Tobacco Asia

48 tobaccoasia Issue 3, 2023 May / June The MLP Range (Source: Micro Laser Technology GmbH) Model MLP10 MLP50 MLP50 TWIN MLP-M Main Application Offline perforation of tipping paper Offline perforation of tipping paper Offline perforation of tipping paper Online perforation of cigarettes Key Tech Specs • Typically single bobbin operation • For small production volumes and test batches • Laser power 200W up to 1,000W • 8 perforation rows • For medium and large production batches • Laser power 1,000W up to 4000W • Up to 20 perforation rows • Multiple bobbin operation with automated slicing into single bobbins • For large production volumes • Laser power 4,000W up to 8,000W • Up to 40 perforation rows • Multiple bobbin operation with automated slicing into single bobbins • Used inside cigarette makers and lab machines • Typically equipped with super-pulse lasers, offering a peak power of over 1,000W • Capacity up to 8,000+ cigarettes/minute and per module • Several optional MLT modules for new tobacco products available The HGLaser workstation. Credit: HGlaser.com The MLP-50 TWIN. in the proprietary software for later retrieval and re-deployment. From there onward, the system controls everything automatically. The MLP10 to MLP50 TWIN systems are capable of punching up to 700 meters of tipping paper per minute, applying up to one million holes per second. The Chinese Pioneer: HGLaser In China, HGLaser, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wuhan-based high-tech giant HGTech, is considered the pioneer of industrial laser applications there, providing solutions for a wide variety of manufacturing sectors, including tobacco and vape. The company developed its first high-powered laser equip- ment as far back as 1971 and today maintains more than 30 sales and service centers around the globe. The firm has had major influence over establishing CO2 laser perforation for tipping papers. But the advent of vape and – a little later still – heated tobacco products (HTP) prompted HGLaser to also turn its attention to these product categories. In 2022, the Chinese outfit introduced the world's first hollow tube laser perforation workstation for the HTP manufacturing process. With very few exceptions, heated tobacco devices make use of a cartridge (often also called a "stick" or "heat stick") that contains the tobacco charge. As this to- bacco is only heated just below combustion point in order to release its vapor, an important component of a cartridge is an interior hollow tube, which acts as a cooling aid. To achieve the effect, the tube is perforated with tiny holes to allow for air ventilation. Additionally, circulating air helps to better diffuse the tobacco vapor and supposedly reduces the user's tar intake, achieving an improved HNB experience. The size, shape, and accuracy of the perfo- ration can be fully controlled and adjusted from the intelligent HGLaser workstation. In principle, hollow tube perforation in the HNB process is of course not markedly different from punching ciga- rette tipping paper. The HGLaser equipment thus also can be adapted for precisely that purpose. An- other application area is e-cigarette diaphragm per- foration. HGLaser cites the following benefits and advantages for its highly specialized equipment: • Deployment of a CO2 (carbon dioxide) la- ser source, with power reaching up 1,000W • Completely automated process: feeding, perforating, testing, ejecting • Production efficiency of up to 2,000 units per minute; in the case of tipping paper up to 1,000 meters per minute • Self-controlling, stable performance, en- suring high quality and quantity production even over prolonged production periods. Credit: MLT GmbH

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