Flexible, gentle, efficient and future-proof – these are the essential requirements for production plants in the tobacco industry. However, revolutionary products, such as THP, create new demands. The old watch-words remain as valid as ever, but the production processes have changed. And factory operators must innovate to ensure maximum flexibility. Simultaneously, customers expect the high-end standards achieved by filter cigarettes over many decades of development to continue in Heated Tobacco Products (HTP), the consumables or sticks from the outset.
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All for THP
Hauni accepts no half measures
Using individual makers or primary solutions is no longer an option. That is why Hauni supports its customers throughout the product development process from consulting to logistics. "Rapidly developing markets, like THP, are particularly difficult because you don’t know what tomorrow’s products will look like. In other words, you need flexible solutions," explains Patrick Fricke, Head of Marketing at Hauni. "Our extensive expertise in the emerging field of THP puts us in a great position to evaluate all the available processes and develop complete, integrated solutions in partnership with our customers. It is critical that all the steps are perfectly coordinated." As Fricke explains, the extremely high level of innovation required in the individual machines means that Hauni’s expertise at every stage of the production process – from the Primary to the final product – is a decisive advantage. "Based on these requirements, we have developed a full range of equipment for THP – covering everything from the Primary for recon tobacco, to base rod making, optional pre-combining, final combining and special logistics. In short, everything you need for a powerful and efficient THP production plant." All the machines and components are designed to ensure exceptionally gentle handling of these sensitive products. At the same time, Hauni’s solutions are based on a modular machine concept that guarantees maximum flexibility in terms of the geometry and weight of current and future products.
Tobacco Dust Amalgation (TDA) for tobacco processing
TDA – created by the Hauni Group’s Primary expert Garbuio – is an extremely gentle, space-saving and efficient solution for processing tobacco, tobacco dust and fibres in recon production.
Manufacturers employ a variety of production processes for the reconstituted tobacco used in HTP depending on whether they work with paper recon, cast/rolled sheet or granulates. The most widely used forms are currently paper recon and slurry recon. Both methods, however, pose major challenges for producers in terms of taste, drying and tensile strength of the material. They require a great deal of space and energy. Moreover, they are less than ideal for preserving the quality of the product.
"Our TDA makes no compromises. We have developed an alternative technology that is specifically tailored to the requirements of THP," explains Marco Morandin, Sales Director Primary. "The new process is gentle and has a remarkably small footprint." The compact systems can be expanded at any time and enable manufacturers to prepare tobacco and tobacco materials for THP – as well as for conventional factory-made cigarette applications – directly in the factory.
Highlights at a glance
- Small footprint
- Fast ROI as the process is suitable for conventional and THP applications
- Reduced energy consumption
- Capacity can be adapted to the needs of the location
- Rolled recon sheet for THP directly onto bobbins
Mass flow handling with VENTIS
Reliable logistics components are essential for smooth production processes. The VENTIS FiFo reservoir is geared to the special requirements of small and light HTPs.
Conventional logistics solutions quickly reach their limits when transporting and storing the short, light sticks – causing stops in the production process. Hauni’s VENTIS FiFo reservoir is extremely flexible and provides the perfect link between the various stages of the production process. It guarantees constant mass flow handling, extremely easy operation and maximum protection of these very short products. This is because the flexible LEAD boxes used in this modular system can be adapted exactly to the size of the respective product – from the filter to the cigarette to the HTP.
VENTIS is the first reservoir solution to divide the mass flow continuously into special throughflow boxes. These are processed extremely efficiently in a fully automated first-in-first-out rack storage system before being discharged and the products transported via mass flow conveyors. With this storage capacity, VENTIS is able to decouple the production of the upstream and downstream machines. VENTIS can handle a wide range of product lengths and weights for both conventional and HTP storage.
Highlights at a glance
- Maximum process stability and availability of approx. 98%
- Constant mass flow of up to 12,000 HTPs per minute
- Gentle and flexible handling with a standard reservoir capacity of 150,000 HTP rods
- HTP rods with a diameter of 4.6 - 9.0 mm and length of 40 to 70 mm
- Suitable for all conventional cigarettes and filters especially for long and heavy products
Strip Cut Maker (SCM) for base rods
The SCM cuts recon sheets into endless strips and turns them into a paper-wrapped rod for HTP. The process offers a practical alternative to crimping.
In terms of flavor and smoke properties, HTP manufacturers achieve the best product results with recon. "THP systems often use an element that heats the tobacco from the centre of the rod. Inserting or removing this heating element can be difficult if the base rods are made purely from unstructured, cut tobacco," explains Alexander Dzingel, Product Consultant THP.
"The SCM Strip Cut Maker provides manufacturers with a solution for making stable base rods without loose end. It creates a parallel arrangement of thin recon strips in the base rod segment. This makes it easier to insert and remove the heating element." The SCM cuts a sheet of recon wound on a bobbin into narrow strips at a speed of up to 200 m/min. and turns it into rods for further combining of final product. The process is very stable and causes few stops. In addition to the basic version of the SCM with manual bobbins, there is also a version with automatic feeding and splicing which achieves an efficiency of more than 85 percent.
Highlights at a glance
- High-quality products without loose end
- Speed of 150 - 200 m/min.
- Standard diameters of finished base rods from 6.0 - 8.5 mm
- Selectable strip width from 1 mm to 2 mm
Final combining with the MSM
The MSM Multi Segment Maker is highly flexible and modular – Hauni’s all-in-one, future-proof solution for HTP production.
To make Heated Tobacco Products, manufacturers must wrap complex, multi-segment sticks in paper – a challenging task. Makers used for HTP must be able to adapt quickly to new products in this highly innovative market in order to offer a high degree of investment security. Although the sticks will continue to be made of recon tobacco, paper and filters, nobody knows the future composition of HTP in terms of the number and quality of the segments, different cooling methods or special applications. The MSM from Hauni is an all-in-one machine that is based on a flexible modular concept. This not only enables it to combine the functions of several machines, but also opens up new horizons for creating imaginative end products. The MSM can combine up to five segments and incorporates the following functions: tobacco rod making, tipping, laser perforation, inspection, cutting and turning. Combining the modules in new configurations enables the manufacturer to make different end products and modify the machine easily at any time. Each module contains precisely defined functions which can be combined flexibly to accommodate changes in product specifications. By replacing the modules, a new machine set-up can easily be created for a future THP.
Highlights at a glance
- Production of multi-segment products in one process
- Short time-to-market through flexible modular design
- Easy adaptation to product specifications by exchanging or customizing modules
- 10,000 consumables per minute
- Up to 90% efficiency
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