FIBC discharge options are a key consideration across every industry. They can help speed up the handling of materials, protect against material loss, and help mitigate several health and safety issues. However, some FIBC discharge types are better suited to certain applications than others, making it important to seriously consider your options when choosing a discharge option.
Whether you’re a food processing operation that regularly handles grains and raw ingredients or a chemical manufacturing business that deals with fine powders, you can streamline everyday workflows with the right FIBC discharge options. Below, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most common discharge types you’ll encounter.
If you only have a need for single-use FIBCs, plain bottom bags are the obvious choice. Allowing for quick discharge, this type of FIBC can be split open along the base, allowing for the discharge of stored contents. While plain bottom bulk bags are generally cheaper than other designs, they can’t be reused. This means while they’re fairly economical, they’re not a particularly sustainable choice.
Spout bottom FIBCs are a popular choice of FIBC. Thanks to the inclusion of a discharge spout, unloading bulk bags is a breeze. Spouts can even be equipped with safety valves, allowing for greater control when discharging. This makes them ideal if you’re dealing with finer or high-value material.
Sometimes, it can be difficult for materials to flow during discharge, with some contents always remaining in the corners of a bulk bag. Conical discharge spouts help overcome this, ensuring bags unload fully, without the need for secondary agitation. Safety valves and flaps can also be installed to allow for controlled discharge of bulkier material.
If you’re looking for instant discharge of stored contents, duffle bottom FIBCs are a good choice. Here, the base of the bag can be opened fully, allowing for all material to be discharged in one fell swoop. They’re an ideal choice for coarse and clumpier material, as well as unevenly shaped solids. The downside of duffle bottom bags is that controlling the flow of material is impossible, meaning extra safety measures need to be observed when discharging.
Otherwise known as a diaper bottom FIBC, flap-bottom bulk bags feature a flap at the base that opens from one side. When the flap is untied, the full base of the bag is pulled away, allowing for material to be released at once. They’re ideal if you’re looking for the fast discharge of a plain bottom FIBC, but want something that’s reusable.
This type of FIBC is designed with rapid discharging in mind. The bottom of the FIBC opens in its entirety, allowing for stored materials to be discharged incredibly quickly. They’re a common sight across many industry sectors, but are particularly useful when fast unloading is vital to everyday operations. The design of these FIBCs means that no material is wasted, making them a good choice if you’re worried about the bottom line and are looking for easy efficiency gains.
FIBCs that feature an iris closure are the best choice if you’re looking for enhanced discharge control when dispensing materials. Here, the discharge spout itself is fed through an iris valve, otherwise known as a star closure. This is then clamped around the spout, limiting material flow. This valve can then be opened incrementally, giving you precise control over material flow speed. Not only does this type of FIBC help minimize waste it can also control dust and finer debris from contaminating your work environment.
If you’re looking to streamline everyday processes and make material handling more efficient, selecting the right discharge options for your FIBCs is crucial. With the right discharge type, you can improve safety standards, significantly reduce waste, and protect the quality of handled materials.
When choosing a discharge option, first consider the type of material you’ll be dealing with. Focus on things like particle size, as well as the level of moisture in the materials that you’re going to be working with. You’ll also need to think about the demands of your particular sector. If you’re operating within the food processing or chemical manufacturing sectors, contamination protection will be a concern. In other industries, rapid discharge might be more suitable. Alternatively, controlled flow is a prerequisite for businesses that are dealing with high-value materials.
You’ll also need to think about the flow characteristics of the materials you regularly handle. Finer powders will call for more controlled discharge types, such as those with valves. Other materials may be clumpier and have difficulty flowing, so a conical spout might be the best option.
If you’re looking to alleviate pressures on manual labor, your operation probably already employs a certain amount of automation. In this case, you’ll need to pay special attention to FIBC discharge options.
If you’re looking to operate more sustainably, your choice of FIBC discharge option matters. Plain bottom FIBCs aren’t reusable, making them a poor choice if you’re prioritizing sustainability. Instead, think about using something like flap-bottom FIBCs instead.
If you want to minimize risk when discharging bulk bags, always refer to the latest health and safety standards outlined by OSHA. One way to protect your labor force and avoid injury is to utilize lifting equipment when discharging. However, doing so requires an additional slate of health and safety guidelines. You’ll need to ensure bulk bags lifting loops aren’t damaged before attempting to move and suspend FIBCs, while containers also need to be free of any signs of damage and degradation. Additionally, make sure you’re never filling a bulk bag beyond its safe working load (SWL).
If you’re dealing with finer materials, such as granular products or gains, you’ll also need to contend with the health hazard caused by dust. Discharge options like an iris closure are particularly effective at limiting the amount of dust that’s created when unloading bulk bags, making them a good option if you’re looking to enhance health and safety.
FIBC discharge options can dramatically increase the functionality of bulk bags. When using the correct discharge type, you can speed up unloading, decrease material wastage, and help combat health and safety challenges posed by issues like dust.
Looking for quality FIBCs and discharge options you can trust? At Codefine, you’ll find an extensive range of bulk bags that can be fitted with all manner of discharge types to help speed up your workflows and make your operation more efficient. Looking for something else? Feel free to explore our entire product range online today. Alternatively, get in touch to discuss your requirements with the team.
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