Every industry has its own language, and knowing how people apply it will help you communicate with your customers. The following introduces you to some common terms.
Baffles: A piece of fabric sewn into each corner of a tubular or four-panel bag to improve the bag's squareness, appearance, increase load stability and make more efficient use of storage or shipping space.
Pocket Height: The height dimension of the FIBC measured from the top seam to the bottom seam.
Base fabric: The main fabric is used for U-shaped panels, four panels or round bags.
Outlet: Used as an outlet for emptying the contents of the FIBC.
Breathable fabric/bag: Truncated or non-laminated fabric/bag.
Coated fabrics/bags:Fabrics or bags coated/laminated with polypropylene (PP) to prevent moisture intrusion or sifting of the contents. Also known as non-breathable or laminated fabric/bag.
Inlet: Used as an outlet for emptying the FIBC contents.
Document Bag: Usually made of polyethylene or polypropylene, it is usually used to hold shipping or identification documents. Also known as pocket or envelope.
Drawstring Closure: A nozzle structure similar to a petal closure, but with loops/cords along the circumference of the closure.
Skirt: A type of FIBC similar to a duffed bag, with the entry extending from the top seam and following the bottom dimension of the bag.
Fabric Weight: Fabric weight in ounces per square yard or grams per 100 square centimeters. Typical standard weight is 6.5 oz/sq ft. code
FIBC: Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container
Fill spout: Also known as the inlet spout or top spout, it serves as the inlet for filling the FIBC. It is designed to fit the customer's filling chute during loading.
Safe Working Load : SWL is the amount of load (in pounds or kilograms) it is designed to carry. NOTE: Most customers use the metric system, where 1 ton equals 2205 pounds or 1000 kilograms.
Safety Factor: Also known as the Service Factor, it is an industry standard that requires a FIBC to handle five to six times its Safe Workload (SWL), usually written as a ratio of "5:1 or 6:1 SF"
UV Stabilized: A feature of FIBC fabrics that protects against UV rays from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Additives are added to the resin to provide this protection before the yarn is extruded.
Volume: The size or amount of material that the FIBC can hold. It is usually measured in cubic feet.