Tobacco Analysis

Tobacco NIR gauges

Accurate moisture control has a strategic impact both in Primary and GLT processes: controlling blend moisture is critical to achieving the fastest making speeds and the target in-pack moisture content.

NDC has engineered its gauges and measurement solutions to meet the precise product and performance requirements of the Tobacco Industry.

TM 900 On-Line Guage

Process demands keep changing, but our TM9000 on-line tobacco gauge is your next-generation process optimization solution for measuring measuring moisture, nicotine, total sugars and other key constituents. It is specially engineered for 24/7 duty, helping you to meet product quality demands and efficiency goals. With 25 times more processing power than its predecessor, the TM9000 delivers unparalleled measurement performance while maintaining simplicity and versatility in design and operation. The flexible, future-proof platform harnesses the full power of infrared spectroscopy. The user-friendly format requires no special operator skills or expert knowledge, yet it allows expert users to access the enhanced interaction capabilities as desired.

The TM9000 keeps you ahead with:

  • Evolutionary technology that is flexible, adaptable and scalable to meet your changing needs
  • Enterprise-level intelligence compatible with Industry 4.0
  • Easier operation and maintenance
  • Lower cost of ownership over a long lifetime of operation

The InfraLab e-Series At-Line Tobacco Analyzer provides fast, accurate single or multi-component measurements. The InfraLab, also available in moisture only and multi-component formats makes short work of tobacco analysis. With a 5 second measurement period per sample, InfraLab is the most viable alternative to the gravimetric moisture testing oven, as well as the continuous flow methods for nicotine and total reducing sugars.

Our on-line and at-line tobacco measurement solutions are available for:

  • Tobacco leaf processing
  • Primary tobacco processing
  • Reconsituted sheet tobacco

The InfraLab Tobacco Analyze For at-line measurement

The InfraLab e-Series tobacco analyzer, designed for both at-line and laboratory use, measures samples taken from the process in less than 10 seconds. Available in single- or multi-component formats, InfraLab is able to simultaneously analyze:

  • Moisture
  • Nicotine
  • Total sugars
  • Total volatiles
  • Glycerol
  • Propylene glycol
  • Methanol

For the Following product processing areas

  • Tobacco
  • Whole Leaf in GLT or Primary or Strips
  • Blended Strips (Lamina)
  • Cut Lamina
  • Final Blend
  • WTS Water Treated Stem
  • Rolled Stem
  • Re-dried Stem
  • Expanded Tobacco
  • Roll-Your-Own Tobacco
  • Shorts
  • Pipe Tobacco
  • Cigar Fille

Primary tobacco processing

Primary Tobacco Processing

Continuous Control Over Key Constituents

Primary Processing departments are tasked with delivering a consistent tobacco blend to the secondary department. To achieve this, these three parameters must be controlled:

  • Moisture
  • Fill Value
  • Particle Size

Moisture is the most controllable and Primary Departments need final blend moisture content of +/-0.5% within target.

With the need to measure moisture on the process line, any non-contact instrument must be able to withstand the environmental changes in the process without degrading its moisture value. The TM9000 from NDC Technologies has been developed to achieve optimum measurement accuracy without showing sensitivity to:

  • Ambient lighting
  • Tobacco pass height
  • Ambient temperature and humidity
  • Blend variation

The TM9000 range of on-line instruments, the company’s 9th generation of tobacco analyzers, offers the industry the only no-compromise tobacco moisture measurement from very low moistures right up to 60%. Moreover, the TM9000 is engineered for an industry-best long-term stability making it the most reliable gauge available for tobacco process control.

 

Tobacco GLT/Leaf processing

Leaf processing operations must deliver consistent tobacco grades to their customers. Traditionally moisture content and temperature at the point of packing have driven the processing operations, to maximise yield and avoid any subsequent moisture related problems.

However, these days there are other attributes that are receiving increased attention. We have helped leaf processors monitor Nicotine and Sugars in real time in order to make interventions to keep such parameters within the new, much tighter, specifications imposed by their customers.

  • Moisture or Total Volatiles
  • Nicotine or Total Alkaloids
  • Sugars or Total Reducing Sugars

Tobacco moisture is the most directly and automatically controllable parameter and leaf processors need final moisture content within the specification for each type or grade of tobacco.

With the need to measure moisture on line, any non-contact instrument must be able to withstand the environmental changes in the process without degrading its moisture value. The measurements must also be robust and stable in the longer term.