VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags: A Practical Product Guide to Side Spout, Conical discharge spout, side seam loop, side coner bottom loop, and double stevedore loop Designs
Bulk packaging looks simple from a distance. A large woven bag, several lifting loops, an inlet, an outlet. Yet in real industrial use, every detail changes how the package fills, lifts, travels, stacks, empties, and performs on the production floor. At VIDEPAK, we therefore approach Jumbo Bags as complete material-handling systems rather than oversized sacks. Woven polypropylene fabric carries the load; seams transfer stress; lifting components connect the load to handling equipment; and filling or discharge structures connect the package to the customer’s process. VIDEPAK’s published FIBC portfolio covers common safe working loads of approximately 500–2,000 kg and includes circular, U-panel, four-panel, and baffle constructions with multiple top, bottom, liner, and lifting configurations.
This system approach becomes especially important when customers compare Side Spout, Conical discharge spout, side seam loop, side coner bottom loop, and double stevedore loop options. They do different jobs. A Side Spout changes where material enters or leaves the package. A Conical discharge spout changes the path that material follows toward the outlet. A side seam loop changes how lifting force enters the body of the bag. A side coner bottom loop adds a handling point near the lower part of the package for a specific handling or emptying sequence. A double stevedore loop changes how the main lifting loops can be collected and presented to a hook, crane, hoist, or other compatible lifting system.
VIDEPAK DESIGN PRINCIPLE: Do not begin with “Which option is strongest?” or “Which option is cheapest?” Begin with four practical questions: What material goes into the bag? How does it flow? How will the filled bag be lifted? How must the material come out? The best Jumbo Bags specification is the one in which every feature has a clear operational reason.
Understanding VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags as Engineered Bulk Packaging
What makes modern Jumbo Bags different from ordinary sacks?
Jumbo Bags, also called FIBCs or flexible intermediate bulk containers, are flexible containers intended for mechanically handled bulk solids. Industry guidance describes an FIBC as a flexible container for materials in powder, flake, or granular form that is lifted through permanently attached lifting devices. The woven polypropylene body can be coated or uncoated and combined with liners, baffles, filling spouts, discharge systems, lifting webbing, labels, and other application-specific components.
That flexibility is the central advantage of VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags. One customer may package free-flowing plastic resin. Another may ship fine mineral powder. Another may handle grain, fertilizer, food ingredients, recycling material, or construction products. The basic woven container may look similar, yet the right engineering choices can be very different. Density changes required volume. Powder behavior changes discharge design. Dust changes seam and coating requirements. Moisture sensitivity changes liner selection. Forklift geometry changes loop height. Discharge equipment changes outlet position.
Load System
Fabric, webbing, seams, reinforcement, loop geometry, Safe Working Load, and safety factor must work as one structure.
Flow System
Side Spout and Conical discharge spout choices should follow particle size, bulk density, cohesion, discharge rate, and receiving equipment.
Handling System
side seam loop, side coner bottom loop, and double stevedore loop configurations should match forklifts, hooks, frames, hoists, and operator procedures.
Typical specification windows for VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags
VIDEPAK’s published product information commonly places mainstream FIBC Safe Working Loads around 500–2,000 kg. Common safety-factor programs include 5:1 and 6:1 designs, while final ratings must be based on the completed construction and applicable test program rather than bag dimensions alone. VIDEPAK also publishes circular, U-panel, four-panel, and baffle body choices, along with open, duffle, and spout-based filling or discharge options. International ISO 21898:2024 covers materials, construction, design, type testing, and marking requirements for FIBCs intended for non-dangerous goods.
VIDEPAK Side Spout: Put the Opening Where the Process Needs It
What is a Side Spout?
In a conventional FIBC, a filling opening is usually placed at the top and a discharge opening is usually placed at or near the center of the bottom. A Side Spout changes that geometry by positioning the required spout away from the conventional central axis so the package can better match a specific filling, transfer, or discharge arrangement. Because “side spout” is not one universal geometry in international FIBC terminology, VIDEPAK treats a Side Spout as a drawing-controlled custom feature: position, diameter, length, fabric, closure, reinforcement, liner connection, and operating purpose should all be agreed before production.
This is important. The value of a Side Spout is not that “side is better than center.” The value is alignment. When a customer’s chute, vessel, conveyor, discharge frame, or receiving point is offset, forcing the process to fit a standard centered opening can create awkward bends, pulling, extra manual adjustment, or poor discharge alignment. A correctly designed Side Spout allows the package to follow the process instead. Industry design guidance makes the same broader point: spout dimensions and filling or discharge arrangements should be selected around actual equipment, desired rate, clearance, and handling method.
WHERE Side Spout ADDS VALUE: Choose the location because the plant needs it, not because the drawing looks different. A good Side Spout shortens the distance between bag and equipment, reduces unnecessary redirection, and creates a cleaner operating sequence.
Engineering points that matter for a Side Spout
First, location must be defined from fixed reference points. “On the side” is not accurate enough. The approved drawing should define the distance from the bottom seam, corner seam, bag centerline, or other repeatable datum. Second, spout diameter must match the product and mating equipment. A small outlet can provide greater control but may restrict large particles; a large outlet can increase flow but may reduce dosing control. Third, spout length must give enough material for tying, clamping, or entering the receiving connection without creating excessive loose fabric.
Fourth, reinforcement deserves attention. Cutting or sewing an opening into a load-bearing panel changes local fabric behavior. VIDEPAK can review webbing, patch construction, seam placement, and local fabric reinforcement around the Side Spout according to the final bag architecture. Fifth, liners must follow the opening. When a PE liner is used, the liner outlet and external Side Spout should remain aligned so the inner film does not twist, fold across the flow path, or retreat into the bag.
Finally, the Side Spout must be considered together with lifting geometry. A spout that works while the bag sits on a floor may behave differently after the Jumbo Bags are suspended. The body stretches, the base changes shape, and the outlet can move. That is why VIDEPAK recommends evaluating the Side Spout in the actual filling or discharge position, not only on a flat technical drawing.
Best applications for a Side Spout
A custom Side Spout can be useful where customers have offset discharge stations, side-entry receiving systems, unusual frame geometry, specialized process vessels, or installations where the normal centerline is blocked. It can also be combined with tailored closures, protective flaps, liners, and selected lifting designs. The central message is simple: standardize where possible, customize where necessary.
For VIDEPAK, a Side Spout specification normally begins with the process drawing. We want to know the product, bulk density, particle size, desired flow rate, opening position, receiving connection, available headroom, lifting method, liner requirement, and closure sequence. One small spout can influence the whole bag. Therefore, one small spout deserves full engineering attention.
VIDEPAK Conical discharge spout: Guide Material Down, Inward, and Out
Why flat-bottom discharge sometimes leaves product behind
Many free-flowing pellets and granules discharge well through a conventional center outlet. Fine or moderately cohesive powders can behave differently. Material near the center begins to move, while material resting in lower corners may remain in place. The operator may then need more vibration, massage, or another controlled flow-assistance method. For valuable products, even modest residue can become a repeated cost.
A Conical discharge spout addresses this problem by changing the lower geometry of the Jumbo Bags. Instead of asking material in a flat corner to move sideways and then downward, the conical section creates a sloping path toward the outlet. VIDEPAK describes this geometry as useful when reducing corner retention and encouraging more complete emptying are important. Industry design guidance also recognizes conical bottoms as an established FIBC discharge option.
How a Conical discharge spout changes material flow
Think of the difference as floor versus funnel. A standard flat bottom supports material across a broad horizontal area. A Conical discharge spout gives the material an inclined route. Gravity is still the driving force, but gravity now has geometry on its side. Product moves down; the cone guides it inward; the outlet directs it out. Down, inward, out: three movements, one controlled path.
IMPORTANT: A Conical discharge spout can improve flow geometry, but it cannot solve every material problem by itself. Strong caking, severe bridging, moisture-driven agglomeration, unsuitable outlet diameter, liner restriction, or poor discharge equipment may still require process changes. VIDEPAK therefore evaluates the Conical discharge spout together with the product and the unloading station.
When should buyers consider a Conical discharge spout?
A Conical discharge spout is especially attractive for fine powders, moderately cohesive products, materials with noticeable corner retention, and higher-value ingredients where improved recovery matters. VIDEPAK’s published technical guidance also notes the relevance of conical discharge designs for cement, dry mortar, mineral powders, and high-value cohesive additives, subject to actual flow testing and the customer’s process conditions.
However, product names alone should never determine the design. Two powders with similar chemical names can flow differently because particle size, particle shape, moisture, temperature, aeration, compaction, and storage time are different. Therefore, VIDEPAK normally asks for bulk density, particle size, moisture level, flow characteristics, required discharge rate, hopper diameter, available frame clearance, and any vibration or massage system before fixing the Conical discharge spout geometry.
Side Spout versus Conical discharge spout
These two options answer different questions. Side Spout asks, “Where should the opening be located?” A Conical discharge spout asks, “How should product be guided toward the opening?” That distinction allows the two ideas to work separately or, in a carefully engineered custom design, influence the same package.
When equipment alignment is the primary challenge, Side Spout deserves attention. When corner residue and powder flow are the primary challenge, Conical discharge spout deserves attention. When both problems exist, the complete discharge architecture should be reviewed rather than selecting one catalog feature in isolation.
Lifting Architecture: side seam loop, side coner bottom loop, and double stevedore loop
An outlet controls product. A loop controls the load. That is why lifting design must never be treated as decoration. Industry terminology defines a lift belt or fitting loop as a component that supports the Safe Working Load of a filled FIBC during handling and transport. Loop geometry, webbing strength, stitching, attachment length, surrounding fabric, and the number of lifting points all influence the load path.
VIDEPAK side seam loop: direct lifting from the seam structure
A side seam loop is attached along or into the vertical seam area of the bag rather than being arranged as a broad cross-corner lifting structure. The design is commonly associated with panel-based FIBC constructions in which the seam provides a defined location for loop attachment. The practical attraction of a side seam loop is clear geometry: the loop rises from a known side-seam position and can be designed to match the selected lifting method.
For the buyer, however, “four loops” is not a complete specification. A VIDEPAK side seam loop program should define loop height, free-loop width, webbing specification, sewn-down length, stitching pattern, attachment position, and how the bag will actually be lifted. The forklift or crane does not lift the fabric uniformly; force enters through the loops, passes through stitches and reinforced zones, and then spreads into the bag body. The side seam loop is therefore part of the structural system, not simply an accessory.
Loop height deserves particular attention. Too short, and forklift engagement can become difficult. Too long, and available headroom may be wasted while the bag can also move more during handling. VIDEPAK can coordinate the side seam loop with filling-frame height, forklift geometry, crane hooks, pallet dimensions, and transport conditions.
BUYER CHECK: Never specify a side seam loop only by appearance. Send VIDEPAK the lifting method, fork or hook geometry, required loop height, SWL, safety-factor requirement, and bag body construction. The loop and the bag must be qualified as one finished design.
VIDEPAK side coner bottom loop: a lower handling point for controlled bag movement
The customer-supplied term side coner bottom loop generally corresponds to a side corner bottom loop: a secondary loop positioned near a lower side or corner area of the FIBC. Because bottom-loop position can change the way the bag rotates, tips, or is controlled during an emptying or handling sequence, VIDEPAK treats side coner bottom loop placement as a drawing-defined feature rather than a generic dimension.
The main lifting loops carry the filled bag during normal lifting. A side coner bottom loop has a different job. Depending on the approved system design, it can provide an auxiliary engagement point for controlled tilting, inversion, positioning, or handling of the bag in an appropriate process. This difference is essential. Primary lifting and secondary manipulation are not the same operation.
For this reason, the side coner bottom loop should be specified together with the equipment that will engage it. VIDEPAK needs to understand where the loop will be pulled, in which direction force will act, whether the bag is full, partly discharged, or empty at that moment, and how the operator or machine completes the sequence. A side coner bottom loop located a few centimeters differently can change the angle of rotation and local stress.
Reinforcement is also important. The lower area of Jumbo Bags experiences product pressure, set-down forces, abrasion, and discharge-related movement. Adding a side coner bottom loop creates another concentrated load point. The surrounding fabric, patch, stitching, webbing route, and seam position therefore need to be designed together.
VIDEPAK double stevedore loop: simplifying access to multiple lifting loops
A double stevedore loop uses two secondary lifting straps arranged to connect or collect pairs of the bag’s main corner loops. In common FIBC practice, stevedore straps create higher-level lifting points so suitable hooks or lifting systems can engage the package without individually collecting every primary loop. VIDEPAK’s published FIBC product overview describes double-stevedore arrangements as two straps associated with pairs of bag loops for handling applications.
The operational benefit of a double stevedore loop is accessibility. Four short corner loops may require the operator or lifting system to collect four separate points. A double stevedore loop organizes those points into two larger secondary interfaces. In a compatible plant, this can simplify rigging and make lifting points easier to reach.
But simpler access does not mean simpler engineering. The double stevedore loop changes how forces from the lifting device reach the primary loops. Strap length, strap position, primary-loop spacing, hook geometry, headroom, bag balance, and webbing interaction all matter. VIDEPAK therefore specifies a double stevedore loop around the customer’s handling equipment rather than treating it as a universal upgrade.
There is also an important contrast between the three loop concepts. A side seam loop is normally part of the primary lifting structure. A side coner bottom loop is an auxiliary lower engagement feature for a defined handling sequence. A double stevedore loop works above or through primary lifting points to create another accessible lifting interface. Same material family, three different jobs.
How to Combine Side Spout, Conical discharge spout, and Loop Options
The strongest product strategy is not to compare every feature as an isolated item. Instead, connect material behavior to discharge, discharge to bag position, bag position to lifting, and lifting to the plant’s equipment. FIBCA’s design guidance follows the same logic by asking buyers to define product characteristics, filling method, desired fill rate, discharge method, desired discharge rate, handling preference, and lifting configuration before finalizing the package.
A practical VIDEPAK selection flow
Density • particle size • moisture • flow
Side Spout or Conical discharge spout
side seam loop • side coner bottom loop • double stevedore loop
Dimensions • closures • liner • printing
Sample • handling • filling • discharge • test program
Example combinations for common operating goals
For free-flowing resin pellets entering a conventional central hopper, standard VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags with a central discharge spout and appropriate primary lifting loops may be the most efficient solution. There is little value in adding complexity when the material already flows well.
For a fine powder with measurable corner residue, Jumbo Bags with a Conical discharge spout may give the material a more useful gravity path. Add a liner when the product requires an additional barrier, but ensure that the liner geometry follows the cone and outlet instead of restricting them.
For a plant with an offset receiving point, Side Spout geometry may become the main design driver. The position of the Side Spout should then be checked while the bag is in its real operating position, especially when side seam loop geometry changes the suspended height.
For handling systems where operators or hooks benefit from two larger access points, a double stevedore loop can be evaluated together with the primary loops. For processes requiring controlled manipulation from the lower portion of the bag, a side coner bottom loop may be added according to the equipment and handling sequence.
ONE BAG, ONE SYSTEM: Side Spout controls location. Conical discharge spout controls flow geometry. side seam loop supports primary lifting. side coner bottom loop supports a defined secondary handling action. double stevedore loop improves access to the lifting system. Each has a separate role; together, they can create a Jumbo Bags design built around the customer’s real workflow.
From Customer Requirement to Finished VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags
Specification comes before production
Reliable Jumbo Bags start with questions. VIDEPAK first converts customer requirements into measurable parameters: product density, particle size, flowability, moisture sensitivity, net fill weight, bag dimensions, filling method, desired discharge method, lifting system, transport route, storage conditions, coating requirement, liner requirement, print requirement, and any application-specific safety needs.
Next comes feature integration. If the project needs a Side Spout, its exact position and dimensions enter the drawing. If it needs a Conical discharge spout, the lower bag geometry and liner arrangement are developed around material flow. If it needs a side seam loop, webbing attachment and loop height are matched to the lifting method. If the operation requires a side coner bottom loop, its location and force direction are defined. If a double stevedore loop is requested, its relationship with the primary lifting loops and handling equipment must also be controlled.
Manufacturing control from PP tape to finished bag
VIDEPAK reports more than 100 circular looms, 16 extrusion lines, and more than 30 lamination and printing machines across its woven-packaging manufacturing platform. The manufacturing route begins with polypropylene resin and tape production, followed by weaving, optional coating, cutting, sewing, addition of lifting components, top and bottom assemblies, liners where required, printing or labels, inspection, and packing.
For Jumbo Bags, sewing deserves special attention because the final container is a network of connected load paths. A strong body fabric cannot compensate for a poorly designed loop attachment. A well-made side seam loop cannot compensate for unsuitable handling equipment. A correctly positioned Side Spout cannot deliver clean discharge if its liner is twisted. A carefully built Conical discharge spout cannot make a severely caked product behave like dry pellets. Manufacturing quality and application engineering must meet in the middle.
Testing the complete design, not the marketing claim
ISO 21898:2024 provides the current international framework for non-dangerous-goods FIBCs, covering construction, design, type testing, and marking. FIBC industry guidance also emphasizes defining Safe Working Load, safety factor, filling and discharge methods, handling preferences, and lifting configuration as part of specification development. For electrostatic-risk applications, electrostatic classification is a separate engineering question covered by IEC 61340-4-4; changing a discharge outlet or loop type does not by itself provide electrostatic protection.
This distinction matters for every VIDEPAK project. A Conical discharge spout is a flow feature, not an antistatic feature. A double stevedore loop is a handling feature, not permission to exceed SWL. A side coner bottom loop is a defined auxiliary feature, not a universal lifting point. A Side Spout changes the interface, not the certified load. A side seam loop forms part of the lifting structure, but the finished Jumbo Bags design still needs to satisfy the required performance program.
Information That Helps VIDEPAK Build the Right Specification
Product: name, bulk density, particle size, moisture, temperature, abrasiveness, flow behavior, dust level, and sensitivity.
Load: required SWL, target fill weight, desired safety-factor program, and intended use classification.
Bag: base size, height, circular/U-panel/four-panel/baffle body, coated or uncoated fabric, liner, printing, document pouch, and label requirements.
Flow: filling method, discharge method, hopper dimensions, required outlet rate, and whether Side Spout or Conical discharge spout geometry is needed.
Handling: forklift, crane, hoist, hook or frame details; required side seam loop; purpose of the side coner bottom loop; and whether a double stevedore loop improves equipment access.
Why VIDEPAK focuses on configuration rather than a single standard bag
Bulk packaging succeeds in the details. The same 1,000 kg nominal load can require two very different Jumbo Bags because the products, plants, and handling systems are different. One customer needs speed. Another needs dust control. Another needs better emptying. Another needs easier lifting access. Another has an unusual discharge location. The answer is not more features. The answer is the right features.
That is why VIDEPAK connects Side Spout, Conical discharge spout, side seam loop, side coner bottom loop, and double stevedore loop choices to the complete application. We compare load with fabric, flow with outlet, equipment with loops, liner with spout, and drawing with real operating space. The result is a specification that is easier to understand, easier to manufacture consistently, and easier for the customer to integrate into an existing process.
A good bulk bag carries material. A better bulk bag fits the machine. The best VIDEPAK Jumbo Bags do both: they carry the required load while fitting the filling system, the lifting system, the transport route, and the discharge process. Whether the project centers on an offset Side Spout, a flow-supporting Conical discharge spout, a structural side seam loop, an auxiliary side coner bottom loop, a handling-friendly double stevedore loop, or a carefully engineered combination of these features, VIDEPAK builds the discussion around one goal—make the package work where it matters most: in the customer’s real operation.