlled spectrophotometer allows precise colour matching to customer specifications.

This combination of technology and expertise guarantees vibrant, consistent, and high-quality finishes on our webbing.

Specialised Finishing

We offer a variety of specialised coatings and treatments to enhance webbing performance. Options include fire retardant (FR), water repellent, antibacterial, mould-resistant, polyurethane, and acrylic stiffening agents.

These finishes improve durability, safety, and functionality for demanding applications, ensuring that Ribbons webbing meets both customer requirements and industry standards.

Printing & Cutting

Ribbons provides stencil printing to industrial standards and precision cutting services to meet specific customer needs. Whether for branding, identification, or functional purposes, our processes ensure clean, accurate results. For high-quality print demands we work with trusted external partners to provide these services.

Webbing can be delivered in a loose, cut, or rolled format, offering flexibility for storage, handling, and end-use applications.

Testing & Quality Control

Our commitment to quality is underpinned by rigorous testing and inspection processes throughout manufacturing. Webbing is assessed for tensile strength, elongation, abrasion resistance, and dimensional accuracy, ensuring every metre meets precise specifications. Colour and finish are carefully monitored, with spectrophotometers and other measurement tools used to guarantee consistency.

All processes operate under the framework of our ISO 9001:2015 certification, reflecting international standards for quality management and continual improvement. This systematic approach ensures that Ribbons webbing consistently delivers the strength and performance customers expect.

Material Handling & Storage

At Ribbons, quality begins with careful material handling and storage. Raw fibres and components are stored under controlled conditions to maintain their integrity, preventing contamination, damage, or degradation.

Each batch is tracked from receipt through production to ensure traceability and consistency.

Why Choose Ribbons?

Engineered Webbing Solutions. Proven Performance.

At Ribbons, we combine over four decades of experience, advanced technology, and hands-on craftsmanship to deliver webbing solutions engineered to perform to the highest safety standards. Every product we produce at our facility is designed for reliability, and consistency.

As a family-run business rooted in the strong community of the Rhondda Valley, we pride ourselves on offering excellent customer service and high-quality webbing tailored to your needs.

With ISO 9001:2015 certification and rigorous quality checks, Ribbons provides dependable webbing solutions trusted by industries worldwide.

World-Class Webbing Solutions. Let’s Talk Performance.

From products to partnerships, Ribbons delivers excellence. Request a call back and discover why industries worldwide trust us.