Packaging Equipment: Wrap Me Over, Please

Overwrapping is an integral part of the tobacco supply chain, yet is often overlooked in favor of other packaging solutions. Tobacco Asia inquires with two overwrapping machinery providers.

Whether it concerns raw materials or the finished product, overwrapping processes are omnipresent in the tobacco industry. The packing method assures all-round protection during shipping and safeguards against moisture damage, dust intrusion, pest infestation, and oxidation. It controls adequate product moisture and locks in both aroma and taste.

Yet, somehow, overwrapping often goes under the radar in the trade press in favor of more fanciful packaging items such as printed cigarette boxes (hard or soft), creatively designed closure labels, inner liners made from foil or laminated paper, or even cigar tubes or boxes. Needless to say, despite this delegation to relative obscurity, overwrapping machinery is an indispensable part of any production line and throughout the supply chain.

Ensuring a safe and untainted product journey

Manufacturers of overwrapping machines are almost as numerous as sand grains on a beach (see our side box) and spread around the globe. But a particularly large proportion of them are located in Asia, One of them, Cankey Technology Co. Ltd., established itself in 2010 in the free trade zone of Zhengzhou, an industrial city in China’s northeastern Henan province.

It is not unusual for tobacco companies as well as finished product manufacturers to ship their merchandise halfway around the world. Overwrapping really helps those goods to reach their final destinations safely and untainted,” explained Cankey’s operations specialist, Sherry Liu. The company is currently offering three different overwrapping machine models that are most commonly used by tobacco industry customers to protect individual cigarette boxes and cartons alike.

“Our CK-BTB-300A model is the current bestseller, which I think is due to its smaller footprint, which helps save floor space,” asserted Liu. “Yet its packaging speed is pretty similar to our other models.” But just like any other machinery, overwrappers depend on correct calibration, operation, and maintenance. Some frequently encountered issues concern inadequate power voltage and an incompatible air compressor.

Before it can be operated, each overwrapping model also needs to be equipped with a suitable air compressor. “If a customer prefers to source the compressor locally, they should confirm the relevant parameters with us first, otherwise the machine’s functionality may be affected.”

Debugging and test runs

Liu insisted that any newly purchased machine will be debugged and subjected to a test run by Cankey’s in-house engineer prior to shipment in order to ensure that it is fully operational. The company also provides an installation video. “However, if it should turn out that the customer has difficulties installing and using the machine, we are happy to dispatch our own engineers for an additional fee.”

All Cankey machinery comes with a one-year warranty and lifelong servicing, the latter again against a fee. Online help is available free of charge round the clock in case troubleshooting guidance is needed. Last but not least, the company maintains comprehensive spare part stocks to ensure that malfunctioning or worn out components can be replaced swiftly. Being export-oriented, only 20% of Cankey’s annual sales are generated domestically within China, the remainder coming from customers from around the world.

Overwrapping crucial for end-consumer experience

In 2018, Hong Kong-based D.M. Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., a contract manufacturer of tow and filter rods, teamed up with tobacco industry veteran Liu Hai and HLP packing expert Gao Jia Rui to form a new joint venture, HK Daehon Machinery Ltd., likewise located in Hong Kong.

With Liu and Gao serving as board directors as well as innovative technology consultants, the objective was to expand the parent company’s product portfolio beyond filter materials into tobacco machinery, including overwrapping machines.

“While our overwrappers’ various components are manufactured in our China and India factories, final assembly takes place in Hong Kong,” divulged HK Daehon’s technical innovations sales manager, Mandip S. Sandhu. He said overwrapping was not only a crucial task during the different steps of tobacco processing and the entire supply chain, but also carried tremendous benefits from an end consumer’s perspective.

“Overwrapping is an important part of the consumer experience, too, as it conserves the product’s taste and extends its shelf life,” Sandhu elaborated. The company’s two bestselling machine models are able to handle overwrapping for pretty much any tobacco product imaginable: snuff and chewing tobacco; shisha tobacco; leaf tobacco and cut rag (both before and after primary processing); and of course bulk packing of cigarettes. HK Daehon’s dedicated packet wrapping machine DB59 and its carton overwrapping machine DB250 are “actually both integral parts of the production line and are commonly purchased together,” according to Gao Jia Rui.

A helping hand for first-time buyers

Gao added that because “first-time buyers will always require technical assistance at the installation site, we have experienced engineers at hand whom we can dispatch to calibrate any newly purchased machine as per the customer’s requirements so to achieve optimal results.”

Apart from getting an installation up and running, issues may also arise due to the use of various BOPP or BOPLA films, as well as the correct temperature setting for each material. “The customer must get the specification sheet of the material used and input the appropriate temperature setting for best results,” Gao cautioned. “Overheating will cause wrinkles, while underheating will result in erroneous sealing.” But the company is always available to dispense advice if such issues should occur.” Thanks to the internet, we are able to solve the majority of problems over video conferencing and with demonstration videos,” Gao said.

“We also provide a troubleshooting manual and of course spare parts if and when they are needed.” All of HK Daehon’s machinery models come with a standard one-year general warranty. To ensure TPD2 compliance, the company offers add-on modules specifically designed to “work in tandem with our main machinery,” assured Liu Hai.

Focus on export business

Quite similar to Cankey Technology, HK Daehon likewise puts a clear focus on export business. “More than 80% of our machinery is delivered to customers abroad, with only about 18% finding a home at production facilities within China,” Sandhu pointed out. with the bulk of exports (53%) shipped to customers within Asia, including the Middle East. “Meanwhile, a bit more than a quarter of our sales go to Europe and some 12% are generated in the Americas,” Sandhu said.

Africa, he added, would be an important market, because the company “sees a lot of potential.” But “governance, red tape, and lacking transparency are major hindrances in establishing a business there, at least at this point.” And lopping a hint at future customers, he enthused, “We are innovators. Just tell us your detailed requirements and we will surely be able to serve you all possible solutions in the most economical way.”

Sandhu added that beside dedicated overwrapping machines HK Daehon also offered a range of other packaging machinery. “For example, we do have a packing line for HNB products, the double plug packer, for which we have filed a patent and currently can claim some sort of a monopoly for supplying small to medium-scale cigarette manufacturers,” he said. Furthermore, the company also is marketing its transparent film 3D packer, utilized for rather specialized packaging needs.

Overwrapping: A global menagerie of suppliers

Googling for “overwrapping machinery” brings up a veritable plethora of suppliers strewn across the globe. Top results almost invariably highlight UK outfit, Marden Edwards Limited, bearing testimony not only to the excellent marketing skills but also the worldwide network of this global supplier. Sollas BV and Tokyo Automatic Machinery Works Ltd. gather further highly placed search results, the companies being located in the Netherlands and Japan, respectively. Delving a little deeper into Google’s search displays reveals Bulgarian company Union Kehlibar and well-known Hong Kong-based spare parts and machinery supplier, HK Upper Bond Industrial Limited. Taiwanese company Chi Mei Enterprise Co. Ltd. likewise seems prominent for its reliable overwrapping machinery, particularly popular among clients situated in Asia.

And, of course, there is the unavoidable slew of suppliers located in China, such as - but not limited to - DAFA Auto Pack and iStar Pack (both located in Zhejiang), and August Pack (Hong Kong). A somewhat obscure Indian firm, Budhan Engineering Pvt. Ltd., sounded interesting because it apparently is specializing in bespoke overwrapping solutions.