BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and PACKAGING

BENEFITS of Size does matter STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES
Bale dimensions and packaging vary from country to and country and, at times, within countries or regions. PACKAGING
Bales vary in size and weight between 80 and 330 kg depending on country of origin.

Presented by: David E. Mrozinski Vice President International Sales Continental Eagle Corporation

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Historical Bale Sizes in the USA prior History of Bale Standardization in the USA to Universal Density

The Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee (JCIBPC) was formed at the suggestion of both the American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI) and the National Cotton Council (NCC).

U.S. Cotton Gin and Press manufacturers along with Trucking Unions, Cotton Buyers and Textile Industry representatives have been key members and contributors since its inception in 1968.

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Various Bale Types and Densities Change is not immediate
Universal Density (UD): Cotton bale density of at least 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per cu ft).
Gin UD: Bale compressed at the gin to a density of at least 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per cu ft). (Bale must be tied with strapping or wire).
In the United States existing presses were producing the
Compress UD: Flat/modified flat bale recompressed at warehouse to a density of at nominal 21 x 55 bale size, but at varying densities. The least 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per cu ft). Committee, over the next 4 years, decided to continue to
Standard Density (SD): Cotton bale density of at least 368 kg / cu meter (23 lbs per cu ft). but less than 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per cu ft), Bales must be tied with use the 20x54 bale presses and agreed that the 28 lb/cu ft strapping or wire. (454 kg / Cu mtr) Universal Density bale would be the
Gin SD: Bale compressed at the gin to a density of at least 368 kg / cu meter (23 lbs Standard. per cu ft), but less than 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per cu ft).
Compress SD: Flat/modified flat bale re-compressed at warehouse to a density of at least 368 kg / cu meter (23 lbs per cu ft), but less than 450 kg / cu meter (28 lbs per
By 1972 the first “Universal Density” proto-type presses cu ft). By 1972 the first “Universal Density” proto-type presses
Flat/Modified Flat: Cotton bale density of less than 368 kg / cu meter (23 lbs per cu were introduced and in 1973 the first commercial UD ft) with flat bale density normally at 192 kg / cu meter (12 lbs per cu ft) and modified presses were being produced. flat bale density at 224 kg / cu meter (14 lbs per cu ft). Unless otherwise noted, reference to flat bales in specifications also includes modified flat bales.
High Density (HD): Cotton bale density of at least 512 kg / cu meter (32 lbs per cu
It was not until the late 1980’s when the United States was ft). nearly completely changed over to UD.
Super High Density: Cotton bale density of at least 577 kg / cu meter (36 lbs per cu nearly completely changed over to UD. ft). (Primarily in Australia)

1 BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Dimensions Volume Density (kg/mt3) at bale weight of (kg):
Definitions (cm) (meter3) 209 kg 218 kg 227 kg 236 kg 245 kg 254 kg

Bale Density: A unit of measurement of weight per unit volume normally expressed as Kilograms Universal Bale per cubic meter (or pounds per cubic foot). 140 51 66 0.47 445 464 483 502 521 540 140 51 71 0.50 418 436 454 472 490 508 • Volume is determined by multiplying bale length, width and thickness dimensions. 140 51 76 0.54 387 404 420 437 454 470 • Thickness is determined by measuring from tie to tie across the crown of the bale. 140 51 81 0.58 360 376 391 407 422 438

Source: United States Department of Agriculture: Cotton Ginners Handbook (Converted to Metric)
Universal Density (UD): Cotton bale density of

at least 448 kg per cubic meter (28 lbs/cu ft). December 1994, page 125

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Some Standard Bale Sizes by Country / Region Main Criteria for Standardization:

Australia Central Asia China India Int'l General USA
Transportability and Storage

104 x 51 x 71 96.5 x 73.5 x 59.5 80 x 40 x 60 122 x 46 x 46 104 x 51 x 71 140 x 51 x 71 Size (cm)
Marketability and maintaining value

Quality preservation and Loss Prevention Weight (kg) 227 200 85 170 200 227

Density (kg/cu meter) 603 474 442 667 531 454
Reduced Material, Labor and Operational Costs at the Gins and the Textile Mills.

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Transport Transportability

Bale size and density are considered to be critical for the most economical loading of available modes of transportation

These include Wagons, Lorries, Long-Haul Trucks, Rail Cars and Ocean-going Containers

• Maximum allowable weight • Maximum number of bales • Loading and Handling Efficiency

2 BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING Packaging Packaging
To efficiently and economically provide end users with high quality cotton there are some general guidelines, including
Bale Ties storage and handling considerations for reducing
Bale Bags and Wraps contamination.
Labeling

Each of these sections is further divided into General Requirements and Approved Materials.

Specifications for each material approved by the Bale Packaging Committee

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Tying is essential to maintain compression of the bales Tying during transport and storage. If the ties are damaged or broken, compression is diminished. • Inability to stack efficiently
Cotton is shipped in large rectangular • Reduction in storage and handling efficiency • Damage to the packing material allows contamination bales, compressed to varying densities.

The bales are tied firmly with steel or plastic straps or wire.

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Round Wire: Steel material having a circular cross-sectional area applied to restrain cotton bales
Bale wraps damaged to remove samples – possibility of after compression. Contamination increased from direct exposure
Ovalized Wire: Steel material having a cross section slightly modified from a circular cross section applied to restrain cotton bales after compression. There is no significant difference (minus 5% tolerance) in cross-sectional areas between round wire and ovalized wire. The linear densities
External Bands may cause the fibers from the bags to break and (weight per foot of wire) of ovalized and round wires are equal. become embedded in the bale causing additional contamination
Waisted Wire: Steel material having a reduced cross-sectional area between the joint portions and a non-reduced, round cross section in the portion that the joints are formed. The linear density that is very difficult to remove of waisted wire is lower than that of round wire.
Recessed Wire: Bale tie recesses describe grooves, indentions or notches created in the flat or
External banding reduces pressing capacity "hard" sides of the cotton bale, located such that when bale tie materials are applied, ties (wires or bands) lie within the depth of the recess; recesses are sufficiently deep so that ties are protected from normal handling impacts with floors, lift truck handling devices and other bales; in addition to minimizing handling stresses on bale ties, recesses are intended to reduce tearing and cutting of bagging normally associated with shearing action of ties on bagging; exact width and depth dimensions are not specified, except that grooves should be sufficiently wide to accommodate the width of band or wire tie and sufficiently deep so that the tie does not extend beyond the outside plane of the bale surface.
Strapping: High tensile steel or polyester material having a flattened, rectangular cross section applied to restrain cotton bales after compression.
Slip-Seal: One type of strapping connection to secure strap ends together. Seal has heavy indentions across width of strap. Connection allows for limited movement or slippage of bottom strap. For use with 3/4-inch x 0.025-inch strap in either a 6-band or 8-band configuration.
Fixed-Seal: Strapping connection in which relative movement of strap ends cannot occur. Refers to triple notch seals.
Triple-Notch: One type of fixed-seal strapping connection in which strap ends are secured by indenting and locking a metal seal around strap ends. For use with 3/4-inch x 0.031-inch strapping in an 8-band configuration only.

3 BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Bale Ties Packaging

Protects Cotton Bales from: These factors will determine the cost/benefit • Contamination ratio • Dampness • Fiber Loss
Type of Bale Ties
Type of coating or finish on the Ties They are wrapped completely in cotton, jute, plastic fabric, or sometimes in plastic films perforated so as to
Number of Ties per Bale regulate bale moisture content.
Manual or Automatic Application • Determines the press capacity
By utilizing totally enclosed bags, the cotton is • Determines labor requirements protected from outside elements once the bag is sealed.
Attached Inside the Wrap or Outside

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Cotton Bale Packing Materials
The type of wrapping or bagging material used may be based on:

Woven Cotton Bags • Local Regulation
Warp Knitted Cotton Bags • Availability
Polyethylene Film Bags • Material Cost
Polypropylene Bags • Ambient Conditions
Polyethylene Woven Bags • Export or Local Consumption
Jute Bags • Textile Mill Request
Shrink Wrap (Not Common)

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Storage / Warehousing Packaging and Bagging Standards

All bagging material must be clean, in sound condition, and of sufficient strength to adequately protect the cotton.

The material must not have salt or other corrosive material added and must not contain sisal or other hard fiber or any other material that will contaminate or adversely affect cotton as determined by the JCIBPC.

Bagging which has been cut to obtain samples must be patched prior to shipment from warehouse using an industry recommended material and technique, so that the bale is fully covered.

4 BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

Efficient Storage and Labeling of Labeling bales Maximizes Warehouse Space, improves inventory and Retrieval – SAVES MONEY

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

We have come a long way, but a CONCLUSIONS great deal of work lies ahead if Benefits can be substantial – including, but not limited to: Worldwide Standardization is to be achieved. 1. Uniform Bale Size for: • More efficient Handling, Storage and Shipping

• More efficient opening and handling at the Textile Mills 2. Uniform Packaging

• Better Fiber Protection (Complete Wrap)

• Less Contamination from Packing Materials

• Possible – Improved buying power from suppliers

• Reduced operating Costs at the Gin 3. Uniform Labeling

More efficient Inventory Control

Better Information for the Merchant and the Mill

BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS

The Baling Practices currently in place in modern gins
The cost to convert to a Standard may be benefit the industry by: considerable.
The cost will be largely a one time cost for
Reducing Operating Costs Machinery and Change-over. Cost to change bags and bale ties will not be as significant. • Much Higher Throughput Capacity by Wrapping bags and bale ties will not be as significant. Outside of the Press
The level of the cost will depend on the
Shortened Ginning Season reduces labor, fuel and conclusions of a committee and how extensive electrical consumption costs the changes would be. • Less Labor around the Press reducing labor costs
The level of change will depend largely on the • Improved Worker Safety - fewer are near the press. abilities of local ginners and country cotton Wrapping is no longer done inside the press boards to affect changes. • Mills will not have to adjust for variable bale sizes
Shipping Containers and other modes of transportation will affect the decisions.

5 BENEFITS of BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and and PACKAGING PACKAGING

CONCLUSIONS Continental Eagle Corporation

Bale Standardization is not a concept that will happen in the immediate future. In the United States it took 4 years to reach an agreement and 15 years to complete the change.

This subject will certainly require a great deal of research, discussion and compromise to reach the goal.

If we do not achieve total standardization, at least some uniformity can be reached – the Cotton Industry will benefit.

BENEFITS of STANDARDIZED BALE SIZES and PACKAGING

Panel: Rectangular sheet of fabric; refers to top sheet in bag and panel combination of new jute, cotton, or woven polypropylene for use on gin universal or gin standard density bales.
Spiral-Sewn Bag: Sewn bag from burlap, cotton or polypropylene. Fabric is sewn on a bias resulting in a tube with the seam spiraling around the bale circumference. After application, bale ties are under bagging.
Gusseted Bag: Sewn bag from polypropylene. Fabric is seamed resulting in a tube with the seam running parallel to the edges of the tube. Opposite edges of the tube are folded inwardly to form two V-shaped sections between the front and back faces of the tube. The bottom seam of the bag is sewn through 4 layers of fabric in the gusset areas. The gussets create a rectangular-shaped mouth for filling and a rectangular bottom in the filled bag. After application, bale ties are under bagging.
Polyethylene Bags: Pre-formed Tubes., sealed at one end and supplied in rolls. Least labor intensive. The top of the bag is Heat-sealed.
Bag and Panel Combination: Bale cover fabrication applied on the gin press and used in combination with a top panel. After application, bagging is under bale ties.

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