Primary Processing
Makepak and our partners specialise in the engineering and manufacturing of primary processing equipment (P.M.D) machines in the tobacco manufacturing process.
Over the years we have engaged in helping our clients’ source machinery for green leaf threshing (GLT) from around the globe.
Combining industry experience with cost advantages and strategic factory locations has enabled us to achieve a comparative advantage over our competitors.
Primary Products
Primary Processing Lines
Our primary machinery consists of capacity from 2,000 KG/Hr to 5,000 KG/Hr. We supply solutions ranging from piece meal machinery up to complete turn key plants.
Lamina Processing Lines
Machines include bale slicing, conditioning, casing, bulking/blending machines to blend different varieties of tobacco. Machines for classifying/foreign metal separation, heavies and dust separation are included as well as bypassing of smalls from cutters, cutting, metered feeding, expansion tunnel, drying, cooling, top flavouring etc.
Stem Processing Lines
Product lines consisting of stem washing, conditioning in a 3 compartment cylinder, bulking silos, flattening, cutting, even feeding to stem expansion & drying unit and tower separator systems.
Add Back Lines
Adding back the expanded stems to the cut lamina between dryer and cooler in the lamina line is among the primary purpose of this machinery group.
Equipment and Processes
Click on any small image below to enlarge.
Bale loading & Slicing
The Tobacco manufacturing process begins with loading tobacco bales onto conveyors for bale slicing. It is an automatic operation and the thickness of the slice can be adjusted as per requirement.
Conditioning and casing can be done in one cylinder. At this stage of processing lamina is dry & can easily break into small particles therefore it is conditioned till the right moisture and temperatures are achieved, it also opens and separates the leaves. Tobacco leaves are opened by blowing hot air into the cylinder for effective conditioning.
The underlying design principle is to ensure that the tobacco is open before it comes in contact with casing spray. Casing is applied onto the product as it cascades through the cylinder with high quality steam atomized nozzles, made to ensure complete casing on the product.
Lamina is then conveyed in to the blending silo commonly called bins. The design varies according to the plant capacity.The purpose of these silos is to blend the different verities of tobaccos while letting the casing, be absorbed properly in the tobacco.
Material is then carried through pneumatic separators for classifying dust & heavies.
Cutters
There are many different kind of cutter we offer according to customer requirements.
Even Feeding
Tobacco is fed through double band auto feeds, with a gravity feed pipe on to a metering band conveyor for even feeding of tobacco.
Stem Add-back auto feeds are used to feed the expanded stem on the lamina conveyor to mix with cut lamina to requirement of the blend.
Dryers
A Lamina dryer is used to remove green moisture and dry the tobacco to a required uniform moisture content. Hot air and moisture is exhausted through fans. Different design & capacity of dryers are available for client needs.
Cooling Cylinder & Top Flavouring
In the cooling cylinder tobacco is cooled down to required temperature. At the end of the cylinder, top flavouring can be applied by high quality spray nozzles to achieve the optimal flavouring of tobacco.
Our conditioners have several longitudinal paddles that run the full length of the cylinder and are equipped with a central perforated beam for steam application. Having numerous sprays along the length of the central pipe, allows us to optimize the conditioning, to suit all stem grades.
The steam/water application combined with the gentle rotation of the cylinder and the light volumetric loading of the machine provides the best Stem conditioning possible, with every piece of Stem coming into contact with the conditioning gasses.
Stem Flatteners consist of two hardened rollers separated by a small adjustable gap that determines the thickness of the resulting flattened stems.
Stem flatteners have special feed and discharge vibratory conveyors for stems to be evenly flattened.
Stem Expansion and Drying
The process gas is heated using an indirect heat exchanger of tubular construction, in turn heated by a gas/oil fired burner. After the product has been dried/expanded it is discharged through a, cyclone allowing the product to be handled gently at the discharge.
Tower Separators separate the heavies. Expanded product is fed into Add back systems while heavies are collected for recycling.
Inter-connecting belt conveyors, vibratory conveyors and sieve conveyors are designed and manufactured according to layout requirements.
Belt Conveyors
Different dimensions in belt conveyors are on offer.
Vibratory Conveyors
A serrated trough flexibly supported and vibrated at relatively high frequency and small amplitude to convey tobacco. Tobacco being conveyed moves in a series of gentle pitches and catches that blend to produce continuous uniform flow. Materials can be moved downward, horizontally, or up wards to a certain degree.
Sieving Conveyors are used in tobacco processing lines for smalls and dust separation.
Mission Statement
Makepak International Ltd continues to provide competitively priced and innovative solutions in our product offering aimed at existing players or new entrants in the Tobacco industry.
Keeping in mind the diverse requirements of our global client base Makepak targets a multi-cultural approach in its collaborations and projects worldwide.