Tobacco packaging and labelling automation
The world of tobacco manufacturing is a highly regulated industry where compliance with stringent standards is essential.
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Plain packaging laws have created a standardised set of requirements for the packaging of tobacco products, while traceability through the supply chain is paramount.
Track and trace has emerged as a pivotal part of the tobacco labelling process, with unique identifiers now a standard requirement. Alongside these traceability and security features, speed and reliability of packaging lines is also essential.
Specialist support from Sewtec Automation
Sewtec Automation invents, designs, manufactures, installs, and supports specialist automation systems for tobacco packaging lines. By automating essential processes, such as the standardised packaging of tobacco, we can significantly enhance the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of your production facility.
As a turnkey automation systems integrator, we can develop complete packaging and labelling lines which significantly improve production rate and quality. As a result, cigarettes and hand rolling products can be efficiently packaged and labelled with the correct product information.
Our in-house expertise enables us to offer you the peace of mind that comes with years of experience working with global blue-chip clients in the tobacco industry. The combination of unrivalled aftersales support and robust service contracts ensures your processes will always perform to their full potential.
Our automation technology can aid compliance with the following regulations governing track and trace in tobacco:
- The European Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU
- The Center for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT) traceability requirements in Russia
- The World Health Organisation’s FCTC protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products
All of our processes are also designed to adhere to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Tobacco packaging automation capabilities
The packaging and labelling of tobacco products play an essential role in communicating general warnings and allowing traceability. Our turnkey approach to automation systems allows us to design and install a solution which meets your specific requirements.
Tobacco legislation states that manufacturers must implement a traceability system which marks all unit packets of tobacco products with a unique code. Our effective tobacco track and trace systems can automate this process at high speed, aiding your compliance.
Our secondary packaging systems are designed to collate pre-packed rolling tobacco or cigarette packets and make them retail-ready. Our secondary packaging lines can pack your products in any one of a range of clear films to ensure mandatory health warnings remain on display.
For the bulk grouping and sale of tobacco products, cartoning can be a key part of the packaging process. Our tobacco cartoning machines can be integrated within your existing lines to boost the speed and accuracy of your process.
Cigarette case packing ensures cartons can be efficiently aggregated into specific customer orders before being despatched. Our range of case packers boosts the accuracy and speed of your aggregation and packing lines to maximise process efficiency.
With cases of cigarettes generally shipped to distribution warehouses on pallets, it is vital that products are accurately packaged in order to be scanned and received. Our palletisers feature automatic dimension adjustment which allows changeovers to be carried out in a matter of minutes.
The unique identifiers and warnings on tobacco products are mandatory through a raft of legislation. Our high-speed tobacco labelling lines ensure your products are correctly labelled with the required warnings and codes prior to despatch to retailers.
To meet mandatory track and trace obligations, our laser coding systems can be integrated into multiple points along your packaging line for seamless application of unique identifiers.
Our in-house team of expert engineers are able to advise on the suitability of your tobacco packaging for process automation. We can help you to develop a product which is Design For Automation (DFA) ready, from individual packets to collated cartons.
Tobacco packaging and labelling case studies
Our in-house capabilities enable us to work in partnership with you on your next pharmaceutical automation project.
Find out more about our experience in developing a range of systems by reading our case study on an automated tobacco packaging machine.