FIELD OF APPLICATION – TOBACCO MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING

Tobacco manufacturing and processing covers the entire chain, from the intake of pressed bales of tobacco leaves through threshing the leaf lamina from the stems (GLT), cutting, drying and casing all the way to high-speed cigarette manufacturing, smokeless products and nicotine pouches. It is complemented by the production of reconstituted tobacco and the recycling of tobacco waste.

Raw tobacco is a natural material and arrives from all over the world – and it brings along non-tobacco related material (NTRM): wires and strapping from baling, clips from crates, small stones or plastics. Further metals arise from machine wear and chipped cutting knives. With the growing demands of major buyers on product purity, magnetic separation and metal detection have become an essential standard in tobacco production.

Did you know...? One tonne of unprocessed tobacco contains on average 100 grams of foreign materials and around 1,000 non-tobacco particles – and cutting increases their number to as many as 10,000. Without preventive measures, every seventh pack of cigarettes would contain a non-tobacco particle!

Introducing magnetic separators and metal detectors into tobacco processing protects both cutters and makers, reduces the fire risk of dry tobacco dust and ensures the purity of every pack. This has a positive impact on production profitability and efficiency.

WHERE WILL YOU FIND OUR MAGNETIC SEPARATORS IN TOBACCO MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING?

Intake and unpacking of tobacco leaf bales

Tobacco arrives pressed in bales weighing around 200 kg and in crates, secured with steel strapping, wires and clips. During unpacking and discharge onto the intake conveyor, fragments of strapping and clips easily enter the material flow – and would travel through the entire process.

The following equipment is most often used for tobacco intake:

Above the first intake belt, immediately after unpacking, a suspended magnet DND-MC is hung – where larger quantities of metal are captured, the self-cleaning DND-AC version requires no operator intervention. Non-magnetic and stainless metals (aluminium, brass) are then revealed by a tunnel metal detector installed on the conveyor in a metal-free zone.

What problems it solves: fragments of strapping and wire from bales = damaged threshers and cutters in the subsequent processing. Benefit for the customer: a clean input into the entire process with a single separation and detection point right at the start.

GLT – threshing the leaf lamina from the stems

In the GLT (Green Leaf Threshing) line, steamed tobacco leaves are separated into lamina and stems using threshers, air classifiers and vibrating conveyors. Machine wear releases metal particles that must be captured before the sorted tobacco is pressed and dispatched.

The following equipment is most often used in GLT lines:

Into gravity chutes and transfer points between threshers and classifiers, chute magnets ML are installed – tobacco leaves pass through them freely and the magnets do not obstruct the flow. Where the material falls through well, finer particles are captured by a magnetic grate separator in housing MSS-MC. Vibrating conveyors ensure gentle spreading and transport of the leaves between operations.

What problems it solves: metal wear debris from threshers = contamination of lamina and stems before dispatch. Benefit for the customer: higher-quality sorted tobacco and compliance with the purity requirements of major buyers.

Primary processing – cutting, drying and expanding tobacco

After conditioning and casing, the tobacco heads to the cutters – the most sensitive point of the entire process. Metal that reaches the knife damages the blade and forces a shutdown. The cutter is followed by a dryer, where dry tobacco and its dust represent a fire and explosion risk.

The following equipment is most often used for cutting and drying tobacco:

The grate separator is placed in the chute immediately before the cutter inlet – the ALARM version signals saturation of the grate, while the self-cleaning MSS-AC suits plants with higher contamination and continuous operation. The pneumatic conveying of cut tobacco to the dryer is guarded by the pipeline separator MSP-S (capturing ferromagnetic particles from as small as 1 µm); pipe runs at risk of clogging call for the chute magnet ML-P with magnets on the sides of the flow. For dusty and explosive environments we supply equipment in ATEX design.

What problems it solves: metal hitting the cutter knives = downtime for replacement and sharpening; sparking metal in the dryer = risk of fire and tobacco dust explosion. Benefit for the customer: longer knife service life, fewer unplanned shutdowns and higher operational safety.

Pneumatic, belt and vibratory conveying of tobacco

Between operations, tobacco is conveyed by belts, pneumatically (both pressure and vacuum) and by vibration – vibratory conveying is preferred because it is gentle on the cut tobacco filler and preserves its filling power.

The following equipment is most often used for conveying tobacco:

MSP-S separators are installed in vertical and inclined sections of pneumatic pipelines and continuously capture fine ferromagnetic particles from pipe wear. The metal detector for pneumatic conveying also reveals non-magnetic metals and automatically rejects the contaminated section of material via a diverter valve without stopping the conveying. Vibrating conveyors and feeders with stepless output control ensure gentle inter-operational transport and precise dosing of cut tobacco.

What problems it solves: fine metal wear debris in closed conveying lines = gradual contamination of the entire production. Benefit for the customer: continuous product protection without interfering with production continuity, and gentle conveying without crushing the filler.

Cigarette manufacturing – protecting the makers

High-speed makers form the tobacco rod and cut cigarettes from it – modern machines produce up to 20,000 cigarettes per minute. The maker does have its own detection, but when metal is captured it rejects up to ten cigarettes at once. It therefore pays to stop the metal before it ever reaches the machine.

The following equipment is most often used ahead of the maker:

Packing and final product inspection

The final inspection of packed cigarettes, cigars, pipe and snuff tobacco or nicotine pouches is the last control point before dispatch – and often a contractual requirement of buyers and retail chains.

The following equipment is most often used for final inspection:

The tunnel detector METRON 07 CI is installed on the outfeed conveyor of the packing line in a metal-free zone – it inspects packed products in non-metallic packaging and records every detection for a documented batch inspection report. A complete solution with its own conveyor and rejection system is offered by the TRANSTRON detector.

What problems it solves: metal in the final product = complaints, a batch recall and brand damage. Benefit for the customer: protection of the consumer and of the manufacturer's good name and compliance with the QA requirements of buyers.