The UK’s second largest cigar manufacturer, Imperial Tobacco, has chosen FlexLink as their main supplier for secondary handling. Imperial have installed mass flow systems for automation  of a part of their secondary production process at their state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol. The newly installed solutions handling the cigars during the pressing, drying and wrapping stage have increased efficiency and handle up to 250 million cigars a year. “We initially installed a relatively simple mass flow line in 1997 to eliminate the manual transfer of the cigars during the drying process”, explains Stephen Green, Engineering Manager at Imperial Tobacco. 

Reducing work from days to hours 
“The mass flow line drastically reduced work in progress – from days to hours. Due to the success of this we have continued to work with FlexLink to produce tailor-made systems that have significantly increased the speed of the flow process.” The entire process, from raw filler production, rod making, over rolling, pressing, drying, individual wrapping and packaging, is carried out at the Bristol plant. They produce the market leading brands Classic, Classic Small, Panama, King Edward Coronets and Castella for the UK, duty-free, and travel markets. 

Turnkey solutions 
The FlexLink systems handle the product through the drying stage and rotate the cigars to ensure correct orientation. They are then elevated to a higher level where the product is stored in a reservoir. This act as a buffer if a problem should occur between the pressing and drying stage. The product is then taken down spiral drops and re-orientated ready for drying. Both the elevators and the combiners are designed for easy access to the product and feature clear doors and opening panels. 

Since the installation, Imperial can now boast a state-of-the-art factory facility that has not only radically improved efficiency but also attracted the attention of key global players in the cigar manufacturing industry. 

No maintenance
 “We haven't had to carry out any maintenance on the FlexLink Ticon equipment since the installation”, comments Stephen Green. “When FlexLink Systems recently acquired Ticon we saw this as a very positive move. We now have the confidence of specifying FlexLink as one of our preferred suppliers for secondary handling requirements. We know we have a quality, global supplier that supports us locally.” 

An excellent example 
“This is an excellent example of how we work closely with our customers to provide a global service on a local basis”, explains Clive Wright, Business Development Manager, FlexLink Systems. “We have the expertise and international presence to deliver systems to our customers in every industrialized country. We understand the importance of a reliable supplier that provide products and service anywhere in the world.”