Flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) bags offer efficiency, adaptability, and strength. Their industrial design allows for the storage and transportation of an array of materials, from grains to minerals, revolutionizing logistics and packaging. However, not all FIBC bags are created equal.
Selecting the right type of FIBC bag for your specific needs is crucial to maximizing efficiency and safety in operations. Check out our quick guide to choosing the right FIBC bags to enhance your decision-making when finding the ideal storage solutions for your shipments.
U-Panel FIBCs
U-panel FIBCs are renowned for their sturdy construction and unique design. This type of bag is made from a continuous U-shaped piece of fabric that forms two sides of the bag and its bottom, stitched together with two extra panels for the remaining sides.
U-panel FIBCs’ design offers superior durability and stability, making them perfect for storing and transporting heavier materials. These bags can withstand heavy loads, enhance product safety during shipping, and efficiently store materials by maintaining a rectangular shape for better space usage.
Circular FIBCs
Circular FIBCs, also known as tubular bags, feature a single piece of fabric that wraps around to create a cylindrical shape. This unique construction method reduces the risk of leaks and contamination.
The circular design also contributes to a more uniform stress distribution. Circular FIBCs are especially suited for fine materials, such as sands, powders, and other substances that require protection against spillage and contamination.
Baffled FIBCs
The innovative design of baffled FIBCs includes internal baffles—fabric panels or strings inside the bags—which maintain the bags’ cubic form. This feature significantly reduces bulging, enhancing space efficiency and stacking during transport and storage. The design also enables baffled FIBCs to hold more material in a smaller footprint compared to standard bags.
Four Panel FIBCs
This construction of FIBCs utilizes four separate panels sewn together along the seams, with a single piece being sewn along the bottom. These can aid in giving a tote bag a more square body to avoid loss of filling space found in other methods of construction, such as circular FIBCs. Baffles can be added to this tote style to further increase its square-ness and provide a more uniform rectangular shape.
UN Certified FIBCs
UN certified FIBCs are rigorously tested to meet international standards for the safe transportation of dangerous goods. These bags are capable of withstanding specific conditions, preventing leakage and ensuring the containment of hazardous materials under various transportation scenarios. For businesses that prioritize safety, UN certified FIBCs provide an indispensable layer of security and compliance.
Loop and Handling Options
Custom tote loop and handling options are also available. More standard options include corner loops and cross corner loop styles. Corner loops are generally easier to place on loading apparatuses, while cross corner loops offers a bit more convenience for forklift tines to drive into. Stevedore straps, union corner loops, sleeve lifts, and single point lifts are available options as well. Some FIBCs, when filled with a high weight of product in more dangerous handling conditions, may be reinforced with loops that wrap around the entire body of the tote, adding increased durability and strength.
Filling and Unloading Options
The most common filling options for FIBCs are duffel open tops. This option includes a skirt of fabric around the top opening of the tote that can be pulled up and over the product inside and tied closed to protect the materials within. Also common are spout fill options, which fit snugly over a spout loader to reduce dust particulates, spillage, and waste. This is the ideal fill solution for finer products or products that contain particles prone to becoming airborne.
The most common unloading options for bulk bags are spout bottoms, where a bottom spout is tucked behind an iris or petal closure and needs to be released using the tie closure in order for the product to evacuate through the bottom. Also available are flat bottom options, full discharge bottoms, and more.
Fabric Material Type
Polypropylene FIBCs come in a variety of options that cater to the type of material contained within them. Choosing the ideal FIBC will depend on a few factors, including how fine the product is and its electrostatic capacity.
Type A FIBCs are typically used for non-hazardous materials with low risk of hazardous usage conditions. They do not offer electrostatic protection, so they should not be used when flammable atmospheric conditions possess a minimum ignition energy of less than 1,000mJ.
Type B FIBCs, similarly to type A, do not have mechanisms for dissipating static electricity. Instead, they are made with materials that have a low breakdown voltage to prevent the occurrence of highly energetic discharges. Although Type B FIBCs can be used to prevent propagating brush discharges (PBD), they are not considered antistatic FIBCs because they do not dissipate electrostatic charges. Normal brush discharges can still occur, which could be a potential ignition source for solvent vapors or gases. These are suitable for environments containing ignition energies less than 3mJ.
Type C FIBCs offer a weave containing electrically conductive materials that can be connected to a grounding element. Utilizing conductive yarns, normally in a grid pattern, allows energy to transfer from the bulk bag into the connected grounding device to dissipate energy. These types of totes are recommended for transportation of flammable powders or when flammable gases, vapors, or combustible dusts are present.
Type D FIBCs are anti-static bulk bags designed to prevent brush discharges, propagative brush discharges, and sparks without the need to connect the FIBC to a grounding element or the earth. They contain special fabric and can be used to transport flammable powders or when flammable gases, vapors, or combustible dusts are present.
Making Your Choice
Selecting the correct FIBC bag depends on the materials you’re transporting, the conditions under which transportation will occur, and any regulatory compliance issues. At Jakeco Holdings, we offer a diverse selection of highly durable, low-cost, and customizable FIBC bags. We can create a bag tailored to your specific needs, from static-controlled U-panels to UV-protected UN certified FIBCs.
With this quick guide on choosing the right FIBC bags and some help from Jakeco, you can find your perfect FIBC bags. Contact us today to create the ideal FIBC packaging solution for your specific shipping, storing, and transportation logistics.
