By Allen Liao

Changde Tobacco Machinery Co., Ltd. (CDTM) in south central China’s Hunan Province – a leading Chinese tobacco machinery manufacturer – has continued to promote innovation in technology and service over recent years, in accordance with the requirement of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) to promote cigarette production in China to a higher level.

For years, CDTM, under the guidance of its corporate slogan of “Unity, diligence, tenaciously striving for success, contribution, and practical innovation”, has continued to introduce new technologies and to develop new products, forming a multiple product structure. By means of well developed technologies and high-quality service, CDTM has always won high praise from users across China.

In the 1990s, STMA, in efforts to meet the tobacco industry’s development requirements, imported exclusive technology for producing the Protos70 from German company Hauni and designated CDTM to be the Chinese manufacturer.
In 1993, CDTM joined a number of other Chinese institutions, including Xuchang Tobacco Machinery Factory (the predecessor of Xuchang Tobacco Machinery Co. Ltd.), Kunming Shipping Co., Ltd., Research Institute No. 27 of the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics Industry and Research Institute No. 709 of China Ship Equipment Co., Ltd. in establishing a taskforce for converting Protos70 technology for domestic use and developing the ZJ17, a world-class technologically advanced unit in the 1990s.
In the process of conversion, the taskforce, in accordance with the decision of “concentrated conversion and sharing of achievements” adopted by China tobacco Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (CTMG), established a strict organizational structure. It diligently applied a system of responsibility for technological conversion and the relevant working procedures, in particular establishing a standards conversion group. The group managed to convert more than 80 technological standards set by Hauni and worked out a package of new technological standards meeting the realities of the tobacco industry of China.
In September 1993, CDTM dispatched 11 technicians in two separate groups to Hauni to study machinery design, quality control, assembly and debugging technologies for making the Protos70. In the period of study at Hauni, the technicians succeeded in mastering the exclusive technology for manufacturing the Protos70 after overcoming various difficulties. In September 1994, after applying the system of responsibility for technological contract and relevant incentive policies, the preparation of the technologies and techniques for test-manufacturing, a sample of Protos70 was completed ahead of schedule. In September 1995, an assembly group mainly comprising the technicians who studied at Hauni began the process of assembling the sample Protos70. After it was successfully assembled, the unit was transported to Changsha Cigarette Factory in Hunan province for a test run. The Protos70 performed successfully with the rate of effective operation reaching 89.6%. In February 1996, a senior representative from Hauni personally traveled to China to attend the ceremony for the transfer of the Protos70 manufacturing technology to CDTM, saying that the sample made by CDTM fully met Hauni’s manufacturing standards. In September 1996, the ZJ17 passed a stringent appraisal by STMA.
The successful development of the ZJ17 opened a new chapter in the history of CDTM. In 1999, ZJ17 won a Grade Three national award for technological progress. In reality, the successful development of ZJ17 has promoted technological transformation of Chinese tobacco manufacturing enterprises to a higher level, increased the speed of cigarette making and significantly improved the quality of cigarette products. Moreover, batch production of ZJ17 enabled CDTM to earn over RMB100 million (US$65 million) in output value for the first time in 1999. As a result, the introduction of the technology for making ZJ17 has become a turning point in a new round of development at CDTM.
For years, CDTM continued conducting technological upgrades of ZJ17, clearly improving the quality of its assembly and its reliability. ZJ17 has won high praise from all users for its short installation and debugging requirements, high rate of effective operation, stability of product quality and quick recovery of investment. So far, ZJ17 has become one of the top choices for tobacco manufacturing enterprises seeking to upgrade production facilities. Continued technological improvement has enabled ZJ17 to maintain its strong vigor and vitality in the marketplace.
In June 2011, CDTM completed the packaging and general inspection of a ZJ17 bearing the serial number of P100D after an overhaul. The unit was transported to Changsha Cigarette Factory as scheduled. This development signified smooth completion of the overhaul of the 100th ZJ17 at CDTM’s heavy repair workshop. The re-assembly of the ZJ17 unit was completed in compliance with CDTM’s stringent operational rules. The reassembled unit was referred for inspection for delivery strictly in line with the standards for the delivery of new machines. The rate of effective operation in the debugging process reached a high of 99%. Today, CDTM applies the full system of flexible assembly of all ZJ17 units being overhauled. The whole overhaul process is accomplished with strict observation of the relevant standards and procedures.

Innovation: ZJ112
January 6, 2005 was yet another historic day for CDTM. On this day, the first cigarette rolled off a 10,000cpm ZJ112 high-speed cigarette maker and filter assembly unit newly developed and manufactured by CDTM. The development of ZJ112 signified that CDTM had taken yet another giant step in the development of new tobacco machinery products.
ZJ112 (Protos90E) is a new generation of high-speed cigarette maker and filter assembly units introduced by STMA from Hauni through technology and trade cooperation. It is yet another leading tobacco machinery product manufactured using the world’s leading high-grade cigarette making machinery production technology with a speed of 10,000cpm. CDTM spent more than two years converting the technology for domestic use, from the introduction of the technology to applying it to the production of Chinese-style cigarettes.
In 2002, CDTM embarked on the development the ZJ112. At the time of test-manufacture, it produced only two units. Since then, it has produced 48 ZJ112 units, which have been sold to more than 10 tobacco manufacturing enterprises in different Chinese regions, inlcuding Shanghai City in east China, Wuhan City in central China, Shenzhen City in south China, Jinan City in east China and Chengdu City in southwest China. In June 2011, a new ZJ112 unit rolled off the production line. It is tenable to say that it was technological innovation that enabled CDTM to realize mass production of ZJ112 rather than small-scale production of the high-speed unit.
“At that time, there was a general situation that all tobacco manufacturing enterprises in China were busy conducting technological upgrading or transformation of their cigarette maker and filter assembly units, which signified a rare business development opportunity for tobacco machinery manufacturers,” said Zhu Zhibin, deputy director of the research institute of CDTM, introducing the development of ZJ112.
CDTM seized this rare business development opportunity by making great efforts to innovate the technology for manufacturing ZJ112.
To secure success in the development of ZJ112, CDTM established a taskforce to execute the project, grouping highly qualified technicians selected from the company. The technicians followed up the whole process of production and provided service throughout the entire production process, regardless of whether it involved design, quality inspection, technology application, production organization, assembly or debugging.
“ZJ112 mainly comprises the cut tobacco feeder, the cigarette maker and the filter assembly. In accordance with the requirement of customers, we have conducted partial technological innovation for all three parts of the unit,” Zhu Zhibin said.
The cut tobacco feeder of ZJ112 utilizes fluidization technology, which ensures better distribution and flexibility of the tobacco. The cigarette maker utilizes a water-cooled cigarette ejection pipe, which helps extend the service life of quick-wear parts such as woven belts. The filter assembly mechanism applies a five-point cigarette rolling wheel, which serves to improve the quality of cigarette rolling and assembly and reduces the possibility of the cigarette jamming. Besides, ZJ112 applies an infrared end scanner to detect any missing cigarettes. With high detection accuracy, the scanner is impervious to the moisture content and the diameter of cigarettes and the running speed of the machine.
In 2005, CDTM succeeded in producing two sample units of ZJ112 – one shipped to Gaoyang International Tobacco Co., Ltd. of Shanghai Tobacco Group, and the other to Wuhan Cigarette Factory of China Hubei Tobacco Industrial Corporation.
“The smooth entry into operation of ZJ112 resulted in a breakthrough in the development of homemade tobacco machinery by the tobacco machinery manufacturing sector of China, from the production of medium speed machines with a speed of 7,000cpm to the production of high speed units with a speed of 10,000cpm. The ZJ112 unit at Wuhan Cigarette Factory has been functioning stably,” commented technicians with Wuhan Cigarette Factory, one of the first users of ZJ112.
In efforts to further improve the functions of ZJ112 and to better meet the demand of users, CDTM has not ceased innovating. Since the test manufacture of the two sample units to the realization of mass production, technological innovation has played a key role in the development of the unit. The successful development of ZJ112 would not have been realized without the tremendous painstaking efforts of the taskforce designated to fulfill the project of its development. CDTM’s ZJ112 production capacity continues to increase daily, and the units produced are increasingly stable under operating conditions. In 2006, sample units of ZJ112 passed stringent STMA certification. The panel of experts designated to appraise and certify ZJ112 believed that the units had reached the advanced technological levels of similar products made in developed countries.
The successful development of ZJ112 signified a shift from the production of medium-speed tobacco machinery to the production of high-speed tobacco machinery by the tobacco machinery manufacturing sector of China, contributing to paving the way for further development of higher-speed cigarette maker and filter assembly equipment in the future.
Presently, CDTM is busy conducting studies of the working principles of ultrahigh-speed cigarette maker and filter assembly machinery. In June 2009, China National Tobacco Corporation and Hauni signed a technology transfer agreement for manufacturing ultrahigh-speed equipment. Accordingly, CDTM is once again developing blueprints for ultrahigh-speed cigarette makers and filter assembly machinery here in China.
In March 2011, STMA officially kicked off the key project of developing ultrahigh-speed cigarette maker and filter assembly units in China. CDTM – in its capacity as a key player in the tobacco machinery manufacturing sector – will definitely play a pivotal role in the execution of this project.

Keep innovating
Today, walking into production workshops at CDTM, one can see the tidy, well-regulated, scientific and highly efficient worksites with 5S management. The management is impressive. The numerous images of sophisticated, high-tech, precision smart manufacturing and testing equipment make a great impact. The highly-qualified workforce encourages respect.
With a horizontal machining center produced by DSP of Germany, numerical-controlled gear grinding machines produced by US company Gleason and high-precision numerically-controlled internal grinding machines produced by Studer of Switzerland, as well as automatic three-dimensional storage facilities and advanced flexible assembly lines, CDTM now boasts a core manufacturing capacity comparable to the world’s best. All these achievements would not have been possible without persistent adherence to the policy of technological innovation.
Seeing the rapid development of CDTM over recent years, even Hauni – in its capacity as a key technology exporter – marvels at what CDTM has achieved as a result of technological innovation. In the eyes of the “big master”, CDTM used to be a little-known “young apprentice”. But after more than 10 years, the technological innovation capacity of this “young apprentice” now matches that of the “big master”, and a powerful competitor has emerged in the international tobacco machinery marketplace. As it faces new challenges, CDTM will definitely continue taking the path of technological innovation in its future business development.