Nine Tips For Choosing An FIBC Bag Manufacturer

Bulk material handling and storage using PP (polypropylene) woven sacks involve significant time and cost. The most economical way to store any solid dry bulk material remains the use of FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container bags). They’re also made from polypropylene but more durable and flexible. There’s also no need to worry about environmental sustainability because the inert thermoplastic material can be recycled to produce other plastic products. 

Choosing a reliable FIBC bag manufacturer is vital to any business because the quality of your bags affects your performance in product handling and storage. Selecting the best manufacturer means enjoying all the benefits that a robust FIBC bag brings. 

Here are some tips to ponder when choosing an FIBC bag manufacturer:

1. Check The Manufacturer’s Production Facility 

The best FIBC manufacturers have a large and established production facility. From the manufacturing to the testing departments, everything should be state-of-the-art. An established facility enables manufacturers to guarantee optimal performance and scalability from the procurement phase to the delivery phase.

As a tip, ask your prospective manufacturer if you can visit their facility. This is the best way to check its quality. A reputable FIBC bag manufacturing company will be more than happy to welcome you and show you their manufacturing process.

2. Look For FIBCA (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association) Membership Proof 

The manufacturer should be knowledgeable about various rules and regulations that pertain to FIBC bag production. It makes sense because FIBCs have many uses and applications, so everything has to be carefully done for the product to really work. The manufacturer must know how to carry out every step efficiently–from the manufacturing processes to shipping and product distribution. 

The manufacturer’s engagement level in the industry can be gauged by its membership in the FIBCA. It also tells business owners whether or not the manufacturer pays attention to the latest regulations and manufacturing trends.  

Also, members of the FIBCA engage in discussions on how they can provide a better overall customer experience. For example, they talk about the changing GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) food safety standards for food grade bags. They also discuss how to fine-tune bag quality testing best practices. This results in business owners gaining confidence in their purchasing decision since they know that they’re working with an informed FIBC bag supplier.

3. Find Out More Information About The Manufacturer’s Team 

Does your prospective FIBC bag manufacturer have an experienced team? The most reputed companies in the field employ the most skilled and professional technicians and engineers. Additionally, physical quality control can be achieved with a great team because experienced staff members can contribute ideas that’ll help ensure product integrity and efficient loading and discharging.  

4. Assess The Manufacturer’s Warehousing Capability 

Warehousing capabilities play a vital role in good lead times. Of course, a significant part of what makes a manufacturer reliable is good lead times.  

Business owners can make their life so much easier when they work with manufacturers with dedicated warehousing capabilities. A manufacturer with a dedicated warehouse can supply FIBC bags without any problem whenever a customer needs them.

Warehousing also allows manufacturers to monitor inventory levels on top of stocking the FIBCs that business owners need. This helps ensure that specific bags are always in stock. For businesses, this means that they can keep their operation running smoothly.

5. Check If The Manufacturer Has A Stringent Monitoring Process In Place 

Reputable FIBC bag manufacturers follow a stringent process in monitoring their production line. Check if your prospect also has one in place. 

For example, do they have third-party audits and other enhanced quality protocols? It's essential to note that a fail-safe part of any monitoring process in the FIBC industry is quality protocols, like employing reputed external quality inspectors.

6. Take A Closer Look At The Manufacturer’s Design Capabilities 

They say that the longer you’ve been in an industry, the more you know about it. It also applies to the field of FIBC bag manufacturing. Only an expert manufacturer can tackle the many technical aspects of FIBCs. From bag designs, weight, manufacturing techniques, and product characteristics–everything should be expertly done to produce something that’ll work for various business applications.  

Business owners should prioritize partnering with someone that can manufacture FIBC bags with optimum design for their application. Note that design capabilities must go hand in hand with a skilled team, proven track record, and superior infrastructure to provide the best customer experience. 

7. Ask If They Offer Fully-Customized Products 

Nothing beats an FIBC bag that’s completely customized for a specific application. Ask your prospective manufacturer if they offer customized designs to ensure that the items you’re planning to store inside their products will fit perfectly. 

Working with an FIBC bag manufacturer that offers fully customized products also means that you can ask for specifications that you might not get from other suppliers. 

8. Assess The Vetting Process That The Manufacturer Follows 

You’ve probably heard that most FIBC bag manufacturers partner with companies overseas. Well, it’s true. However, it’s shouldn’t be a cause for concern if you find out that your prospective manufacturer does the same since it’s common. What should concern you is if they don’t follow a strict process in vetting their partners.  

Ensuring that you’re receiving the highest quality FIBC bags requires an excellent manufacturing process. The day-to-operations of your business may suffer if you keep on receiving poor quality FIBCs. In most instances, more than 2,000 pounds of raw materials will be stored in an FIBC bag. That last thing you’d want to do is put your operation and your employees at risk by getting poorly manufactured products that are more prone to failure during use. 

Ask your prospective manufacturer the following questions regarding how they vet their partners: 

• What specific process do they follow in vetting their potential partners? 
• Do their potential partners need to have certifications? 
• Do they require specific procedures to be present in their potential partners’ plants or facilities? 

9. Figure Out Their Production Line’s Level Of Sustainability 

Every organization should try to reduce its carbon footprint. Any damage to the environment will directly or indirectly impact your business through climate change. 

With that said, compliance with environmental legislation should also be a criterion for choosing an FIBC bag manufacturer.

Final Thoughts 

There are many FIBC bag manufacturers locally and nationally, so you’re going to have plenty of options when choosing one. However, not all of them are created equal. A poor quality FIBC bag can result from unacceptable manufacturing processes. The problem is that low-quality products can put your employees and operation at risk. Hence, ensure that you’re only getting high-quality bags by vetting your prospective manufacturing companies using the tips provided here.

(Mateo Brandon is an industrial warehousing specialist. Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)