Glossary

Baffle- A piece of fabric that is sewn at the corners of a four- or tubular-panel bag. It improves the bag’s appearance and stability, as well as its storage or shipping efficiency.

Bag Height – Measurement of the height dimension of an FIBC from the top Seam to its bottom Seam.

Body Fabric – Main Fabric used to cover the body of a four-panel, u-panel or circular bag.

Bottom Spout – Also known as a Discharge Spout. It is used to drain the contents of the FIBC.

Breathable Fabric/Bags – Uncoated or Non-Laminated fabric/bags.

Coated Fabric/Bags – A fabric or bag that has been coated/laminated in polypropylene (PP), to prevent moisture intrusion and sifting. Also known as Non-breathable fabric/bags or laminated fabric/bags.

Discharge Spot – Also known as a Bottom Spout. It is used to drain the contents of the FIBC.

Document Pouch – This is usually made from polyethylene or propylene and it’s where shipping or identifying documents are placed. Also known as a Pocket, or Envelope.

Drawstring Closure – This is a type of spout closure similar to a petal closure but with the loop/string around the circumference.

Duffel Top FIBC that looks similar to a duffel bag. The inlet extends from a top seam and follows the bag’s base dimensions.

Fabric Weight – This is the measure of fabric weight in ounces/square yard or grams/100 square centimeters. A standard weight is 6.5 ozs/sq. yd.

FIBC- Flexible Intermediate Bulk container

Fill Spout – Also known as an inlet spout (or top spout), it is used to fill an FIBC. It can be adjusted to fit into the customer’s loading chute.

Filler Cord – Typically a material made from polypropylene and used to make FIBC’s that are sift resistant. To prevent fine powders and dust from escaping, a rope or braided yarn-like Cord is sewn into seams.

Safe Workload– SWL refers to the weight of a bag (in kilograms or pounds) that it is intended to carry. Notice: Customers use the metric system, where 1 ton equals 2205 lb or 1000 kilos.

Safety Factor – Also known as a Service Factor it is an industry standard that requires the FIBC handle five to six times its Safe Working Load (SWL). It is usually written in a ratio of “5:1” or “6:1 SF”.

Sift-Resistant construction – An FIBC feature that prevents product sifting if the bag is filled using very fine materials. Also known as “Siftproof” construction. This type of construction typically uses coated fabric and filler string in the sewing lines.

Single-Trip Bag – An FIBC that conforms to ISO 21898.

Tube Liner – This is a straight-lined polyethylene cylinder that may or not have one side heat-sealed. This liner is low-cost and can be used in the FIBC either loosely or with gluing or sewn tabs. Also known as a Tubular Liner.

UV Stabilized – An FIBC fabric feature that protects against prolonged sun exposure. This protection is provided by an additive that is added to resin before the yarns are extruded.

Volume – The amount of material an FIBC can store. It is usually measured in Cubic Feet.