Category: Technology

Borgwaldt KC Presents New Vaping Machine

Photo: Borgwaldt KC
Borgwaldt KC has launched the NGX10, a 10-port linear vaping machine for next-generation products.
Exceeding ISO 20768 and CRM 81 specifications with gas analyzer options to match the specifics of these products, the NGX10 is a new, professional, flexible, efficient and reliable member of Borgwaldt KC’s well-known analytical vaping machines.
The NGX10 incorporates all the design and feature improvements specific to the emission testing of next-generation products.
The machine can handle all device sizes and shapes. For more information, visit www.borgwaldt.com.
March 18, 2021
Cerulean Offers Aerosol Measurement
Cerulean has launched a new stand-alone Aerosol Temperature Measurement System (ATMS), the company announced on its website.
The ATMS is designed for research and quality assurance applications to measure the temperature of aerosol generated from e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products.
The ATMS monitors and records aerosol temperature on a puff-by-puff basis in real time and is available in multiholder configurations of one, four, five, eight, 10 and 20 channels.
Comprising a supplied portable computer with an intuitive user interface and ISO-compliant Cambridge Filter Holders, the ATMS can be fitted to any vaping machine and will record and display in real time the aerosol temperate during the experiment.
March 10, 2021
Recon Reconsidered

Photos: Hauni
Garbuio has developed a new process for making reconstituted leaf tobacco.
By Stefanie Rossel
With the advent of heated-tobacco products (HTPs), reconstituted tobacco leaf (RTL) experienced a renaissance. The consumables of HTPs require a dedicated form of recon, custom-made from carefully blended tobacco leaves. Invented in the 1950s to save the valuable raw material by combining remnants of virgin tobacco during production, recon is today used in the tobacco blend to reduce the filling cost for cigarettes, cigars or of pipe and smoking tobacco blends. It also plays an essential role in cigarette blend design. Enriched with cloves for kretek cigarettes or containing hemp components, RTL even allows for the creation of completely new products.
There are several methods to produce reconstituted tobacco. Next to the paper-making technique, there is the nano fiber technology and a process called band cast, which is also known as slurry-type recon. All recon types can be used in HTP consumables. Paper recon and slurry recon are currently the most widely used forms but require much space and energy to produce, while taste, drying and tensile strength can present challenges.
Now Garbuio, an Italian specialist in primary machinery and part of the Hauni Group, has developed an alternative technology. The company has designed a recon plant that works with what it calls the tobacco dust amalgamation (TDA) process, an evolution of the slurry technology. The raw material, which can be tobacco, hemp or clove, is first ground to a powder. Moist components, including glycerin, water and binder, are then added to produce a dough, and cellulose microfibers are added to stabilize the tobacco foil.

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Alexander Dzingel
The latter ingredient is not used in the slurry process. Instead of spreading the thick mass on a metal belt conveyor as would happen during slurry making, it is taken into an extruder where it is pressed into pellets that are transferred into a rolling mill. Under high pressure, rollers flatten it into an even paste before it is dried. “Through this process, we get a tobacco foil with uniform and controlled thickness, which cannot be achieved with the slurry method,” explains Alexander Dzingel, product consultant HTP at Hauni. “Roller spacing can be adjusted exactly. In the future, the main application of recon will be in HTP, for which the accuracy and constancy of material thickness will be decisive. This guarantees consistency in downstream processes and helps to ensure that important product specifications, such as nicotine content, are always within the specified range.”
If used for HTP or wrapping cigars, the rolled recon sheet is wound on a bobbin. Optionally it can be cut into flakes if intended as an add-back for the primary.

Garbuio’s tobacco dust amalgamation technology retains more flavor and uses less water.
Pilot plant for testing
There are a number of other advantages to the TDA process: In contrast to the paper-making and slurry technologies, in which the raw material has a water content of up to 95 percent and 60 percent to 70 percent, respectively, the TDA technology needs little water. The dough contains only 20 percent to 40 percent moisture. As a consequence, the drying process of the mass is significantly reduced—Garbuio’s recon plant works with a dryer instead of a long drying line; preheating processes are unnecessary. Water and energy consumption are hence considerably lower than in other recon technologies, and the plant has a much smaller footprint.
“As the paste dries much faster, there is a much better retention of nicotine and flavor in the material,” says Dzingel. “In other, more water-consuming processes, flavors that one would actually prefer to keep in the recon are partly lost during the long drying phase. Besides, the TDA process uses fewer binders, which reduces their unpleasant influence on flavor during combustion.”
The TDA process provides manufacturers with the option to produce recon in-house instead of buying it from specialized suppliers.
Garbuio has set up a TDA pilot plant at Hauni’s Hamburg-Bergedorf site, which customers can use to try out new products from various starting materials and manufacture mini-batches for test markets. “Our clients are very interested in the plant—we have had a lot of testing by leading cigarette manufacturers since the line was installed in late 2019,” says Dzingel. “In November, we sold a pilot plant to a customer who sees a lot of potential in producing recon in-house with substantially reduced energy consumption.”

The new plant has a much smaller footprint than that of previous facilities.
Specializing in HTP equipment
Allowing for a material width of up to 300 mm and an output of up to 40 kg per hour, the pilot has been designed for small production volumes (the typical industrial bandwidth would be around 1,000 mm). Capacity, however, can be expanded at any time and adapted to the needs of the location, the company says, so manufacturers can react quickly to changes in the market. Investment and production costs per kg, complexity and energy consumption as well as plant size remain low compared to the paper or cast sheet processes, Hauni claims, whereas filling power is medium to high and flavor excellent.
To further process the tobacco foil produced with TDA technology, Garbuio recommends a special cutting and rod making process, such as in Hauni’s Strip Cut Maker (SCM). It takes the recon sheet off the bobbin and cuts it into long, identical narrow strips with a width of 1 mm at a speed of 200 m per minute and turns it into rods for further combining of the final product.
“This is important for the construction of the HTP device,” says Dzingel. “The different models come with their own challenges. Some systems heat the consumable from the outside, which makes insertion or removal of the consumable easier and cleaner, since the tobacco does not need to be pushed onto a heating element. However, the tobacco needs to be heated through the paper, the smoldering temperature of which lies under the vaporization temperature of nicotine.
“Other systems use an element that heats the tobacco from the center of the rod. Inserting or removing this heating element can be difficult if the base rods are made purely from unstructured, cut tobacco. “The SCM 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.”

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Hauni is also working on a cross-cut process for its TDA recon, meaning the narrow strips are cut in shorter segments. “By cross-cutting the tobacco foil, you can influence the orientation of the fibers so that they are as parallel as necessary but still a bit more randomly oriented so that they have more filling power,” says Dzingel. The shorter strips can be processed in a way that has more similarity with cigarette making.
The TDA recon plant is only one element in a full range of equipment the company has developed for HTP, ranging 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.”
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.

February 1, 2021
Warning Against Loose ‘18650’ Batteries

Photo: Trodler – Dreamstime.com
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned that consumers should not buy or use loose 18650 lithium-ion battery cells due to a possible fire and even death risk. The batteries are commonly used in flashlights and toys and some vapor products.
The commission said it is working with e-commerce to remove listings of loose or repackaged “18650 lithium-ion” batteries, according to a press release. A superior court in California recently denied a request by Samsung to dismiss a lawsuit about an exploding e-cigarette lithium-ion batteries.
The CPSC warning is about batteries separated from cells that use multiple 18650s such as battery packs for electric automobiles.
“These cells are manufactured as industrial component parts of battery packs and are not intended for individual sale to consumers. However, they are being separated, rewrapped and sold as new consumer batteries, typically on the Internet,” the CPSC said in a statement on Saturday. “Specifically these battery cells may have exposed metal positive and negative terminals that can short-circuit when they come into contact with metal objects such as keys or loose change in a pocket.”
Once shorted, loose cells could overheat and experience thermal runaway, igniting the cell’s internal materials and forcibly expelling burning contents, resulting in fires, explosions, serious injuries and even death.
“Unfortunately a growing number of small consumer products such as vaping devices, personal fans, headlamps and some toys are using loose 18650s as a power source,” the CPSC stated in its release.
January 12, 2021
Essentra Launches Biodegradable Filters

Image: Essentra
Essentra Filters has launched three new proprietary products—ECO Cavitec, ECO Sensation, and ECO Cavitec Sensation, delivering a plastic-free, 100 percent biodegradable alternative while maintaining the unique sensorial attributes, performance and quality characteristic of Essentra Filters.
“Although recent trends have brought the topics of single-use plastics and sustainability to the forefront of the conversations, Essentra Filters has always been committed towards a sustainable future,” says Seng Keong Low, global marketing manager at Essentra Filters.
“We have continuously been innovating new, high quality, eco-friendly products, with existing offerings such as our paper-cellulose acetate mix Bitech Filter to single-segment paper filters such as Myria and Ochre Filters. In the latest step of our sustainability evolution, our new ECO Cavitec, ECO Sensation and ECO Cavitec Sensation filters offer a plastic-free, 100 percent biodegradable alternative with unique sensorial attributes and quality performance, a true revolution in filters technology.”
The ECO Cavitec Filter is a proprietary, patent-filed, eco-friendly filter with unique sensorial attributes, reducing the efficiency of a typical paper filter to allow for a fuller flavor delivery. Manufactured using Essentra’s market Cavitec technology, the design is customizable and can be combined with any other segments, in addition to customization for the size, cavity length, number of cavities, pressure drop and constructed material, i.e. paper or other nonwoven materials.
The ECO Sensation Filter is a proprietary, eco-friendly filter option to engage the consumer with his or her senses. A capsule is embedded in the paper material during manufacturing and can be crushed at any point, giving consumers control of their taste experience. In addition to customization of capsule type, cavity size, or use of colored plugwraps, ECO Sensation Filter can be manufactured using different paper types, combined with other end segments, or make use of Essentra’s Infused technology to achieve additional sensory benefits.
A proprietary patent filed filter, ECO Cavitec Sensation is an eco-friendly filter with three unique sensorial attributes, combining the properties of non-woven materials with the Essentra’s Cavitec technology. As the capsule is free to move within the cavity, consumers can hear the capsule rattle within the cavity while feeling the vibration through the fingers.
The capsule can be crushed at any time, providing consumers flavor on demand. As with all offerings from Essentra Filters, the design of ECO Cavitec Sensation is customizable and can be manufactured using different paper types, combined with other end segments, or make use of Essentra’s Infused technology, in addition to customisation of capsule type, cavity size, or use of colored plugwraps.

January 7, 2021
NDC Presents New Vision
Photo: NDC Technologies
NDC Technologies, a provider of intelligent, connected measurement and control solutions, has unveiled its new vision, purpose and values statements.

“For over 50 years, NDC Technologies has been a trusted partner to manufacturers around the world,” the company wrote in a statement. “We’re truly proud of our rich heritage as a leading provider of precision measurement and control solutions as it reflects the longevity and sustainability of the value we’ve been delivering to the marketplace.
“And we’re excited about our organization’s future because we’re entering the next chapter of NDC Technologies. With this, we’re delighted to announce our new vision, purpose and values statements which will guide our organizational culture and instill an unwavering commitment to better serving our valued customers … while caring for our people and the community.”

The new vision, purpose and values are as follows:
The new vision, purpose and values are as follows:
Vision: intelligence that transforms the world
Purpose: We solve complex problems for producers around the world using analytics and intelligent measurement and control technologies in a scalable, sustainable manner. We are a culture committed to delivering the one thing our customers desire most—peace of mind.
Values: be true, own it and aim high
September 15, 2020
Taat Seeks Patent Protection

Photo: Taat Lifestyle & Wellness
Taat Lifestyle & Wellness has filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the proprietary refinement process of the base material for Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. This process contributes to the tobacco flavor and aroma of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes, which is the product’s hallmark feature as a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to tobacco cigarettes.
“Patents are of incredible importance in this industry because when you consider that the global market for tobacco is worth more than $800 billion, you’re not just protecting years or decades of research and hard work, you’re also protecting the ability to recover your investment and earn a profit,” said Taat CEO Setti Coscarella.
“The company has been on the path to commercialization for just a matter of months, which followed a lengthy period of research and development for Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. As confident as I may be that the truly ‘magic’ parts of this product would be nearly impossible for anyone to duplicate, anybody who has worked in this industry knows that patents can be extremely cost-effective, given how expensive not having a patent can be in some cases.”
To help smokers quit tobacco, Taat has sought to closely replicate the experience of smoking a tobacco cigarette.
September 8, 2020
KT&G Researcher Recognized

KT&G Senior Researcher Kim Ik-jung (Photo: KT&G)
A KT&G researcher has received the Prime Minister Award in recognition of his contribution to industrial development in South Korea.

KT&G Senior Researcher Kim Ik-jung was recognized for his development of a fat-soluble liquid encapsulation technology previously held only by prominent pharmaceutical manufacturers in Japan and Europe, and for securing patent rights in Korea and overseas.

The technology enabled KT&G to localize the production of tobacco capsules, for which it previously relied on imports from Japan. The technology could potentially also be used in other industries, including medicines and foods.

The award was presented June 24 on South Korea’s 55th Invention Day, an event organized by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and hosted by the Korea Invention Promotion Association.
June 30, 2020
Japan Tobacco to Launch Ploom S 2.0

Image: Japan Tobacco
Japan Tobacco (JT) is rolling out its Ploom S 2.0, an upgraded heated-tobacco device specialized for menthol. In addition, JT will launch two new menthol tobacco stick products under the Camel brand—Camel Menthol Red and Camel Menthol Yellow. These products will gradually be available at convenience stores and select tobacco retail stores across Japan beginning July 2, 2020.
Ploom S 2.0 is equipped with a new heating mode that lengthens the duration of the peak heating temperature compared to that of the current Ploom S. According to JT, this allows for a balance among the freshness of menthol, rich vapor and clear tobacco taste.
“The two biggest factors that influence the flavor of T-Vapor products are heating temperature and its duration,” explained Toru Takahashi, vice president of the marketing group product and brand division for reduced-risk products.
“Ploom S 2.0 is capable of tailoring the device to heat the sticks at an optimal temperature and for an optimal duration with respect to the different stages from the first inhalation to the last rather than heating at a steady temperature,” he said. “This is the key to delivering the best flavor in T-Vapor products.”

June 1, 2020
Shunbao Technology Banned From Selling IQOS ‘Knockoff’ in U.K.

Photo: PMI
A London judge has prohibited Shenzhen Shunbao Technology from marketing an alleged “knockoff” of Philip Morris Product’s (PMP) IQOS tobacco heating device in the U.K. because of European design protections.
High Court Judge Anthony Mann granted PMP’s request for default judgment in the case since Shunbao Technology had not participated in the proceedings.
He also granted PMP’s request to extend the intellectual property protections the company currently has for its product under a European Union registered community design so it will remain in effect in the U.K. after Britain leaves the bloc.
The smoking device dispute dates to November 2018 when PMP sued Shunbao Technology for infringement of its registered design.
Phillip Morris filed its claim in the U.K. shortly after discovering the rival company had created a “cheap knockoff” smokeless product called AMO that was already being marketed in China, according to its written arguments to the court.
May 18, 2020