Flexible bulk bags are also called ton bags, ton bags, and space bags in my country. They are transit bulk containers made of flexible textiles. Its characteristics can be intuitively understood by its English name FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container):
F-flexible, I-transit, B-large
Since the 1940s, the initial form of FIBC has been produced. Although the specific production location of the first batch of products is still controversial, it is undoubtedly in Western Europe or a certain area of the United States. From the 1940s to the early 1960s, FIBCs were made of PVC rubber and used to transport carbon black rubber products. Polypropylene bags and modern weaving technology are the predecessors of modern bulk bags, providing a durable and flexible way to package and transport materials.
Early FIBC form
The rapid development of the European bulk bag industry occurred during the oil crisis in the mid-1970s. Driven by the oil-producing country's Daxing oil refining infrastructure, a large amount of cement is continuously sent to the Middle East. According to statistics, about 30,000 to 50,000 tons of cement are exported from Northern Europe, Spain and Italy in bulk bags every week.
By the 1990s, the standardized method of transporting goods through bulk bags had become obvious. Any industry that requires flexible containers, or wants to save storage warehouse space, can be used with FIBCs to achieve better performance and compact resource management.
Container bag cement waiting to be sent to the Middle East in the 1970s
In comparison, the demand for bulk bags in the United States grew slowly during the same period, until the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1984 passed regulations that can use bulk bags to transport dangerous goods. Initially, the product requirements and standards for FIBCs in the United States were established by the Chemical Packaging Committee under the American Packaging Association.
Compared with other logistics containers, FIBCs can provide users with unique packaging functions, including:
Can be easily folded and packaged for easy transportation to users;
Used to transport solid materials in powder, flake or granular form;
Very low packaging/product quality ratio, usually the packaging weight of one ton of goods is only 2.5-3 kg;
It can be stored and transported separately, and does not need to be used with other logistics containers;
Easy to use standard equipment for packaging and handling of goods;
The standard filling diameter of the FIBC is usually 115-120mm, so that it is convenient to install two fully loaded bags into a standard container or warehouse truck at the same time. The specific sling form, top/bottom style, and inner coating of the FIBC need to be customized according to customer needs.
Compared with developed countries, the development of my country's container bag industry began in the 1980s, lagging behind developed countries' markets for about 20 years. After the rapid development of the past 20 years, the production capacity of my country's FIBC has been among the top in the world, but there are still gaps in quality, technology, and standards. Most products are still in simple wire drawing, weaving, cutting, and sewing. The level of craftsmanship.
In terms of functions, emerging products such as waterproof bags and pallet container bags have not yet been widely accepted by the market. In terms of service model, one-off sales are still the mainstream, and the service form of leasing recycle container bags has not been effectively promoted.