Molins Tobacco Machinery, one of the world's largest manufacturers of tobacco machinery and handling systems, developed the Concord spiral conveyor to handle up to 175 000 cigarettes. The direct link handling system between high-speed making and packing machines was partly created by FlexLink Systems, using 100 metres of FlexLink polyester chain and other FlexLink components.

Overhead spiral conveyor and reservoir 
As an overhead spiral conveyor and reservoir it performs a storage and supply function between cigarette making and packaging machines. Concord incorporates a number of feature designs to improve product handling at throughput speeds up to 16 000 cigarettes per minute. 

• Minor maker/packer speed imbalances, up to 3 000 cigarettes per minute are accommodated from within a buffer area, without continuous operation of the main reservoir. 
  
• In-line, buffer arrangement: avoids the need for additional mass-flow junctions. Provides continuous flow through the buffer, so avoiding stagnant product areas. 
  
• Controlled conveyor acceleration and deceleration rates improve product handling within the main reservoir.     

Unique conveyor technology
The normal spiral conveyor consists of six tiers and is also available in four or eight tier versions. The six-tier machine has a capacity of 130,000 rods and contains 100 metres of XL FlexLink polyester chain. "We produced a special polyester chain for this machine, says David Barnes, Technical Sales Engineer, and the person responsible for the contact with Molins. "The normal acetal resin is not acceptable to the tobacco industry. We also produced a special beam section, which incorporates rounded internal profile to reduce tobacco dust entrapment and settlement. Half beam sections with beam connectors are used throughout to permit tobacco dust to fall through." 

Automatic elimination of slack 
"Friction drive and the need to reverse direction necessitates virtual elimination of slack in the conveyor", says David Barnes. This is achieved automatically using a pulsed pneumatic slack eliminator device. 600 m of slack can be taken up by the automatic system before conveyor links have to be removed.