Measuring the quality of your Bulk Bag Suppliers

If we go to any search engine and type “Best Bulk bags Suppliers”, we will probably find close to millions of search results, naming all the bulk bag suppliers across the world. Amongst all, FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container) industry has been constantly evolving since 1990. The production rapidly multiplied when the supply chains shifted from Mexico, to Philippines, China India, Vietnam and Turkey. And what’s common? Everyone claims to be the best.

Currently, there is labor shortage, increase in labor rates, resin cost fluctuations, and other unavoidable factors, which have led to affect the production on the whole. But the question arises, how are we going to decide whether the supplier is keeping pace with the quality or not. 

Ensure that the Quality Standards are taken care of:

We often hear, “A bag is a bag”- Discard this! With the globalized marketplace, companies get a myriad of options of potential FIBC bags suppliers to choose from, plus not all bags are equally good in quality. 

The definition of quality varies from person to person. Some love to buy a product which is made well and functions properly without breaking down easily. While some others also insist on having a great design along with consistent high quality. 

So to begin, you must get introduced to Industry Compliance Standards. 

The ISO standard of compliance, ISO-281898 Standard for Non-Hazardous Duty FIBCs is the most comprehensive performance standard for standard duty FIBCs.

Every bulk bag you use must be made in compliance with these Industry standards. Adding on to more attributes of “Great Quality”, there are the following certifications and processes:

1.    Quality and Environmental

●     ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System

●     ISO 14000:2004 Environmental Management System

2.    UN/DOT HAZ/MAT

●     UN Certification Testing, UN recommendations on the transport of Dangerous Goods, Rev. 11 (ST/SG/AC.10/1/REV. 11)

●     US DOT 49 CFR – Regulated (Hazardous) Products

●     US DOT HM 181E – International Bulk Containers for Hazardous Materials

3.    Electrostatics:

●     IEC 61340-4-4 ed2.0 - Electrostatics: Standard test methods for specific applications - Electrostatic classification of flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC)

4.    Hygienic and Food Safety:

●     AIB Consolidated Standards for Inspection: Food Contact Packaging

●     BRC Global Standards for Packaging & Packaging Materials

●     ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management System

●     Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP)

●     FDA: CFR Title 21, 177.1520 Olefin Polymers

●     ISO 14644-1:1999 Clean Rooms – Classification of Air Cleanliness

A superior quality bulk bag supplier will be aware of all of the aforementioned standards and how they can be useful for your industry. So they provide you the bulk bags that are fit for your industry as well as high in quality with all the industry specific quality standards. 

Ensure that the Quality Control is taken care of:

Knowing the standards is the first step, after which you need to ensure that the supplier is following the quality control measures in the production process or not. Inspection and Measurement  are the key attributes of quality control, or to simplify, we can say that quality control affirms or denies that a product meets its specifications. 

Quality control and Quality assurance are the critical factors in achieving the success in bulk bag quality.

 This is the reason why it is important to have clear product specifications before the production begins. The specifications must:

-       Contain precise information in exact measurable and technical language

-       Include technical drawings to communicate exact customer requirements. 

-       Be made so well, that they instill trust and confidence that the complete production will be high quality.

-       GSM of the bag must be in accordance with the desired Safe Working Load and Safety Factor.

Specifications, Production and Testing- go hand in hand

The specifications (like dimensional sizes, weight ratings, spout sizes, style, types, clean level, and electrostatic requirements) form the base of the process, thereby making it the most crucial. If the specifications are unclear or faulty, then the production and testing will definitely fail. 

Ensure that the Quality Assurance is taken care of:

Quality Assurance is all about strategy. While quality control focuses mainly on the product, quality assurance focuses on the entire supply chain system. It makes sure that the specifications will be met and prevention will be taken in case any error occurs.  

Through quality assurance, we seek to improve the processes to reduce the chances of defects. In other words, it checks if the raw materials are good. A quality bulk bag supplier encourages strong communication with their customer to create accurate and precise designs, good production process, documentation, and comprehensive handling and shipment procedures.

Ensure that the Quality Supply Chain is taken care of:

-       A quality bulk bag supplier has a good list of vendors, certifications, performance test documents, etc.

-       A quality bulk bag supplier will perform on-site audits and take surveys to verify the quality control measures.

-       A quality bulk bag supplier will implement an accurate product testing mechanism.

-       A quality bulk bag supplier will always be able to provide the information about the ISO certificates, standards they follow at various stages of production. 

-       A quality bulk bag supplier will ensure on time delivery, low defect rates, and flexibility in meeting your production requirements

So gone are those days when people used to buy from people they like. Now, people buy from whom they trust. So, if you wish to earn the badge of a trusted bulk bag supplier, you need to follow the mentioned standards in order to meet the customers’ satisfaction the best.