Category: Technology

  • Aquios Labs Presents Water-Based Vaping

    Aquios Labs Presents Water-Based Vaping

    Photo: luchschenF

    Aquios Labs plans to introduce water-based vaping technology this month, according to a press release published by Vaping360.

    Most traditional vaping devices and e-liquids contain no water, and in those that do, the water content is 3 percent or less. Until now, the low viscosity of water made it unsuitable for use in vaping devices at any meaningful level.

    Dubbed AQ30, the first generation of Aquios Labs’ technology can support up to 30 percent water content using a combination of specially formulated e-liquid and hardware design. Aquios says it is already developing the capability to support even higher levels of water content.

    According to Aquios Labs, water reduces dehydration and irritation, helps to deliver nicotine more efficiently and produces a more natural flavor. In addition, the operating temperature of water-based vaping is much lower than traditional vaping, which enhances the chemical stability of the vaping process.

    “We founded Aquios Labs because there’s still a long way to go in terms of improving the vaping experience,” said Aquios Labs founder Jack Sanders. “We believe that water-based vaping is the new frontier of nicotine delivery, and AQ30 is already demonstrating this by drastically reducing the dehydrating effects of vapor while delivering clean flavors. We welcome new and existing vape brands to consider how this technology can be adopted as part of a growing product offering.”

    Innokin, a leading vape brand and manufacturer, plans to integrate Aquios Labs technology into a wide range of its entry-level devices. Consumers can expect to see Innokin devices with AQ30 technology debut in the second quarter of 2022.

    “Innokin has always believed that new technology has the power to eliminate the need for combustible tobacco,” said Innokin co-founder George Xia. “When we were introduced to Aquios, our product development team was immediately sold on the unique advantages of water-based vaping. We look forward to hearing feedback about our range of water-based devices when they launch this April.”

  • Gene Tree Recognized for Vaping Technology

    Gene Tree Recognized for Vaping Technology

    Photo ICCPP

    ICCPP’s Gene Tree nano-microcrystalline ceramic vaporizer core won China CE Magazine’s Pioneer Technology Award 2021.

    Launched in September 2021, Gene Tree is the first “0 powder definition” ceramic core in the vapor industry. The manufacturing process is designed to eliminate dust and thus avoids the harm caused by powder falling of ordinary ceramic cores.

    The high-void porous structure of the Gene Tree core, combined with the application of food-grade lipophilic rare earth oxide, gives it excellent e-juice “guiding and locking” ability. It not only enhances stability and prolongs the product’s lifespan, but also prevents leakage, dry burns and explosions while optimizing flavor.

    According to ICCPP, the product’s self-developed heating slurry is more consistent with the thermodynamic properties of porous ceramics, greatly reducing the phenomenon of core slurry. Even after 4,000 tests of dry burning at 2.5 watts, the heating film and resistance value remained intact. The service life of dry burning at 6 watts is up to five times that of other products.

    China CE Magazine is an influential publication in China’s electronic consumer goods industry.

  • Bottleneck Broken in Cultivated Meat

    Bottleneck Broken in Cultivated Meat

    Photo: BioBetter

    BioBetter, an Israeli biotech firm, is using tobacco plants to significantly reduce the cost of cultivated meat and advance it rapidly to scale-up.

    As numerous cultivated meat start-ups move beyond the proof-of-concept phase, they run against one of the biggest challenges facing this budding industry. Developing a scalable and cost-effective production platform to make cultured meat affordable for the mass market has proven to be a primary stumbling block.

    Cell-derived meat requires a culture medium composed of a mix of amino acids, nutrients, and—most importantly—growth factors (GF’s) without which cells cannot multiply. Currently, such media are costly due to the complexity of producing GF’s. For example, insulin and transferrin GFs are collected from livestock, making it difficult to obtain large quantities. Some can be attained via fermentation of yeast or bacteria, but those methods require expensive facilities. The purification process also is complicated and expensive.

    “The Good Food Institutes determined that approximately a 100-fold reduction in insulin and transferrin costs is required to make cultivated meat economically viable,” explains Dana Yarden, co-founder of BioBetter, in a press note. “It is estimated that growth factors and cell-culture media can constitute 55 to 95% of the marginal cost in manufacturing cell-based foods.”

    BioBetter harnessed the inherent advantages of tobacco plants by turning them into bioreactors for expression and large-scale production of the proteins. Plant bioreactors use renewable energy (sunlight) and fixate CO2. They are self-forming, self-sustaining, and biodegradable. BioBetter uses open-field plantations to enable fast, efficient, and flexible response to market needs.

    “There are multiple advantages to using Nicotiana tabacum as a hardy vector for producing GFs of non-animal origin,” says Amit Yaari of BioBetter. “It is an abundant crop that has no place in the food-and-feed chain due to its extremely bitter taste and content of undesirable alkaloids. The global trend for reducing tobacco smoking also is raising concerns among tobacco growers that the crop might eventually become obsolete. Yet the tobacco plant has huge potential to become a key component in the future of food.” Tobacco plants can achieve up to four growth cycles annually and be harvested all year. This translates to more voluminous outputs per square meter of growing space.

    BioBetter says its uniqueness lies in refining and highlighting the advantages of the tobacco plant platform for production on a huge scale. The start-up applies a proprietary protein extraction and purification technology that enables it to exploit nearly the entire plant, and at the same time deliver a high purity product at broad scale production. The company currently sources tobacco plants from local growers but the goal is to eventually source the raw material from tobacco growers globally. Based on cultivation in open fields and BioBetter’s proprietary purification technology, the cost of growth factors production is dramatically reduced, bringing cost efficiency to cultured meat production.

  • Laser Liaison

    Laser Liaison

    Photos: Heinen Koehl

    Heinen Koehl’s coding equipment combines serialization and aggregation in one unit.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    Last November, parties to the Protocol on Eliminating Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products gathered virtually to strengthen the treaty that had entered into force three years earlier. Among the decisions adopted was a roadmap to improve the global track-and-trace system. Currently, use of track-and-trace systems for tobacco products is probably most advanced in the European Union, where it is regulated under articles 15 and 16 of the Tobacco Products Directive. For cigarettes and roll-your-own products, the EU has mandated traceability and security features since May 20, 2019. By May 2024, it will be compulsory for all other tobacco products, including cigars, cigarillos and smokeless tobacco products, as well.

    For tobacco product manufacturers, placing individual identifying codes on each pack and then on each bundle is a challenging additional step in the production process. Heinen Koehl, a Luxemburg-based supplier of processing and logistics equipment for the tobacco industry, has developed several machines to facilitate that process. The Label Application System (LAS) and the Laser Coding Extension (LCE) have been designed for “pack-to-bundle” aggregation.

    “The LAS applies a bundle label onto the head side of each bundle and verifies this bundle with a camera. In contrast to the LAS, the LCE serializes each single pack within the bundle with a laser to provide it with a unique track-and-trace code,” says Stefan Hahn, managing director at Heinen Koehl. “This code is then verified with a camera system to carry out the aggregation. Contrary to traditional solutions available in the market, where various printing technologies such as CO2 or ink printers have to be implemented into existing bundle packers, we have developed a patented stand-alone solution. By using a special laser designed by expert company Koenig and Bauer Coding, we can apply the unique track-and-trace code to the pack through the overwrap without destroying the film. This is not only an advantage in production, but also for the security, availability and performance of the track-and-trace system.”

    Standardized Solution

    Easy integration is the greatest benefit of the LAS and LCE, which together can be built into the production line without changing the existing equipment. Since existing machinery doesn’t have to be adapted to additional hardware and functionality, the implementation time is significantly shorter than with other solutions. Similarly, the stand-alone combination can easily be moved to another production line or location without complex conversions of existing equipment, according to Hahn.

    “With our solutions, serialization and aggregation of individual packs into bundles is carried out in one unit,” he says. “Other technologies require several production steps between serialization and aggregation, which means potential risks for the track-and-trace functionality.”

    According to Heinen Koehl, the LAS/LCE combination is a standardized solution independent from packer type. This means that operators and maintenance staff don’t need special training. Maintenance is similar for both machines within a manageable expenditure of time.

    The LAS/LCE combination can be adapted to all bundle types and sizes and allows for easy format changes. It has been designed for all speed ranges with up to 100 bundles per minute and up to 1,000 packs per minute, respectively.

    While the LAS/LCE is presently being used for coding packs and bundles of cigarettes and cigars, Heinen Koehl has developed an additional machine especially for roll-your-own and pipe tobacco pouches based on the same technology. Known as LAS Pouch, this machine combines coding, verification, bundle label application and aggregation into one system that lasers the track-and-trace code on the pouch through the film.

    Heinen Koehl also offers solutions for the manual aggregation of tobacco products that can be adapted to customer requirements and minimize disruption of the production process.

    Suitable also for yet-to-be-regulated markets, Heinen Koehl is delivering its coding equipment to customers worldwide, including to clients in the U.S., Europe, Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. As track-and-trace requirements spread around the world, Hahn says he sees great potential in other markets as well.

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • Superior Solution

    Superior Solution

    FEELM CEO Frank Han

    Using a new ultra-slim bionic film ceramic coil, the FEELM Air represent a considerable improvement over previous closed-system devices.

    By Timothy S. Donahue

    The vaping industry won’t reach its full potential until its products can deliver nicotine to the body as effectively as a combustible cigarette. The new FEELM Air fully integrated vaping solution brings the industry one step closer to that goal. The FEELM Air offers several improvements on previous closed system vaping devices, including the next generation of FEELM’s industry-leading ceramic coils.

    FEELM Air brings together three new innovations for its ultra-slim bionic film (USBF) ceramic coil, calling the new coil the world’s thinnest ceramic coil vape pod solution. During a launch event in London on Jan. 18, representatives of FEELM and the flagship atomization technology brand’s parent, Smoore International, detailed several of FEELM Air’s technological breakthroughs in the vaping experience, including ultimate design, reliability, flavor and an exceptional interactive experience.

    There are three major improvements to FEELM’s latest coil technology that are the cumulative achievements of a team of 500 scientists and nearly seven years of research, according to FEELM. “FEELM Air is the outcome of cross-disciplinary research and a revolution to [the] ceramic coil,” said Frank Han, president of FEELM, at the opening remark of the launch event. “It replaces the single-layer film with a seven-layer bionic ultra-slim film. The thickness of the film is reduced from 80 micrometers to 2 micrometers, which is 40 times thinner than the last generation.”

    The overall improvements of FEELM Air are attributed to a new generation of USBF ceramic coils, which incorporate a seven-layer composite heating film made of bionic material for the first time in the vaping industry. FEELM representatives said that each layer leads to an equally enhanced functionality.

    The second innovation in the USBF coil is its use of a nanoscale vacuumed film-forming technique to help the heating film distribute heat more evenly across the coil for accurate temperature distribution. The final innovation is a microporous bionic structure that provides smooth ventilation as well as a strong e-liquid locking layer to prevent any leakage.

    Additional improvements to FEELM’s USBF coil allow the overall FEELM Air to bring major breakthroughs to the vaping experience, including an integrated micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), the industry’s highest level of energy efficiency and its smallest linear motor, according to FEELM.

    “It has the world’s first seven-layer composite heating film made of bionic material. Most of the existing ceramic coils are single layered, and now we have a seven-layered composite heating film,” a FEELM representative explained. “It can improve the harm reduction and improve the energy efficiencies, and each layer will lead to a corresponding functionality improvement.”

    FEELM Air improves the overall harm reduction performance by 80 percent of previous generation ceramic coils. The numerous major breakthroughs the new device provides include:

    • The hybrid composites heating layer and the nanoscale protection layer provide corrosion resistance, thereby reducing the emission of heavy metals by 78.6 percent. The temperature control layer with its thermal conductivity can reduce the emission of aldehydes and ketones by 80.7 percent due to localized overheating.
    • In terms of energy optimization, FEELM Air boasts the world’s highest energy efficiency of 1.3 mg/W by virtue of three layers of composite materials. The nano silver electro layer can reduce invalid energy consumption while the porous thermal resistance layer can effectively reduce heat loss.
    • The patented microporous flavor lock layer improves average flavor release by 33 percent. It’s terraced temperature zone and multilayered atomization allow for a tailored flavor release in different temperature zones and produces aerosols in smaller particle size for consumers to taste the flavor thoroughly and allow for a lower lung absorption than previous generation coils.
    • FEELM Air also uses a second generation of the company’s “puzzle leak-proof” technology that decreases leakage rates by 237 percent. It introduces an upgraded capillary structure and an innovative choke valve to prevent condensation alongside a superabsorbent lock layer that can effectively prevent e-liquid splashing.
    • The innovative FEELM Air also uses the world’s smallest linear motor, which offers a unique shock-wave mode that allows users to include delicate vibrations that allow consumers to feel the resonance in every puff. The power consumption of vibrations per charge is as low as 0.06 percent (equal to two puffs).
    • The FEELM Air also has the industry’s first superpower management system, TOPOWER, which allows for eight hours of vaping with only a 10 minute charge. The energy density is increased by 20 percent, and the battery life is increased by 30 percent over previous generations, according to FEELM. The device also adopts an integrated MEMS, which functions as a reliable airflow switch, to improve the sensitivity of the device while preventing mis-activation.

    “Ever since the launch of the world’s first black ceramic atomization coil with metallic film in 2016, FEELM has changed the whole competitive landscape, ushering in a new era of ceramic coil. It has largely enhanced harm reduction with accurate heating temperature control and revolutionized vaping experience with smooth and pure taste till the last puff,” said Han. “More importantly, FEELM has effectively addressed the industry’s pain points of leakage and dry hits.”

    To keep up with the enhanced vaping experience the FEELM Air provides vapers, the company announced the launch of its second generation of the FEELM taste evaluation model during the FEELM Air launch event. To better understand taste experiences while vaping, FEELM introduced its first taste evaluation model in December 2020 that gave FEELM researchers the ability to describe the taste of atomization scientifically. Composed of four dimensions—flavor, strength, note and vapor—and 51 specific indexes, the model establishes a system to evaluate the human senses of mouth, tongue, nose and throat.

    “Now, it’s five dimensions and 65 indexes. It’s more complicated in evaluating aroma, aftertaste, taste/mouthfeel, impact and vapor property. We built up an in-house sensory evaluation team. We have experts with certain backgrounds in tobacco science and vaping taste evaluations,” a FEELM representative said. “The team’s experience in the science of evaluating flavors ranges from five years to 13 years. They are the experts in evaluating vape ingredients.”

    During the event, Han also announced a brand refresh for FEELM. The new brand concept is composed of five words: feel, engine, exploration, lifestyle and memory, echoing the five letters of the brand’s name. He has also unveiled the new logo, which has the contour of a ceramic coil in the shape of a window. It symbolizes “FEELM’s ‘window to ultimate sensation,’” said Han. “The ‘open window’ stands for the infinite pursuit of a better sensory experience, representing FEELM’s commitment to ultimate sensation.”

    The FEELM Air may be the bridging device that brings vaping magnitudes closer to the nicotine delivery and sensory experience combustible cigarette smoking offers, only in a format that Public Health England has said is 95 percent safer. It’s too early to tell, but the FEELM Air may motivate an even greater number of cigarette smokers to switch to vaping than previous devices.

    “Vaping devices loaded with FEELM atomizers have been exported to over 50 countries in Europe, America, East Asia, Africa and Oceania with an accumulated sales volume of over 3 billion pieces,” Han said. “FEELM has never stopped the constant exploration for ultimate sensation. By virtue of FEELM Air, equipped with the ultra-slim bionic film ceramic coil, FEELM is ready to drive another paradigm shift in the global vaping industry, leading the second sensory revolution of ultra-slim devices and ceramic coils.”

    Timothy Donahue is the assistant editor of Tobacco Reporter. Since joining our team in January 2013, he has become not only an expert on the traditional tobacco business but also a well-respected voice in the rapidly developing vapor industry. Tim spends much of his time on the road, attending conferences and interviewing industry representatives. His networking skills, work ethic and quick mind are valuable assets to our diverse audience.
  • New Technology to Help Reduce Dependency

    New Technology to Help Reduce Dependency

    Photo: pavelkant

    VapeAway has developed a technology designed to help reduce vaping dependency. According to the company, the VapeAway filter attaches to an existing e-cigarette pod, automatically working to remove toxins found in e-cigarettes with minimal impact on the quality of the vaping experience.

    The patented VapeAway filter is said to stop nicotine before it enters the body by gradually reducing nicotine intake in levels, beginning at 25 percent and increasing to a 75 percent reduction over the course of nine weeks, thus reprogramming the brain to decrease cravings and reduce dependency.

    “Every e-cigarette, regardless of its type, flavor or contents, contains dangerous chemical toxins,” says Ike Sutton, the founder of VapeAway. “VapeAway offers the first patented filter that removes those toxins. Until now, those who were dependent on nicotine have been directed to nicotine patches or gum as their recovery solution, both of which use nicotine to satisfy cravings and with that comes a laundry list of warnings and side effects.

    “VapeAway’s patented technology does the opposite and does not administer a drug to help people quit a drug. Our filters stop the nicotine directly at the source and reduce the intake of harmful chemicals while users continue to vape, all the while ultimately helping people quit in the long term if they choose to do so.”

    VapeAway says its Vapor Freeze 2.0 technology consists of a proprietary blend of military grade, nontoxic fibers that freeze potentially harmful toxic chemicals on contact, protecting vapers and others around them from unwanted chemicals and toxins entering their lungs.

    The technology has been tested to ensure it meets VapeAway’s stated use cases and it effectively and consistently performs to achieve the stated impact for its users. Preliminary tests were conducted by Enthalpy Laboratories.

    According to SGS North America, the VapeAway filter is 100 percent nontoxic.

  • Cerulean Debuts Snus Test Station

    Cerulean Debuts Snus Test Station

    Photo: Cerulean

    Cerulean has launched Orion, the world’s first automated test station for snus.

    The Orion can handle oral pouches of all commercially available size formats, including mini, large, maxi and slim.

    The instrument measures pouch weight, length, width, end seam width, longitudinal seam overlap width and pouch tensile strength. According to Cerulean, the Orion requires only a few minutes to configure and perform the test. The instrument is equipped with an intuitive user interface that provides key information, graphical representation of process capability and stores the data in a network accessible SQL database. A powerful vision system takes images of both sides of every pouch that are used to measure the pouch dimensions, seams width and longitudinal seam position.

    The Orion test station reduces the number of operators per line and provides fast, consistent and repeatable users’ independent testing process with real time visualization of the test results, configurable report generators and readily available connectivity to LIMS and MES systems.

    According to Cerulean, the Orion saves operator time and improves quality through independent, fast, consistent and repeatable testing of pouches. With a real time visualization of test results and configurable report generation, the Cerulean test station guarantees that the production process is always in control.

  • Surge Pioneers Ultrasonic Technology

    Surge Pioneers Ultrasonic Technology

    Photo: Surge Vapor

    Surge Vapor has introduced new ultrasonic technology to improve the vaping experience.

    Typical vaping devices use a coil made of resistance wire. The wire is heated with an electrical current, turning e-liquid into vapor. Due to the heating process, traditional coils need to be replaced frequently and can produce unpleasant “dry hits” or burnt flavors.

    To address this problem, the Surge engineering team developed an ultrasonic vaping chip. Vibrates 3 million times per second, the chip splits e-liquid into a cloud of vapor without using a traditional heating wire.

    Ultrasonic heating creates smaller vapor particles, delivering nicotine content more efficiently for increased satisfaction, according to Surge vapor. Since no wires are heated to produce vapor, “dry hits” and burnt flavors are eliminated from the vaping experience. Additionally, the lower working temperature of the ultrasonic process reduces potential toxin emission and maintains the chemical stability of the e-liquid.

    Surge Vapor’s first device was created for new vapers, with a lightweight design, automatic draw activation and pre-filled ultrasonic pods. The device features six flavors, which have been specifically developed to pair with ultrasonic technology.

    “Our mission was to create new vaping technology, which advances tobacco harm reduction and maximizes satisfaction,” the company wrote in a statement. “After years of research and development, this is now a reality. We are excited for vapers around the world to experience the next generation of vaping with Surge.”

  • Riot Labs Launches Carbon-Negative Disposable Vaporizer

    Riot Labs Launches Carbon-Negative Disposable Vaporizer

    Image: Riot Labs

    E-liquids producer Riot Labs claims to have launched the world’s first carbon negative disposable vaporizer, QBAR.

    Available in U.K. stores and online from Jan. 11, the compact device is Riot Lab’s first disposable product. The product will be available in several U.K.-manufactured flavors and three nicotine strengths. Each device offers 550 puffs—equivalent of 30 cigarettes—before requiring disposal.

    “The launch of QBAR, our first venture into disposables, and our new brand campaign, is all geared up to changing the status quo on smoking cessation, and continue to deliver on our mission to help people quit smoking,” said Ben Johnson, who founded Riot Labs in 2016.

    QBAR is made from three elements that are all 100 percent recyclable. The outer casing is made from PLA plastic cornstarch, which is decomposable, but will be recycled into clothing, vinyl records and material for 3D printing. The 420 MAH A battery will be being reused in future devices and other electronic devices. The mouthpiece, which contains the liquid, will be incinerated power going into the national grid

    Riot Labs is also launching a Riot Recycle program to make it simple for stores and customers to recycle their devices, of. Consumers can drop their QBARs off at Riot Recycling Bins in specialist stores for dismantling and recycling.

     Ambitiously aiming for Zero Waste, Riot Labs also plans to work with stores to track how much waste each has saved so they can continue to optimize and find ways to achieve further reductions.

    “From day one, it’s been our mission to help people quit smoking for good, through creating products that are better for people, and better for the planet,” said Johnson.

     “Everywhere you look, companies are making efforts to be greener but that isn’t happening fast enough in the vape sector. We’re proud to lead the way with the first carbon negative disposable device—with its unique benefits we believe it will make a big impact on people’s smoking cessation journeys.”

  • New Voopoo Kit Celebrates Knights

    New Voopoo Kit Celebrates Knights

    Image: Voopoo

    Voopoo has announced the international launch of the Drag S/X PnP-X Kit. The product features a comprehensive technical upgrade on the basis of Drag S/X and pays tribute to medieval knights.

    Drag S/X PnP-X Kit is available in five colors—Shield Gold, Knight Red, Knight Chestnut, Dragon Knight, Eagle Black and Knight Gray.

    The metal materials and knob-filling function on the top of the device have been upgraded, and the 510 drip tip can be replaced at any time. It is anti-leakage, more convenient and more flexible, according to Voopoo.

    The knight series products also come with an “infinite airflow system” that supports the adjustment of any airway. It is equipped with a powerful GENE.TT chip, and adjustable power ranging from 5-60/80w. The product can be started in 0.001 second.