What is a security seal and why might you use it?

Security seals

Purpose of Unisto security seals

• Prevent opportunistic theft
• Make manipulation attempts visible
• Prevent contamination of goods and products in containers
• Prevent trade in contraband
• Prevent the concealment of weapons and explosives in containers 

Function and tasks of Unisto security seals

The risk of theft and fraudulent activities increases with the value of the goods being transported. This, in turn, places greater demands on security seals. The following aspects guide our strategy in developing high-quality security seals:

• Security seals should indicate whether a locking device has already been opened.
• They are intended to provide protection against attempts at manipulation by making such attempts almost impossible, more difficult or at least time-consuming.
• Special features make unauthorized manipulation of the security seal detectable.
• The exchange of seal components should be prevented.
• Accidental opening of the seal in situ should be avoided.

If such requirements exist, seals are typically used. These consist of a variety of components and materials. In combination with the customer's logo, sequential numbering, barcodes, data matrix codes, etc., they ensure that each seal is unique and non-interchangeable.

Why should you avoid buying security seals from online portals?

Why do you seal your containers such as freight containers, duty-free trolleys, barrels, etc. ?

Of course, this is to protect your valuable contents in these containers. Therefore, you should strive to use the best possible security seals. We believe this can only be achieved through competent advice.

Nowadays, it's possible to purchase security seals on various online portals, such as eBay. But do you know who you're buying from? The reliability of the source is uncertain, and you can't be sure that the seal you're buying is unique. You're buying completely anonymously. Such seals are also often purchased for criminal purposes because they're easily tampered with.

Good partnerships require trust and certainty

Therefore, there are many arguments against purchasing security seals from online portals. We've listed just a few of the arguments against it: 

• The uniqueness of the seal is not guaranteed (number/barcode, color, logo)
• The traceability of the seal is not guaranteed
• What would happen if you had an urgent problem with the seal? If problems arise, you have no contact person and no after-sales support.
• The relevant certificates are not available (ISO 17712, Environment, REACH etc.)
• Delivery readiness over years is not guaranteed
• Without advice, how can you be sure that you have chosen the optimal solution for your needs?
• Since you don't know the origin of the seal, the risk of fraud is very high. Unfortunately, you can't rule out criminal origins.

Unisto's experience becomes your security

With Unisto, you're in good hands: you benefit from over 90 years of experience in the manufacture of security seals and receive expert advice from our on-site security experts. You enjoy the highest quality standards worldwide, reliability, and support even after delivery.

No other online portal can guarantee you so many advantages and reliability.

Seal classification at a glance

Indicative security seal
a seal made of appropriate materials, designed to be easily opened by hand or with a simple cutting tool or scissors.

Security seal:
a seal made of appropriate materials that is designed to offer limited resistance to unauthorized access and can only be opened with light tools.

A high-security seal
is a seal made of materials such as metal or metal cable that is designed to delay access. High-security seals typically require removal with high-quality bolt or cable cutters.

The strength of a seal is determined by tensile testing, shear testing, bending testing and impact testing.

Mechanical tests - to classify the security seals, they must be tested:

• a) Impact test:
  To determine the resistance to impact stress at temperatures of 18 °C and -27 °C, an impact test must be conducted. The impact test is carried out in three phases. In each phase, a defined force is applied to the seal five times (a total of 15 times).
• b) Tensile test:
  A tensile test must be carried out to test the strength of the locking mechanism of a seal.
• c) Bending test
  To determine the resistance of a seal under bending load, the bending test must be carried out (force required to bend the seal by 90° within 3 seconds).
• d) Shear test:
  A shear test shall be carried out to test the resistance of a seal to being cut by shearing knives, such as bolt cutters.

Important: All security seals must be checked at every stage of the process to determine if any tampering has occurred.

Types of security seals

Plastic security seal

Plastic seals are made from various plastic materials and are primarily used as indicators to detect tampering or unauthorised access. The design of plastic seals allows for visual detection of attempted tampering or theft of contained items. Since broken plastic security seals indicate tampering, these products are often referred to as indicative seals.

Plastic security seals are divided into various categories. The most common types are adjustable-length seals (also known as pull-through seals), fixed-length seals, padlock seals, and box seals. Depending on the application, the type of container to be sealed, and the security level requirements, certain plastic seals are better suited for a specific purpose than others. Typical applications include bags, trolleys for the airline and catering sectors, crates, barrels, wire mesh carts, energy meters, etc.

Plastic security seals can usually be provided with a customer logo; thanks to unique numbering and barcoding, they are also impossible to mix up. 

Since plastic security seals are available in different colors, they not only allow for personalization of the seal but can also speed up the customer's logistical processes. 

Metal security seal

• Metal  band/metal clip seals
  are made of a metal material and are usually used to protect locks.
• Bolt seals
  offer maximum protection for locks and consist of two metal parts that interlock with a locking mechanism.
• Wire rope seals
  consist of a steel cable that is attached at one end to the locking mechanism of the seal body. 

Reusable security seal 
Reusable seals consist of a reusable seal body that can be sealed with a disposable plug. 

Electronic
seals are generally reusable. They generate a unique combination of time, date, and numbering for each locking and unlocking process. All locking and unlocking processes are recorded and logged.

Security labels
Security labels can be stuck to a surface and, depending on the design, leave marks, tear into small pieces and/or indicate if there has been an attempt to remove or tamper with them.

Scott Gardiner

Director – Safepak – Australia / NZ supplier of Unisto seals