British American Tobacco is the world’s most international tobacco group; through almost 100 years of operation, they have built a strong international reputation of high quality tobacco brands to meet consumers’ different preferences. The BAT plant in Zevenaar, The Netherlands, produces 33 billion cigarettes on a yearly basis. 

Longer life and less maintenance
Ton Wenting, Project Engineer Factory Technical Services, explains: “The future calls for more flexibility, as we are changing to a specialized product factory; we have some 600-700 product specifications running during the year, which means short runs and small volumes per run. Therefore quick change-over times and multi-functionality in the production area are important issues.”  

When asked about his commitment to FlexLink as a solution provider in the tobacco industry Ton Wenting says: “About 5 years ago, we had a major problem with our existing mass flow reservoir; our main problem was that the chain we used was not strong enough and broke down. That is were FlexLink came in. They offered us an upgrade kit, then we defined what requirements we had and which adjustments had to be made. Together we developed the final version that is in use today.”

BAT now uses a six stack up to 110.000 cigarettes. The chain has high-tension capability, requires less maintenance and thereby prolongs the life of the conveyor system. This particular system functions as a linkage to a machine that inserts and wraps the cigarettes into packs. 

Flexible layout capabilities 
Another advantage of the FlexLink system is its flexibility; no matter the layout or position of the machines, we curve and convey the products from one place to another. The system is very stable, and allows the cigarettes to be conveyed directly on the chain, without having to use additional guiding.

A stable business record
There is no question about what defines a qualified supplier for BAT: “Imperative are a stable business record and an acceptable ROI”, Ton Wenting states without hesitation. The future holds many challenges for BAT that is still expanding at an impressive pace; as mentioned earlier “flexibility” will become increasingly important. Therefore, we will remain focused on developing new solutions together with our partners.