A sensorless temperature sensing and control system and method uses electrical voltage and current feedback signals to monitor and control the temperature of heating elements used in a heat sealing process wherein sensors are not physically connected to a heat seal bar during the heat sealing process. After calibration of a heat seal bar using a sensor, voltage and current feedback signals are processed by a programmable logic controller (PLC) to calculate the real-time electrical resistance of each heating element. Data and electrical resistance is used to calculate real-time temperature of the heat seal bar during heating.

A container includes a multilayered composite film combination forming a bag defining a product fill opening. The multilayered composite film combination includes first and second polymer film inner and outer layers each having vacuum holding properties, and a third polymer film disposed between the first and second polymer films. The third polymer film has oxygen barrier properties. Product is packed into the container by coupling a fill spout of the container with a fill tube of a product filling apparatus, and oxygen is drawn from an inner cavity of the container. Fluidized product entrained in nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide gas is flowed through the fill spout of the container, and nitrogen is added into the inner cavity through the fill spout of the container. The fill spout of the container is sealed while a negative pressure is drawn within the inner cavity thereby immobilizing the product within the container.

A bag for the transport and storage of bulk goods including: at least a bottom, four sides connected along adjacent edges to form vertical ridges at each of the four corners of the bag and each side connected to a lid along an upper edge to form a horizontal ridge; four lifting straps each having a first and second sections separated by an intermediate section and sewn on a vertical ridge of the bag, and with the intermediate section forming an oblong loop and positioned along the horizontal ridge of the bag; and four restraining straps each having two vertical sections separated by a U-shaped section, and with each vertical section sewn on one side of the bag and the U-shaped section positioned over the intermediate section of a lifting strap and at least partially sewn thereon, and wherein the restraining straps are configured to limit extension of the top of the loops formed by the intermediate sections of the lifting straps in the vertical direction.

Reusable, flexible, lightweight, low cost flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs) for the delivery of granular proppant material for fracing that will allow the transport of higher weights of proppant, such as sand, per truck load. The invention includes a container made of a high strength, flexible material with a top opening for loading and deploying the proppant. The container can be lifted and deployed with a fork truck or crane. Alternatively, proprietary deployment systems, such as a conveyor system, can be used to quickly and efficiently deploy the proppant from the container at a desired site.

A liner L has a liner body (11) with a front wall (12), rear wall (16), bottom wall (13), a top wall (14). The top wall also includes a tubular excess liner material or chute (19) located close to the rear wall and which includes a filling fitment (20) with a fitment cap (21). The liner also has a cylindrical, hose content inlet/outlet port or bottom fitment (23). The liner may include a gap-filler or filler strip (70) of foam material extending outwardly from a position closely adjacent the outlet fitment. The filler strip is mounted to the front wall directly over and closely adjacent the outlet fitment. The filler strip may taper so that at least a majority of the strip's longitudinal length or height so as to increase in its lateral width as it approaches the outlet fitment, thereby increasing the material volume of strip material.

A lifting assembly and method for a flexible bag includes one or more lift members, wherein each lift member is coupled to a layer of material, e.g., a fabric layer. The fabric layer can be coupled to a flexible bag wherein the fabric layer is an intermediate layer between the lift member and the flexible bag. The fabric layer can be heat fused or otherwise coupled to a bag without stitching or sewing, which eliminates the creation of sew or stitch holes that breach a containment area of the bag and which can weaken the bag fabric. The one or more lift members, however, can be sewn or stitched to one or more intermediate layers.

A packaged article is composed of a bulk bag having a top end and a bottom end. Further included is a pallet having a first side and a second side. Also included are an outer bag having a first closed end and a first open end and a heatshrink bag having a second closed end and a second open end. The first closed end of the outer bag is between the bottom end of the bulk bag and the first side of the pallet. The first open end of the outer bag is gathered over the top end of the bulk bag to enclose the bulk bag within the outer bag. The second closed end of the heatshrink bag is proximate to the top end of the bulk bag and the second open end contacts the second side of the pallet.

A flexible tank has one or more inner layers and one or more outer layers enclosing the inner layers. It has an improved structure to prevent leakage and rupture when making a long multi-modal shipment of large quantities of a liquid, including when the flexible tank is not supported by the end or side walls of a shipping container.

A flexible tank has one or more inner layers and one or more outer layers enclosing the inner layers. It has an improved structure to prevent leakage and rupture when making a long multi-modal shipment of large quantities of a liquid, including when the flexible tank is not supported by the end or side walls of a shipping container.

A fabric bulk bag and a method for constructing the same, the bag including a continuous sidewall, a top portion, and a bottom, all defining a bulk storage space therein; the bottom further comprising eight sides which define an octagonal shape having an enlarged footprint so that the bag wall is sewn to the bottom in less time than a round shaped bag, yet when filled stands more upright with less tendency to lean than the current square shaped bags thereby providing a safer more dependable stacking bulk bag. In the method of producing the fabric bulk bag, the bag is constructed in less time than the prior art round bottom bags, uses less wall fabric than prior art square bottomed bags and when constructed and filled, supports itself more stable on a floor or pallet because it provides substantially more base for the product to rest on. In other embodiments, the bag would be multi-sided with greater than four sides.