In all transportation, lashing or lashing of cargo is essential and this is where inflatable packaging bags come in, which prevent loads from moving or being bumped when being transported from one place to another.
They have many advantages over the classic webbing and are very suitable for delicate goods, as they do not exert force on the loads, but cushion their movements.
What are these inflatable bags?
They are bags or sacks, we can call them one way or another depending on the size, which are manufactured in various materials. One of the most commonly used is plastic, specifically polypropylene, which is used in multiple layers to make these airbags more resistant.
The outside has another coating, in order to provide greater resistance, and can be of various colors, since these bags sometimes have paper on the outside.
They are used for securing cargo on ships, trains, airplanes, and especially in maritime transport, where it is not possible to open the containers and the crossings are very long.
There are standards of these bags, available in all levels of resistance (level 1 to level 5) and special (made to measure according to the needs of each transport. Available in any size and strength). These special inflatable bags and bags are: Square bags, Hanger bag, Container bag, Adhesive bag and Blocker bag.
How are they used?
These bags are inflatable through a safety valve, which means that if they are opened during the crossing, the air remains inside.
They have different sizes, they can exceed 1 x 2 meters, and it is even possible to request special sizes from the factories that make them.
To use the bags are inflated until they cover the holes. For example, let’s imagine a container full of pallets that is loaded on ships, with spaces between them, on the sides and on the top, since it is impossible for the cargo to fill the container completely.
Here we will need protection for maritime transport, as these spaces will cause the cargo to move when the ship begins to sail, and the pallets may disassemble, the boxes may fall into the holes or break when they hit the metal.
In this way, they are filled with air using an inflator and placed between the pallets, between the pallets and the walls of the container and on top if the goods reach the top of the container. Thus, when the ship moves, the packages will hit these bags and will not be damaged.
Some of the areas of application The main applications of inflatable bags and sacks for lashing goods are: glass, liquors, wines and beverages in general, food, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, paper, detergents, soaps, electronics, heavy industry, ceramics, perfumes, cosmetics, plastic coils, paper, metal, explosives, oils and lubricants, renewable energy… In short, any exporting company.
What advantages do they have over other types of load protection?
It is used in inflatable bags for packaging because it has advantages over others that can also be used, such as webbing or polystyrene blocks.
Adaptable to any space
One of the biggest advantages of inflatable bags is that they fit into any space, large or small. Bags of all sizes are available on the market and can be inflated at will, which means that any gaps between loads are covered.
This does not occur with other methods, such as the famous polystyrene blocks, which, although they give a good result, do not adapt unless we break them.
It is the fastest lashing system available.
There is no faster way to secure cargo and not even webbing can compete with inflatable bags, especially when it is very difficult to place them in closed containers.
When moving goods, time is money, and securing a load in this way could not be faster, especially if the bags are already prepared and have a little air in them, so that the operators can place them and deflate them if necessary.
Here you don’t have to adjust the tape, tie it to the ground, hit the ratchet, but simply plug the hole and that’s it.
Suitable for all sectors
Containers can carry anything, so it is sometimes necessary to look for specific lashings for some goods, such as dangerous goods or those that are more fragile, such as glass.
If we are going to tie boxes with glass we must be careful with the straps, because if we tighten them too much we can break some of the pieces that go inside the boxes due to the pressure.
They are suitable for all sectors. They use an inert material that does not react with anything and work by cushioning movements without holding firmly, so they do not break the objects they protect.
In fact, the most fragile loads will float thanks to the air inside the bags, without suffering impacts of any kind.
No training required for placement and filling
Because it is such a simple way to protect loads, bag handlers do not need any training.
Everyone knows how to push a button to inflate a bag and place it where there is too much room, so lashing errors are reduced to practically zero.
Withstand enormous forces
Despite what you might think, being made of plastic, these protections resist enormous forces, withstanding up to 40 tons, which means that no load can break them if we choose the most suitable ones in each situation.
In order to do so, it is necessary to check their resistance per square centimeter, and thus buy those that best adapt to the load we are going to hold.
Inflatable packaging bags have revolutionized the world of lashing. They are economical, resistant, reusable and very adaptable, so that a load can be securely lashed in a very short time, without the need to use more complicated and difficult to place systems in containers.