SMIALA  ·  Silo Material Intermodal And Loading Agency
+48 664 135 005 | magnumchorula.pl

Octabin to silo trailer transloading — workflow guide

Octabin (octagonal cardboard container) to silo trailer transloading for polyamides and engineering polymers. Procedure, timing, ISO documentation. SMIALA Chorula.

DAF silo trailer hauling bulk materials

At a glance

Octabin (octagonal cardboard container ~700–900 kg) is the alternative to big-bag for sensitive materials — polyamides (PA6, PA66), engineering polymers (PC, POM, PBT), premium recycled grades. SMIALA transloads octabins by gravity into silo trailers — with dedicated procedure for hygroscopic materials.

ParameterValue
Octabin capacity700–900 kg typical
Transload time/octabin5–7 min
20’ container20–24 octabins
Full container time2.5–3 h
Humidity zoneRH <40% for PA
StandardISO 9001:2015

Why octabin instead of big-bag

Chemical producers choose octabin for:

  • Hygroscopic granulates (PA, PET, PBT) — cardboard + barrier bag provides better moisture protection than woven PP big-bag
  • Premium recycled grades — higher packaging quality control, reduced contamination risk
  • High-value materials (PC, POM, PEEK) — less risk of mechanical damage in transport
  • Cosmetic/medical standards — cardboard microbiological barrier

Octabin disadvantage: longer transload time (5–7 min vs 3–4 min for big-bag) and higher packaging cost. Customers choosing octabin accept this cost for material quality.

Workflow — step by step

1. Reception and packaging inspection

Octabins arrive in sea container on pallets. Operator extracts one by one with forklift, visually inspects:

  • Cardboard condition (no dents exceeding 10% surface)
  • Label — lot number, production date, parameters
  • Pallet condition

Damaged octabins — set aside to claim zone, photographic documentation, customer contact.

2. Opening zone preparation

For hygroscopic materials (PA, PET):

  • Opening zone in hall with RH <40%
  • Dehumidifier active minimum 4h before opening
  • Humidity check (digital instrument, documentation)

For standard materials (PP, PE) — standard zone.

3. Silo trailer positioning

Receiving silo trailer arrives at station. Check:

  • Compartment cleanliness certificate (since last wash)
  • Inlet condition (4" Storz or PERROT M108)
  • Internal compartment visual inspection (flashlight, mirror)

4. Octabin opening

Operator:

  • Cuts or folds top cardboard flap with safety knife
  • Identifies inner bag (typically polypropylene + PA/EVOH barrier layer for hygroscopic materials)
  • Checks material condition (no caking, no dried layers)

5. Material discharge

Whole octabin lifted with forklift cross-bar (or crane for octabins ≥800 kg) above silo trailer inlet. Operator:

  • Cuts inner bag above inlet
  • Lets material flow by gravity
  • Monitors flow visually — looking for foreign matter, clumps, color change
  • After discharge — checks octabin interior for remnants

Typical time: 5–7 min/octabin.

6. Packaging disposal

Empty octabin:

  • Cardboard — segregated paper waste (recycling)
  • Inner bag — segregated foil waste
  • Wooden pallet — return to supplier or disposal

Or: return all packaging to customer on separate transport (advice notation).

7. Documentation

Standard transload protocol + for sensitive materials:

  • Opening zone humidity report
  • Compartment cleanliness certificate
  • Photographs of key steps (first octabin opening, final compartment)

Materials — most common groups

Polyamides (PA6, PA66)

Dominant material in octabins. Producers: Lanxess, BASF, DuPont, Domo Chemicals, Solvay. Grades:

  • Unreinforced (films, fibers) — standard octabin
  • Glass-reinforced (PA66-GF30, GF50) — octabin weight can be higher (1000+ kg) — requires coordination
  • Impact-modified — standard octabin

Engineering polymers

  • PC (polycarbonate) — Sabic, Covestro, Trinseo. Standard octabin. Less hygroscopic than PA.
  • POM (polyacetal) — Celanese, Polyplastics. Octabin or big-bag, octabin more common for premium grade.
  • PBT — BASF, Lanxess. Hygroscopic, octabin preferred.
  • PEEK — Solvay, Victrex. Expensive premium materials, require octabin or special packaging.

Premium recycled grades

Some high-quality recycled materials (consumer PET, PE, PP) packed in octabins to ensure quality consistency — especially when end customer requires full compatibility with virgin grade.

Octabin logistics — differences vs big-bag

ParameterBig-bagOctabin
Capacity1000 kg700–900 kg
Transload time/unit3–4 min5–7 min
Units per 20’ container20–2420–24
Tonnage per 20’ container20–24 t14–22 t
Stacking2 layers1 layer (mostly)
Moisture sensitivityStandardHigh (PA, PET)
Packaging costLowerHigher
Packaging reuseLimitedLimited

Octabin gives lower tonnage per container — but higher material protection. Producer decision depends on:

  • QC requirements at end customer
  • Material price (expensive polymers → octabin)
  • Humidity (hygroscopic → octabin)
  • ISO/FDA standards at end customer

Humidity procedure — details

For hygroscopic materials (PA, PET, PBT):

Pre-arrival

  • Customer notifies material with MFI/humidity parameter from supplier
  • SMIALA prepares hall: dehumidifier active 24h before octabin arrival
  • RH check before unloading: target <40%, alarm at >50%

During operation

  • Octabin opened only in controlled zone
  • Time between bag opening and silo trailer loading: <10 min
  • Silo trailer compartment open minimum, closed immediately after loading

Documentation

  • Humidity report every 30 min during operation
  • Material exposure time (from octabin opening to compartment closing)
  • Humidity control operator signature

Audit trail

Customers requiring humidity certificate (e.g. suppliers to precision injection molders) — receive full report with system logs.

Food-grade octabin handling

For food-contact materials (PET bottle-grade, PP for food packaging):

  • Dedicated forklift (white tires, food-grade oils, separate maintenance schedule)
  • Dedicated zone, segregated from standard operations
  • Tools (knives) — replaced between batches, disinfected
  • Operator with current food hygiene training (GMP)
  • Silo trailer compartment pre-washed with food-grade detergent, dried, certificate

Customers in this category: preform manufacturers, pharmaceutical packaging, food films.

Typical problems and resolution

Cardboard damage in transport

Dents from other cargo in container, especially with poor packing at origin port. Procedure:

  • Operator identifies visually
  • Damaged octabin photograph
  • Interior inspection (bag integrity) — if OK, continue
  • If bag compromised — customer contact before continuing

Barrier bag damaged at opening

Sometimes operator damages inner bag while opening cardboard. Procedure:

  • Immediate bag closure (if possible) or accelerated discharge to silo trailer
  • Documentation
  • Protocol entry — exposure time, damaged section
  • Customer notification of incident

Material caking (PA after long storage)

PA6/PA66 can form lumps after long-term storage with absorbed moisture. Procedure:

  • Initial inspection of first octabin — if caking visible
  • Customer contact with documentation
  • Possible solutions: screening (1–10 mm sieve), lump grinding, or batch rejection

Contact

PHS Magnum / SMIALA

For PA octabin / engineering polymers — 72h advance notice recommended (humidity zone preparation).

Related: Big-bag to silo trailer · 25 kg sacks jumbo to silo trailer · Repackaging granulates · Storage · Batch traceability · Contact

Frequently Asked Questions

Octabin is an octagonal cardboard container typically holding 700–900 kg, used for moisture-sensitive and mechanically-fragile granulates — polyamides (PA6, PA66), some premium recycled grades, engineering polymers. Unlike FIBC big-bags (woven PP), octabins provide better protection against moisture and impact during long-term storage. Inside, octabins typically contain a foil bag with barrier laminate.

Standard octabin: 700–900 kg, base ~1200×1000 mm (fits Euro pallet), height 1100–1500 mm. Transported on wooden or plastic pallet. A 20' container typically holds 20–24 octabins (single layer, no stacking due to stability).

Polyamides PA6 and PA66 (Lanxess, BASF, DuPont, Domo) — most common octabin material. Hygroscopic, require moisture protection. Engineering polymers: PC, POM, PBT. Premium recycled grades PE/PP/PA where producer requires higher packaging standard than big-bag. Some Asian markets use octabins for MFI-stable PP grades.

Step 1: Octabin extracted with forklift from container or warehouse zone. Step 2: Placed next to silo trailer on unloading platform. Step 3: Operator opens top cardboard cover — carefully, without damaging inner bag. Step 4: Inner bag (typically with barrier laminate) cut manually above silo trailer inlet. Step 5: Material falls by gravity into silo trailer compartment. Step 6: Empty octabin (cardboard + bag) — disposal or return per customer instruction.

5–7 minutes per octabin for standard materials (PA, PP). For hygroscopic with barrier bag — 6–8 minutes due to slower, controlled opening. A 20' container with 20 octabins: ~2.5–3 hours operation. Slower than big-bag (3–4 min/each) because manual inner bag opening required.

Yes — PA6 and PA66 are strongly hygroscopic. At room temperature and 50% relative humidity PA66 can absorb 2–3% water, changing mechanical properties (especially injection molding behavior). We have a hall with humidity control (dehumidifier, RH <40%) for short-term octabin storage. Opening octabin in humid hall = material contamination — we only do it in dry zone.

Standard: bag cut above inlet with knife, material falls, empty bag goes to segregated waste (foil recycling). Octabin cardboard — segregated paper/cardboard waste. Wooden pallet — return to supplier or disposal. For orders where customer wants full packaging returned (for reuse) — noted in shipping advice, octabin + bag + pallet compiled for separate transport.

Yes. For food-contact materials (PET for bottles, PP for food packaging, PA for food films) we use: food-grade certified forklifts (white tires, food-grade oils), dedicated opening zone (segregated from standard operations), opening tools — replaced between batches. Operator with current food hygiene training. Documentation: silo trailer compartment cleanliness certificate + washing report with food-grade detergent prior loading.

Most common: (1) Cardboard damage in transport — dents from other cargo in container. Visual inspection before transload, photographic documentation, possible return to customer before operation. (2) Barrier bag damaged at opening — operation stop, documentation, customer decision. (3) Material with caked bottom layer (long-stored PA with absorbed moisture) — visual inspection of first big-bags/octabins, customer contact before continuing.

Contact & Hours

ul. Kościelna 9, 47-316 Chorula

Mon–Fri 06:00–20:00

Sat 07:00–15:00

+48 664 135 005 Contact Form
DEKRA ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate — PHS Magnum

ISO 9001:2015

4 km from motorway A4

180 km from German border

Operation Clean Sweep — signatory, zero pellet loss

Operation Clean Sweep® signatory

We apply zero pellet loss measures — preventing plastic granulate from escaping into the environment at every transloading and transport stage.

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