As a major global producer and consumer of tobacco , China's tobacco industry is facing increasingly fierce competition. Cigarette products are moving towards premiumization, and brand concentration is constantly increasing. In particular, the rapid changes in the consumer market have led to a proliferation of cigarettes with different packaging, styles, and price points . Therefore, cigarette factories must meet the diverse demands of orders, and the logistics throughout the cigarette production process presents a series of new challenges.
High-efficiency flow
From tobacco processing to core processes such as tobacco leaf processing, cigarette rolling, filter tip assembly, and carton packaging, only highly automated logistics technologies and equipment, integrating the process modes of each link, can meet the production speed of tens of thousands of cigarettes per minute in all aspects of production logistics, storage logistics, process logistics, packaging logistics, and recycling logistics throughout the entire cigarette production process.
As a leading domestic supplier of filter rod forming and auxiliary logistics equipment, a certain tobacco machinery manufacturer has been committed to providing complete system-level solutions for cigarette manufacturers for decades. In the core logistics sorting equipment, accurately tracking the operating status of the packaging equipment and achieving efficient speed control of the cigarette feedstock to meet the needs of high-speed and flexible cigarette production has always been the value that this tobacco machinery manufacturer strives to bring to manufacturers.
Whether it's high-speed cigarette making and packaging connection equipment or long-distance conveying devices, they must be able to transport the cigarettes produced by the cigarette making unit neatly, smoothly, and intact to the packaging unit. They must also be able to control and adjust the cigarette conveying flow in a timely manner according to the working conditions of the cigarette making and packaging units, so that the cigarette making and packaging units are coordinated and matched to achieve the best working state. When the production speeds of the packaging machine and the carton sealing machine are not matched, the conveying equipment can automatically store or replenish the cartons, reduce the mutual constraints between upstream and downstream machines, improve the effective operating rate of the entire production line, and reduce the labor intensity of operators.
To drive and control cigarette logistics sorting equipment and conveyor lines that are tens or even hundreds of meters long, distributed motion control based on bus communication is often required for each conveying and sorting processing module. This means that a large number of efficient, reliable, and easy-to-use I /O modules are needed to form the key nodes of this overall control.
The Secret of "Connection"
Weidmüller electrical connection experts are helping this manufacturer of auxiliary logistics equipment solve a range of electrical connection challenges within control cabinets.
From the design phase, the smoke machine manufacturer found that to meet the needs of the production site, the control cabinet space had to be compact and reasonable. Weidmüller's u-remote I/O , with its ultra-thin design, has a module width of only 11.5 mm and reduces the use of power supply modules. These features save a lot of cabinet space and provide extremely flexible cabinet layout options.
Due to the significant workload involved in wiring and commissioning, the equipment manufacturer has high requirements for efficient wiring design and quick commissioning of the I /O system. Compared to other connectors on the market with two or more rows of distributed structures, Weidmüller u-remote 's single-row distributed structure is clearer and easier to identify, effectively preventing incorrect wiring and allowing for quick fault location during maintenance. The ease of wiring is further enhanced by u-remote 's direct-plug connection technology , which accurately connects pre-assembled cables to sensors and actuators.
The web server integrated into the u-remote bus interface module enables local or remote debugging . This means that whether it's remote diagnostics or simulating input and forcing output values on-site, u-remote requires no dedicated software; a standard browser is sufficient to log in to the interface module. Even if equipment malfunctions during cigarette production, the equipment manufacturer can remotely assist customers with diagnosis and maintenance.
Furthermore, based on the overall system requirements, Weidmüller experts provided the equipment vendor with a complete cabinet solution, including u-remote IO , IES10 series switches, PROmax power supplies, and RJ45 network connectors, which addressed the equipment requirements while reducing the overall equipment cost.
Efficient logistics is the cornerstone of tobacco production to meet ever-changing market demands, and behind this efficient flow lies Weidmüller's secret of efficient, reliable, accurate, and convenient "connectivity."
