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 Tbs                                                TDC 3  (6309 ) P3 
 
 
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
Textiles — A-Twill Jute Bags — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Foreword  
 
The objective of this second edition Draft Tanzania Standard  is to assist trade between manufacturers, 
buyers and users of jute bags, by providing a mutual understanding basis for specifying the minimum 
requirements of jute bags for packing various food grains.  
 
In the preparation of this Draft Tanzania Standard  the views of consumers, manufacturers and traders 
have been taken into consideration. Assistance was also derived from:    
 
 
IS 1943: 1995, Textiles — A-Twill Jute Bags — Specification , publishe d by Bureau of Indian 
Standards, (reaffirmed on 2016).  
 
BDS 930 :1980, Specification for A -Twill jute bags , published by the Bureau of Bangladesh 
Standards.  
 
PS 1436: 1979, Specification for B -Twill jute bags , published by the Pakista n Standards 
Institution.  
 
 
  
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 1. SCOPE  
 
This Draft Tanzania Standard  mainly prescribes the technical requirements relating to the manufacture of 
A-Twill jute bags and does not purport /imply  to include all the provisions of a contract.  
 
2. NORMATIVE REFERENCES  
The follo wing referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this Draft Tanzania  
Standard.  
 
TZS 20,  Textiles – Woven or knitted fabrics – Determination of number of threads per centimetre  
 
TZS 21 , Textiles – Determination of mass per unit length and per unit area of woven or knitted 
fabrics  
 
TZS 22 , Textiles – Determination of breaking load and extension of strips of woven fabrics  
 
TZS 44 , Textiles – Woven or knitted fabrics – Determination of l ength and width  
 
3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS   
For the purpose of this Draft Tanzania Standard  the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 A-Twill bag  
 
A double warp hemmed twill bag of 112 cm ×67.5 cm size and weighing 1190 g with three blue stripes 
woven along the length of the bag  
3.2 Lot  
 
bales of jute bags bearing specified dimension and quality, containing one definite number of bags, 
delivered to one buyer against one dispatch note.  
 
3.3 Bale  
 
rectangular or square pressed, sized package, containing jute bags with outer layer stitched and bound by 
metal straps.  
 
3.4 Ends  
 
warp threads of the fabric  
 
3.5 Porter  
 
value obtained by counting the number of warp threads per full gauge length of 47 mm and dividing it by 
the number of warp threads per split. Picks (or shots) – The weft or filling thread of a fabric   
 
NOTE – Shots per inc h = picks per decimetre x 0.254.  
 
3.6 Joined bag  
 
bag made out of one piece of jute sacking.  
 
 
4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS  
  
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 4.1   Sacking   
 
The bags shall be made from single pieces of double warp threads, 2/1 twill weave jute sacking of uniform 
construction having nominal mass of 750 g/m2 with warp running along the length of the bag. There shall 
be thre e blue stripes or stripes as agreed between the manufacturer and supplier, woven along the length 
of the bag. The constructional particulars of sacking used in the fabrication of the bags shall be such that 
the bag meets the requirement specified in Table 1 or reverse twill weave i.e. single warp threads 
(porters) and double weft threads (shots).  
 
The jute sacking shall be generally of uniform construction.  Its selvedge should be firm and straight and 
shall have a single blue strip (or strips) of single o r double warp, as agreed to between the buyer and the 
seller, woven along the length of the cloth.  
 
4.2 Seam  
 
The sides of the bags shall be sewn with overhead stitches on selvedge through two layers of sacking 
using two strands of 3 -ply jute twine.  The stitching shall be of even tension throughout with all the loose 
ends securely fastened. The number of stitches  per 10 cm shall be between 9 and 11  
 
4.3 Safety stitch  
 
A line of safety stitch shall be provided at the inner edges of the overhead stitches. The number of safety 
stitches per 10 cm shall be between 9 and 11  
 
4.4 Hemming at the mouth  
 
At the mouth of the bag, the raw edges of the sacking shall be turned over first to a depth of about 1 cm 
and then to a depth of 2 cm and the three layers of sacking thus formed shall be hemmed with jute yarns  
 
4.5 Joined bag  
 
The seam used to join the two pieces of clot h in a joined bag shall have the strength not less than the 
breaking strength of sacking as specified in Table 1 and the seam shall be tight enough to prevent 
leakage of the contents.  
 
4.6 Freedom from defects  
 
The bags shall be generally free from weavi ng and sewing defects such as missing picks, holes, cuts, 
tears, floats, crushed selvedge, sports, stains, gap stitches, loose ends and frayed ends which affect the 
performance of the bag.  
 
 
5. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS  
 
5.1 The bags shall conform to the requirements given in Table 1 .  
 
5.2 The bales containing the bags shall conform to the requirements specified in Table 1 . 
 
5.3 The moisture regain shall not be more than 20 %  
  
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Table 1 – Particulars of bags  
 
S/N  Characteristic/test  Requirement  Test method  
 
1  
Dimensions of bag   
  
The dimensions should be 
upon agreement between 
buyer and seller . However , it 
shall be with in the tolerance 
limit of ±2 of the declared 
nominal value.  
 TZS 44: 1981  
 
2 Mass, g , min 
 1100  TZS 21  
 
3 Mesh size, min  
a) Ends per dm  
b) Picks per dm  
  
96  
33 TZS 20: 1979  
 
4 Breaking load, N, min 
(Ravelled strip method 
10 cm ×20 cm)  
a) Warp way  
b) Weft way   
 
 
2000  
1765   
TZS 22  
 
 
5  
Average breaking 
load of seam 
(revelled strip 
method, 10 cm × 20 
cm) min,   
 
677  
 
 
IS 9030: 1979  
 
 
6. PACKING AND MARKING  
 
6.1 Packing  
 
The bags shall be packed in bales or as agreed between the buyer and the seller.  
 
6.2 Marking  
Each bag shall be marked with the name of the manufacturer/trade mark and size.  
 
The bales shall be marked with the following information:  
 
a) Address and/or trade name of manufacturer  
b) Number of bags  
c) Dimensions  
d) Weight  
e) Country of origin  
 
6.3 The bales may also be marked with the standard mark of quality. The details of conditions under 
which the license for the use of standard mark of quality may be granted to manufacturers or 
producers may be obtained fr om Tanzania Bureau of Standards.  
  
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 7. CRITERIA FOR CONFORMITY  
 
The lot shall be deemed as conforming to the requirements of this Draft Tanzania Standard  when the 
following conditions are met:  
 
a) The average ends per decimetre of the bags under test are in accordance with the 
requirement specified in Table 1  
 
b) The average picks per decimetre of the bags under test are in accordance with the 
requirement specified in Table 1 .  
 
c) The breaking load values of the bags under test for both warp and weft directions shall be 
as requirements specified in Table 1 .