How to Inflate a Dunnage Air Bag.

Within the market,  dunnage air bags are made of the same essential components; however, manufacturers make different choices regarding valves and connections. Choosing the right bag and valve setup for your team is important.

Types of Air Bags Inflators:

Inflator Gun

A dunnage bag inflator gun is a traditional device that connects an air compressor to a dunnage bag. An air compressor hose attaches to one side of the inflator, while the other side is attached to a deflated airbag. The user then turns on the compressor and fills the bag with air until it reaches maximum capacity.

Using an air compressor as part of your inflator tool increases hazards on the job site, such as:

• Electrical dangers
• Increased noise levels and
• Trip hazards
• Running cost

When using a high volume of dunnage bags, the time to load your container can be critical. Generally, an air compressor in constant use loses just as much pressure filling bags as it takes to refill the air tank once, which means the first bag will inflate quickly, but each subsequent bag will take much longer to inflate.

Portable Inflator Units

To improve ‘on the job’ safety, many businesses are converting to handheld, battery-powered air guns, used onsite as they are small and lightweight, making them convenient to carry and operate. There is no need for an electrical hookup, as they are battery-powered. One team member can use this neat system, making the job site more effective and less labour intensive.

This article will help you effectively brace cargo loads in trucks, overseas containers, or railcars by providing a step by step guide on using our battery powered inflation device.

What is a Dunnage Bag Inflator Gun? Or (PAM)

The X-PAK Portable Air Master (PAM) unit is a powerful, rechargeable inflation tool that works hand-in-hand with our range of bags. The PAM unit is unique and allows you to inflate X-Pak dunnage bags with a high output of 28 Cubic feet per minute, higher than most other bag inflators. In many cases, our battery-powered inflator will out-perform a traditional air compressor.
Using a battery-powered airgun to inflate cargo bags allows one person to load containers, is less expensive than purchasing a compressor, and provides flexibility and convenience when loading air bags for shipping containers.

 6 Simple Steps to Inflate Your Air Bag

1. Position the deflated bag into the void of the container and ensure the valve is easy to access.
2. Check the valve is in the ‘closed’ position before inflating.
3. Clip the hose onto the valve and inflate to your desired pressure.
4. When using the inflator, position your bag to provide extensive surface area contact.
5. Keep the trigger on once the bag is inflated as you remove the connection.
6. Clip the seal over to finish.

Watch our video on how to inflate X-Pak Dunnage Bags using a PAM unit.

Industries Serviced:

• Building Materials
• Cargo Container Transport
• Electronic Hardware
• Food and Beverage
• Freight Forwarding
• Logistics