Tobacco Asia

Tobacco Asia 51 NiConsult's Tabletop SK 40: r&d without the downtime Swiss firm NiConsult Schweiz AG introduced its Tabletop SK 40 pouch maker, a compact machine designed to solve a com- mon dilemma in nicotine pouch manufacturing: how to conduct r&d without halting full-scale production. "At NiConsult, we manufacture our own range of nicotine pouches, so we speak from our own experience" explained NiConsult's co-founder and c.e.o.. Christoph Huber. "In the past, we had to stop the production line to run small test batches. That's where the idea for a small-batch lab line came from," he told Tobacco Asia. The SK 40 combines ultrasonic and heat sealing in one unit, allowing manufacturers to produce both moist and dry pouches, thanks to its dual hopper system. "You don't need much space for it," Huber said. "Simply place it in your lab and start developing new pouch products." The machine is particu- larly useful for flavor manufacturers. "They can test how a new pouch flavor fares in an actual pouch," Huber noted. "We've already received inquiries from some flavor companies." Despite its lab-scale design, the SK40 delivers marketable product quality. "The batches it produces can potentially be sold," Huber said. "The quality standard is the same as with a regular filling line." However, the SK 40 is not actually intended for full commercial production, for it requires manual pouch filling and can labelling. But it nevertheless has served as an ini- tial steppingstone for some small-scale producers. "One or two clients started with the SK 40 and later upgraded to full lines," Huber shared. Released in early 2025, the SK 40 is a brand-new offering. "We know what manufacturers want: hassle-free r&d," Chris- toph Huber said. "And this machine delivers exactly that." More at: niconsult.swiss NiConsult's Tabletop SK14 pouch sealer enables small batch r&d. CarryLine's Mikael Ljundberg with the Serie 620, set up in a vertical transport configuration. CarryLine's conveyor systems: pouch can transport Sweden's CarryLine AB, a family-owned conveyor manufactur- er based north of Gothenburg, made its InterTabac debut with conveyor solutions tailored for nicotine pouch cans. "We manu- facture all our components ourselves," project manager Mikael Ljungberg told Tobacco Asia. "Our conveyors range from 24 to 220 millimeters in chain width." The Serie 620 features a 62-millimetre wide chain with optional vertical transport configuration, designed for high- friction grip on steep inclines. "It can lift cans from floor level up to the ceiling— and even up to three floors," Ljungberg ex- plained. "The showcased system includes a divider to reroute product flows into multiple lines." CarryLine's solutions are not limited to nicotine pouches, though. "We also make conveyors for cigarette packs, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and more" Ljungberg said. The company's decision to exhibit at InterSupply was driven by rising international demand. "We were visitors last year and felt this was a good show for us," Ljungberg said. "We started nearly 30 years ago with Swedish snus cans, and thanks to the meteorically rising nicotine pouch demand [this] has more than doubled in the last year alone." With a strong domestic market in Sweden, CarryLine is now looking outward. "We al- ready have all the solutions ready and are a big part of the in- dustry," Ljungberg said. "So it was a natural step to finally also exhibit at InterSupply." More at: carryline.com

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