Western Packing is committed to providing our customers with excellent bulk bags and products every time they use them. We strive to provide products that farmers and contractors can use and benefit from. One of the products that we stand behind is the FIBC bulk bags.
What is the FIBC Bulk Bag?
A flexible intermediate bulk container, also known as an FIBC bulk bag, is an industrial container made of a flexible fabric that is designed for storing and transporting dry and flowable products.
FIBC bulk bags are most often made from thick polyethylene material and measure 45-48 inches in diameter and 39-79 inches in height, depending on what is being stored. FIBC bags are designed to contain 4000 pounds of material, depending on the design. The walls are flexible, which makes them perfect for storing and transporting dry bulk solids.
Advantages of FIBC Bulk Bags
The use of FIBC bags has increased over the last several years due to the advantages they have over other containers such as rigid IBCs, paper bags, and fiber, plastic, or metal drums. Some advantages and uses of FIBC bags include:
- Improved safety- Workers can be exposed to injuries when they move bulk materials in bags and drums. When using bulk bags they require the use of mechanical means to move them such as a forklift, pallet jack, or hoise, this means less manual movement by workers and improved safety for them.
- Cost Savings-Labor cost can typically be reduced when the bulk bags are used. When you compare the price of positioning and lifting one bulk bag to lifting, opening, dumping, and the disposal of 40 paper bags you can easily see the cost difference.
- Economical packaging- More material can be shipped for the same price due to the bag capacity increases and the tare weight decreases. FBICs can also be positioned and stacked higher and more efficiently than smaller bags. This maximizes the shipping container and storage space.
Materials that can be stored
A few examples of things that can be stored and transported in FIBC bulk bags include:
- Chemicals
- Fertilizers
- Fiberglass
- Food products
- Grains
- Construction Material
- Seeds
- and more
Types of FIBC Bulk Bags
- Circular- This is considered the lowest standard of bulk bags. They are made on the loom as a tube and will not maintain its shape when loaded. It tends to bulge out in the middle when weight is applied, and the product will stretch the fabric when under pressure.
- U-Panel- This is one step up from the circular bag and it is made when two pieces of fabric that resemble a U shape are sewn together and make the bag. It maintains a square shape when loaded.
- Four-Panel- This bag is made up of four pieces of fabric that make up the sides and one for the bottom. They are all sewn together and are made to resist some stretching and hold the cube shape much better than other types.
- Baffle- This bag is the best at keeping the cube shape of your product when it is loaded. The reason why is it has additional baffles sewn into each corner to help the bag keep its shape. These bags are the easiest to stack.
Transport and Emptying
When transporting and loading an FIBC bag it is done on pallets or by lifting it from the loops. Depending on the style of the bag this can be done by one person or may take two. Emptying the bags is easy; you can use the special discharge spout or simply cut it open
Contact Us
If you are in the market for some flexible intermediate bulk containers and bulk bags, give us a call. The staff at Western packing understands the issues our customers deal with every day and we are committed to finding you the best solutions.
