UK: Molins'' New Plug Maker Improves Product Consistency with Brand

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter  08/14/2013

Following the same engineering strategy that produced the Octave cigarette maker, Molins has now developed a new filter making machine called the Forte.

While retaining the familiar layout and footprint of previ-ous machines, the Forte has been completely improved and upgraded, according to Molins, "to set the standard for filter rod production for the future."

New features include a touchscreen control panel that constantly feeds information to the operator and upgraded electronics that facilitate off-site monitoring and diagnos-tic control. The basic machine setting can be stored as a "recipe," and each filter brand can be implemented at the touch of a button.

The new machine also features servo drives to reduce maintenance and eliminate the requirement for change gears. It has an Octave-type bobbin changer with hub braking and "splice-on-the-fly" paper splicing. The redesigned garniture improves filter quality, while a servo-driven paper drive capstan roller greatly improves the machine's efficiency and ability to process porous paper.

The idea for the Forte first arose in June 2012. After evaluating market requirements, Molins' engineers decided to develop a modestly priced, up-to-date filter maker with improved functionality over its predecessor. Their objective was to improve operator functionality, simplify operations, reduce noise and make each setup fully repeatable.

That last goal was especially important to filter manufac-turers because with existing machines, performance relied heavily on individual operator skills and knowledge. Each operator would have his or her own favored settings, making it difficult to replicate the settings from shift to shift—which, in turn, could create undesired variations in product quality.

Molins overcame the mechanical constraints of previous machines by installing independent drives on critical axes, allowing for separate control of each step of the process. In addition, it developed a "recipe" setup, enabling operators to "dial in" the required settings for each product type with one touch on the display interface. By eliminating the need to manually adjust each setting, the Forte will accurately and consistently control the tow web that enables cigarette manufacturers to make each filter rod identical to the previ-ous one—an improvement that will save tobacco companies precious time and materials, and thus money.

In creating the Forte, Molins' engineers tackled the challenges in the same way they did while developing the company's acclaimed Octave cigarette maker. But while the Octave was developed as a complete cigarette-making combination, the Forte was developed with the option of adding a new tow opener: The Forte tow opener is avail-able as an independent machine to upgrade existing filter tow openers, giving the benefits of tow process control and extending the life of older machines.

The Forte continues Molins' quest to build and supply state-of-the-art machines that will produce the best quality in even the harshest of environments. According to the company, all Molins machines feature low maintenance and cost of lifetime ownership, plus the full Molins worldwide support network.Molins says the Forte will appeal to any customer who requires a recipe-driven, cost-effective, flexible and  reliable plug maker. Enditem