Modern IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) come in such a wide range of variants today that there are practically no limits to their application as a transport and storage medium for liquid (hazardous) goods - nor to the importance of ensuring their efficient and safe handling in day-to-day business. Because the proper treatment of containers calls for comprehensive and detailed knowledge, Schütz GmbH & Co. KGaA has now compiled a handling guide for both customers and end users.

As the inventor of the IBC and the world's leading IBC producer, Schütz, headquartered in Selters, in the Westerwald region of Germany, has a wide experience of every conceivable situation that may arise in the course of using and handling IBCs. And Schütz naturally also knows far better than anyone else how its own containers "work." The company has now set down the most important information on this subject in its Handling Guide.

Schütz attaches special importance to two aspects of IBC use: product-specific knowledge on the one hand and correct day-to-day handling on the other. "In order to be able to handle an IBC properly, it's important to know it inside out and understand why and how its various elements are put together," says the Schütz Technical Customer Service.

Detailed Product Explanations

Customers frequently underestimate the great variety of IBC models, which is why Schütz is keen to inform customers and end users in as much detail as possible about the transport container's overall design and its individual components, such as pallets, valves and filling openings. Such knowledge is essential when choosing or configuring the right IBC for a particular purpose.

Equally important is aknowledge of applicable standards and possible variants and types of functionality: butterfly or ball valve, for instance. After all, the Schütz portfolio is extensive, comprising more than 200 different screw caps and 150 different valve options.

This makes it possible to meet customer requirements and adapt components to the specific demands of the filling goods. The bandwidth ranges from outlet valves with a special gasket and connecting thread to the breather valve, which simplifies the process of discharging a product.

Before an IBC is ready for serial production, it has to pass a string of tests - from vibration to cold-drop - all of which are designed to ensure that products keep their promise.

When it comes to reconditioning and orginality, the producers of filling goods want to know which features will make their IBCs clearly identifiable and which advantages the Schütz Ticket Service offers in connection with collection and reconditioning.

Safety Is The Prime Focus

The application-specific section of the Schütz Handling Guide contains general information about transport and storage as well as a host of important specific details regarding the various possible applications, such as the specifications of certain filling goods (eg, hazardous goods) and instructions for use in ex zones. These are necessary if the reader is to gain a full understanding of the modular IBC system.

The safe handling of IBCs and protection of people whose work brings them into contact with IBCs are the main focus of attention.

Often, it's the little things no one thinks of that lead to undesirable incidents, hence the need for maximum care and attention even in seemingly routine processes. An IBC can be damaged simply by being picked up from the wrong side by a lift truck, for example. Schütz also provides a host of useful practical recommendations for the filling and emptying of IBCs.

The Handling Guide is published in five languages: German, English, Italian, French and Spanish. Technical Customer Services will provide customers and end users interested in receiving important information about how to use transport containers efficiently and safely with a copy of the IBC manual.