Mostly FIBC are produced from fabric woven in a circular loom or from flat woven fabric.  Our MONO-FLEX and DUO-FLEX bags as well as FLEX 500 R are made from circular woven fabric, also known as tubular fabric.

One way of enhancing the surface of an FIBC, providing it with more density and protection, is the coating of the fabric.  Coating is achieved by laminating a thin film of PP onto the fabric; the thickness of the coating is indicated in grams per square metre (g/m2 or gsm).  Coating protects the FIBC´s content from air and humidity.  Moreover sifting of the product is prevented.

The more fine-grained the material the bigger its surface and the incurred risk of electrostatic charging during filling or unloading of the FIBC.  Due to friction of the contents with the PP during these processes there is a high danger of explosion if the FIBC is handled in an uncontrolled fashion. Conductive bags avoid this danger by diverting the charge off the FIBC, thus preventing accidents.Conductive bags are classified into types B-D.

This unit describes the weight of a yarn measured in grams per 9.000 metres.

The grain size of the good to be transported is the guideline for the choice of the so-called “dustproofing”.  Dustproofing prevents the contents from leakage, especially in the area of the seams. There are different standards like double and triple dustproofing.

FIBC used in the food and pharma industries are subject to extremely high requirements since the goods have to be protected according to the applicable laws and regulations.  There are several standards like HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC, AIB etc.

We audit each single producer and make sure that the company chosen for a project does not only boast the necessary certificate but lives up to the requirements in reality.

The United Nations are author of the so-called “orange book” which are the guidelines for UN-certified FIBCs.  According to orange book big bags are classified into various categories which then boast a code (e.g. 13H2:  FIBC, woven from PP, coated) plus further codes concerning composition, production and other characteristics.

The measurements of an FIBC are usually indicated as internal or external.

These indications differ from each other due to the sewing and assembly of the bags.

Despite many industry standards FIBC are basically a tailor-made product which is designed according to the specific needs of the customer.  The options which turn the FIBC into an individual product are manifold:  e.g. filling/discharging spouts, swan-neck binding of the spouts, skirts, quick discharge devices, clips, ribbons, prints, markings etc.

PE is a thermoplastic polymer often used for plastic bags and other common plastic products.  For FIBC PE is mostly used in the liners (inner bags), cf. liner standards.

PP is a thermoplastic polymer used to produce fabric and threads from which FIBCs are made.  The fabric weight is usually indicated in grams per square metre (gsm).

The Safety Factor is a test reference concerning the Safe Working Load, usually indicated as 5:1, 6:1, 8:1.  For example SF 5:1 means that the bag can bear five times the indicated SWL before it cracks or bursts.

This indication describes the recommended maximum weight for an FIBC or one of its components.  Especially for potentially hazardous goods these indications are vital because leaks and cracks have to be avoided under all circumstances.

Due to the characteristics of the basic material (polypropylene) it is not advisable to store the FIBC in the sun without protection over a longer period of time.  However, for limited periods in which sun radiation is unavoidable it might be useful to enhance the material with a UV stabilization so that the contents stays safely packed.