Overview
EN ISO 8351-2:1996 - Packaging: Method of specification for sacks - Part 2: Sacks made from thermoplastic flexible film provides a standardized checklist for the descriptive characteristics that should be included when ordering sacks made from thermoplastic flexible films. The standard covers how to describe sack construction, materials and features for procurement and specification purposes; it does not set quantitative performance requirements. It is primarily intended for the types of sacks referenced in ISO 6590-2.
Key topics
The standard organizes the ordering specification into clear, actionable items. Major technical topics include:
- Sack type
- Open-mouth (heat-sealed flat/gusseted, pasted, hexagonal/rectangular bottoms, corner seals)
- Valved (closed-mouth) types and variations (side-valved, valve location)
- Tube and seam types
- Flat or tubular film, with or without longitudinal seams, side-welded, continuous or interrupted seams, overlap width
- Material description
- Per-ply identification: film type (e.g., PE-LD, PE-LLD, PE-HD, PVDC, E/VAC), thickness (µm) or grammage (g/m²), melt flow index
- Surface treatments (antistatic, antislip) and treatment orientation (face in/face out)
- Dimensions and geometry
- Length, width, gusset width, bottom width, valve dimensions and positions
- Closures and valves
- Heat-seal distance and position, valve/sleeve type (internal/external/reinforced), valve sleeve dimensions and position
- Perforations and filling
- Number, size and pattern of perforations; filling aperture details (thumb cut, pasting)
- Printing and marking
- Print position, colours, durability (abrasion/UV resistance)
- Packaging and palletization
- Bundles, bales, reels, pallet patterns, protection and wrapping, special requirements for automatic packers
- Documentation
- Customer/manufacturer specification numbers, delivery and invoice addresses, accompanying paperwork
Applications
EN ISO 8351-2 is designed to streamline communication between buyers and suppliers by creating a consistent ordering checklist for sacks made from thermoplastic flexible film. Typical uses include:
- Preparing procurement specifications for bulk packaging (chemicals, food ingredients, building materials, agricultural goods)
- Assisting packaging engineers and product designers in selecting correct sack constructions
- Enabling converters and manufacturers to confirm order details and avoid ambiguities
- Supporting quality assurance and receiving inspection by documenting expected descriptive attributes
Who should use this standard
- Packaging engineers and product managers
- Procurement professionals and spec writers
- Sack manufacturers and film converters
- Logistics and QA teams in industry sectors using flexible film sacks
Related standards
- ISO 6590-2 (Sacks - Vocabulary and types - thermoplastic flexible film)
- ISO 6591-2 (Sacks - Description and method of measurement - empty sacks)
- EN ISO 8351-1 (Part 1: Paper sacks)