The birth of a carton of cigarettes: the whole process from tobacco in the field to cigarette boxes on the market

Tobacco planting of a carton of cigarettes: the starting point of everything

The life of a box of cigarettes begins with a tiny tobacco seed.

Choosing high-quality tobacco varieties

Different types of tobacco determine the flavor basis of cigarettes. The mainstream types include Virginia, Burley and Oriental. Each type of tobacco has different sugar, nicotine and aroma performance. Before planting, you need to choose seeds that match the product positioning.

Sowing and seedling raising

Sowing is mostly done in spring, using greenhouse seedling raising. In order to ensure the emergence rate, the seedling bed environment needs to be kept warm and humid to prevent bacterial infection.

Field management of a carton of cigarettes

After the seedlings are transplanted, they need to go through weeding, fertilization, irrigation and other management processes. Tobacco is a crop that is extremely sensitive to the growth environment. Water and soil nutrients must be accurately controlled to ensure the quality of tobacco leaves.

Pest and disease control

Tobacco is susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases, such as aphids and bacterial wilt. Agricultural technicians need to patrol the fields regularly for monitoring and use green prevention and control methods to reduce pesticide residues.

Tobacco leaf processing of a carton of cigarettes: from green to golden

When tobacco matures, it enters the post-processing process to lay the foundation for the taste of cigarettes.

Manual picking of a carton

The tobacco leaves must be picked in batches, and harvested from bottom to top according to the maturity of the leaves to ensure consistent quality.

Sun drying and fermentation

The picked tobacco leaves need to be naturally dried in a ventilated environment or dried in a drying room with controlled temperature. Fermentation is then carried out to remove odors and improve mellowness.

Grading and slicing

The dried and fermented tobacco leaves are graded according to standards such as color, texture, and size, and cut into suitable sizes for use. They can also be pickled to further control the flavor.

Tobacco production of a carton of cigarettes: creating core flavor

Tobacco is the core content of cigarettes. How to handle tobacco leaves determines the smoking experience of each cigarette.

Baking and peeling

The selected tobacco leaves will be baked again at high temperature to remove excess moisture and make them easier to cut. Then the leaves will be peeled to separate the main veins and the leaf body.

Cutting into shreds

Special equipment cuts tobacco leaves into shreds of uniform width and moderate length to facilitate uniform filling in cigarette paper and improve combustion and draw resistance control capabilities.

Flavor blending

Perfumers will add specific proportions of natural or synthetic flavors, such as honey, fruity wood, mint, etc. according to the brand style to form a unique flavor formula.

Papermaking of a carton of cigarettes: Craftsmanship in thinness

Many people tend to overlook the role of cigarette paper in cigarettes. In fact, the quality of a piece of cigarette paper will directly affect the burning speed and taste purity of cigarettes.

Raw material selection and pulping

Cigarette paper is usually made of a mixture of natural fibers such as flax, hemp fiber, and sugarcane bagasse. The raw materials are beaten into fine and uniform pulp by a pulping machine.

Pulp forming

The pulp is laid into sheets by a papermaking machine, and combustion aids or flame-retardant lines are added to control the combustion performance. Some high-end cigarette papers also have an automatic extinguishing function to enhance safety.

Drying and finishing

After drying, the paper is calendered to improve flatness, and finally cut into cigarette-suitable sizes and surface moisture-resistant treatment is performed.

Cigarette production of a carton of cigarettes: a combination of precision and speed

Cigarette production is an efficient industrial performance that can produce thousands of cigarettes per minute.

Making cigarette sticks

The tobacco is filled into cigarette paper through a device, compressed and rolled into a cigarette strip (i.e., cigarette stick), and the cigarette holder is attached to one end.

Cutting and shaping

The cigarette sticks are precisely cut into uniform lengths, with dimensional errors controlled at the micron level to ensure that each cigarette has a consistent taste.

Boxing and packaging

After cutting, the cigarettes enter the boxing system and are arranged in boxes of 10 or 20. After boxing, they are sealed with plastic and coded to complete the final appearance

Quality inspection and packaging of a carton of cigarettes: the last barrier to quality

Before each box of cigarettes is put on the market, it must go through a strict inspection process.

Quantitative weighing

The system will randomly check whether the total weight and tobacco content of each box of cigarettes meet the standards.

Visual inspection

Use image recognition technology to detect whether the color of cigarettes is consistent and whether the packaging has defects.

Finished product storage

Qualified products are packed and sealed by conveyor belts and stored in the warehouse waiting for shipment

Market sales: the last leg to consumers

After cigarettes leave the factory, how to quickly reach the market is also critical.

Shipping and distribution

Delivered to major supermarkets, convenience stores and tobacco monopoly outlets across the country through the tobacco monopoly system.

Brand promotion

Brands promote their products in the market through sponsoring events and launching limited edition packaging, but they are also subject to legal controls, especially restrictions on tobacco advertising.

Channels and feedback

Each sales link has a tracking mechanism to facilitate product recalls, consumer feedback collection and market analysis