Tobacco structure regulation process based on grouping processing production

Abstract

The application discloses a tobacco shred structure regulation process based on grouping processing and production, which comprises the steps of material preparation, leaf treatment, leaf shred preparation, blending and flavoring, etc. Based on the process, when the leaf shred preparation and leaf shred drying procedure is carried out, the leaf shred drying is carried out by using a thin plate drying machine for a grouping processing module A, the leaf shred drying is carried out by using an air flow type drying machine for a grouping processing module B, and the tobacco shred structure regulation is not carried out for the grouping processing module A, and the tobacco shred structure regulation is carried out for the grouping processing module B. The test proves that the tobacco shred structure regulation is carried out for the grouping processing module B alone, so that the cigarette density distribution is more uniform, the cigarette density in the production process is more stable, the rejection amount of over-light and over-heavy waste products is the least, the end drop amount of shreds is the lowest, the applicability of tobacco shreds to locomotives is better, and the stability of cigarette quality and the stability of rolling quality can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco processing, and more specifically to a process for controlling the structure of tobacco shreds produced through group processing. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of tobacco processing technology, flexible processing and group processing have gained attention and application from cigarette manufacturers in order to reflect the value and characteristics of tobacco raw materials. Tobacco structure refers to the weight ratio of tobacco shreds of different sizes, and is a key physical indicator of tobacco shreds. It has a significant impact on tobacco filling value, cigarette weight, draw resistance, density, and end-feed weight.

[0003] Regarding the relationship between tobacco structure and cigarette indicators, the industry has conducted some research on slim, medium, short, and regular cigarettes. Because slim cigarettes have a small circumference and short cigarettes have a short length, they contain less tobacco. Therefore, tobacco structure has a significant impact on the physical properties of cigarettes, such as circumference, empty space, and draw resistance. Chu Han et al., by comparing the distribution of tobacco structure of different specifications and conducting regression analysis with cigarette physical indicators, found that appropriately increasing the proportion of 3.35-4.00mm and 1.00-2.50mm tobacco in short cigarettes can improve the physical quality of the cigarettes. Yao Ermin et al., through correlation analysis of tobacco structure and cigarette physical indicators, showed that tobacco structure has a significant impact on the circumference, weight, and hardness deviation of cigarettes. Zhang Wen et al. established a comprehensive characterization method for the stability of tobacco structure distribution based on the principle of similarity, which can be used to evaluate the stability of tobacco size distribution.

[0004] Based on the above research, how to precisely control the structure of tobacco shreds has become a new direction.

[0005] Group processing refers to the simultaneous production of tobacco leaf raw materials through two independent processing modules, namely processing module A and processing module B. After entering the tobacco shredding cabinet, the tobacco is then blended and flavored according to the formula requirements with stems, recycled tobacco, and other ingredients. Due to factors such as the characteristics of the raw materials and the processing intensity of each module, there are certain differences in the tobacco shred structure between module A and module B. These differences in tobacco shred structure not only cause uneven distribution of tobacco shred size but also increase the gaps between tobacco shreds, reduce filling uniformity, change the axial density of the cigarette, and thus affect the stability of the cigarette's physical properties.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a tobacco structure control process based on group processing for cigarette production in order to improve the uniformity of tobacco structure. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the above shortcomings, this invention provides a tobacco shred structure control process based on group processing. This invention combines the rolling process and the characteristics of cigarettes to analyze the tobacco shred structure suitable for cigarette forming. By grouping and controlling the tobacco shred structure through the tobacco processing technology of group processing for cigarette production, the uniformity of the finished tobacco shreds is improved.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows:

[0009] The tobacco structure control process based on group processing includes

[0010] S1 material preparation

[0011] Prepare raw materials according to the leaf group formula requirements and balance them in the raw material formula automated warehouse for more than 48 hours.

[0012] Remove the raw material packaging box, check the quality of the blades and measure them to ensure that each batch of raw materials meets the process formula requirements, and then transfer them to processing module A and processing module B respectively so that they can simultaneously perform the following steps;

[0013] S2 blade treatment

[0014] Adjusting leaf moisture content and temperature, loosening leaves, improving leaf flexibility and processing resistance, removing green and impurities from leaves, and improving the sensory quality of tobacco leaves;

[0015] S21 Slicing process: Cut the leaf into four pieces with three cuts each;

[0016] S22 Vacuum Rehumidification: The blade moisture content is adjusted to 12%-15% and the temperature to 63℃-73℃ by vacuuming, which reduces impurities and improves the blade's workability.

[0017] S23 Loosening and Rehydration: Reduces impurities and irritation, improves leaf texture, and regulates leaf moisture content and temperature.

[0018] Processing module A: Leaf moisture content 18.8%-21.8%, temperature 49.0℃-55.0℃;

[0019] Processing module B: Leaf moisture content 19.0%-22.0%, temperature 52.0℃-58.0℃;

[0020] S24 blade feeding: Apply the liquid material evenly to the blade according to the formula requirements to improve the sensory and physical properties of the blade. Spray the liquid material onto the blade surface after atomization, and keep the liquid material temperature at 40℃-70℃ and adjustable.

[0021] S25 Leaf Preparation and Storage: After feeding, place the leaves in a storage tank to fully absorb the liquid, balance the moisture content and temperature of the leaves, and store the leaves for 5.0h-36.0h.

[0022] S3 Leaf-making Fibers

[0023] The leaves are made into leaf filaments of uniform width according to the set requirements and then dried to remove excess moisture from the leaf filaments and improve their filling capacity.

[0024] S31 hot air leaf warming: warms the leaves, loosens and unfolds them, and adjusts the leaf moisture content to 21.3%-22.3%;

[0025] S32 Leaf Fiber Preparation: Cut the leaf blade into leaf filaments with a width of 1.0±0.1mm;

[0026] S33 Leaf Filament Drying: Removes some of the moisture from the leaf filaments, improving their filling capacity and processing resistance;

[0027] Processing module A: Thin plate drying is used for drying the filaments, with the cylinder wall temperature of the thin plate drying tube being 145℃-153℃;

[0028] Processing Module B: The blades are dried using an airflow drying method with a steam injection rate of 700-900 kg / h and a main process gas temperature of 187℃-197℃.

[0029] During this process, processing module A does not adjust the tobacco structure;

[0030] Processing module B controls the structure of the tobacco shreds. The parameters for controlling the structure of the tobacco shreds are the frequency of the screening motor and the frequency of the shearing motor.

[0031] The adjustment range is 30–50 Hz;

[0032] S4 blended with fragrance

[0033] According to the formula requirements, processing module A, processing module B, stems, and recycled tobacco are mixed and blended in the required proportions. The flavoring liquid is evenly applied to the tobacco and the materials are further mixed evenly.

[0034] S41 blending ratio: The proportion of stems used is 10.0%;

[0035] S42 blended silk with added fragrance: overall fragrance precision ≤ 0.5%, filler value ≥ 4.0cm 3 / g.

[0036] As an improvement to the above technical solution, in step S33, the processing module B adjusts the structure of the tobacco shreds, adjusts the frequency of the screening motor and the frequency of the shearing motor so that the tobacco shreds can be flexibly sifted through the combined action of the moving roller and the pick knife, and the long shreds are transported to the chopping device to be turned into medium and short shreds.

[0037] As an improvement to the above technical solution, step S3 also includes S34 removing the dry head and tail leaf filaments.

[0038] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0039] The present invention relates to a tobacco shred structure control process based on group processing. During the tobacco shred production process, the tobacco shred structure is controlled in processing module B of the group processing according to the characteristics of the raw materials and the different degrees of influence of group processing on the tobacco shreds. The distribution of tobacco shred structure is adjusted by flexible screening and shred breaking. Under the premise of controllable broken shred rate, the proportion of long filaments in tobacco shreds is appropriately reduced, thereby improving the uniformity and density consistency of tobacco shred structure.

[0040] Verification tests show that adjusting the tobacco structure of processing module B alone results in a more uniform distribution of cigarette density, more stable cigarette density during production, minimal rejection of excessively light or heavy products, the lowest amount of end-piece tobacco, and better compatibility between the tobacco and the rolling machine. This effectively improves the stability of cigarette quality and the stability of rolling quality.

[0041] This process takes the suitability of tobacco shreds and the rolling process as its starting point, combines the rolling process and the characteristics of cigarettes, analyzes the structure suitable for cigarette forming, and forms a group processing tobacco shred structure control process, which will provide data and technical support for the suitability of tobacco shreds and the rolling process. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow described in Example 1;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the axial density distribution of the cigarette in Example 3. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] Reference Figure 1 The tobacco shred structure control process based on group processing includes

[0048] S1 material preparation

[0049] Prepare raw materials according to the leaf group formula requirements and balance them in the raw material formula automated warehouse for more than 48 hours.

[0050] Remove the raw material packaging box, check the quality of the blades and measure them to ensure that each batch of raw materials meets the process formula requirements, and then transfer them to processing module A and processing module B respectively so that they can simultaneously perform the following steps;

[0051] S2 blade treatment

[0052] Adjusting leaf moisture content and temperature, loosening leaves, improving leaf flexibility and processing resistance, removing green and impurities from leaves, and improving the sensory quality of tobacco leaves;

[0053] S21 Slicing process: Cut the leaf into four pieces with three cuts each;

[0054] S22 Vacuum Rehumidification: The blade moisture content is adjusted to 12%-15% and the temperature to 63℃-73℃ by vacuuming, which reduces impurities and improves the blade's workability.

[0055] S23 Loosening and Rehydration: Reduces impurities and irritation, improves leaf texture, and regulates leaf moisture content and temperature.

[0056] Processing module A: Leaf moisture content 18.8%-21.8%, temperature 49.0℃-55.0℃;

[0057] Processing module B: Leaf moisture content 19.0%-22.0%, temperature 52.0℃-58.0℃;

[0058] S24 blade feeding: Apply the liquid material evenly to the blade according to the formula requirements to improve the sensory and physical properties of the blade. Spray the liquid material onto the blade surface after atomization, and keep the liquid material temperature at 40℃-70℃ and adjustable.

[0059] S25 Leaf Preparation and Storage: After feeding, place the leaves in a storage tank to fully absorb the liquid, balance the moisture content and temperature of the leaves, and store the leaves for 5.0h-36.0h.

[0060] S3 Leaf-making Fibers

[0061] The leaves are made into leaf filaments of uniform width according to the set requirements and then dried to remove excess moisture from the leaf filaments and improve their filling capacity.

[0062] S31 hot air leaf warming: warms the leaves, loosens and unfolds them, and adjusts the leaf moisture content to 21.3%-22.3%;

[0063] S32 Leaf Fiber Preparation: Cut the leaf blade into leaf filaments with a width of 1.0±0.1mm;

[0064] S33 Leaf Filament Drying: Removes some of the moisture from the leaf filaments, improving their filling capacity and processing resistance;

[0065] Processing Module A: Thin plate drying machine is used to dry the filaments. The cylinder wall temperature of the thin plate drying machine is 145℃-153℃.

[0066] Processing Module B: The blades are dried using an airflow drying machine with a steam injection rate of 700-900 kg / h and a main process gas temperature of 187℃-197℃.

[0067] During this process, processing module A does not adjust the tobacco structure;

[0068] Processing module B adjusts the structure of the tobacco shreds. The parameters for adjusting the structure of the tobacco shreds are a screening motor frequency of 50 Hz and a shearing motor frequency of 50 Hz. Through the combined action of the moving roller and the pick knife, the purpose of flexible rolling screening of the tobacco shreds is achieved, and the long shreds are conveyed to the chopping device to be turned into medium and short shreds.

[0069] S34 removes dry head and tail leaf fibers;

[0070] Dry-head and dry-tail tobacco leaves refer to tobacco leaves with a moisture content of ≤10.0% before and after the start and end of a batch of material production.

[0071] S4 blended with fragrance

[0072] According to the formula requirements, processing module A, processing module B, stems, and recycled tobacco are mixed and blended in the required proportions. The flavoring liquid is evenly applied to the tobacco and the materials are further mixed evenly.

[0073] S41 blending ratio: The proportion of stems used is 10.0%;

[0074] S42 blended silk with added fragrance: overall fragrance precision ≤ 0.5%, filler value ≥ 4.0cm 3 / g.

[0075] Example 2

[0076] Based on the tobacco structure regulation process of the group processing in Example 1, the influence of tobacco structure regulation before and after the regulation was studied.

[0077] 1. Research on the changes in characteristic dimensions of tobacco shreds before and after structural regulation

[0078] In this embodiment, to analyze the degree of influence of tobacco structure regulation on tobacco, four control cases are used to compare and analyze the tobacco structure regulation effects of processing module A and processing module B.

[0079] Group 1: Neither Module A nor Module B performs tobacco structure adjustment;

[0080] Group 2: Module A is regulated, Module B is not regulated;

[0081] Group 3: Module A is not regulated, Module B is regulated;

[0082] Group 4: Both Module A and Module B perform tobacco structure regulation.

[0083] According to Table 1 of the research results, the characteristic dimensions of tobacco shreds in processing module A and processing module B are reduced to some extent by using flexible rolling screening and shredding based on the tobacco shred structure control process. However, the characteristic dimensions of tobacco shreds in processing module B change more significantly after tobacco shred structure control, indicating that the effect of tobacco shred structure control based on this process is more significant in processing module B.

[0084] Table 1. Study on the influence of characteristic dimensions of dried tobacco shreds

[0085]

[0086] 2. Research on the structural changes of tobacco shreds in different processing steps

[0087] Four control groups were compared and processed.

[0088] Through the regulation of tobacco shred structure, the characteristic dimensions and uniformity coefficients of each group from the tobacco storage cabinet, tobacco collection box, tobacco strips and finished tobacco shreds all showed a gradual decreasing trend, indicating that the size distribution of tobacco shreds became more and more dispersed.

[0089] After adjusting the tobacco structure, the proportion of tobacco with a thickness of 5.60mm or more in the storage cabinet was significantly lower than that of the first group without tobacco structure adjustment, while the proportion of tobacco with a thickness of 2.00mm or less in the third and fourth groups was higher.

[0090] In the rolling and finished tobacco products, the fourth group had the lowest proportion of 4.00mm tobacco and the highest proportion of 0.71mm tobacco. The tobacco structure distribution in the second group was not significantly different from that in the first group. The third group had the largest proportion of 4.00mm tobacco in the rolling. It can be seen that the tobacco structure control in this embodiment significantly affects the structure distribution of rolled tobacco, and the degree of influence on the grouped tobacco products is different.

[0091] The above results indicate that, based on this process, the structure of the tobacco shreds in processing module B of the cigarettes produced through group processing is adjusted, resulting in a significant reduction in the proportion of long shreds and an appropriate increase in the proportion of medium shreds, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity and consistency of the tobacco shred structure.

[0092] Example 3

[0093] Based on the tobacco shred structure regulation process of Example 1, the impact of tobacco shred structure regulation on the physical quality of cigarettes was studied.

[0094] 1. Analysis of cigarette density consistency

[0095] Cigarettes were produced by grouping and processing the four control examples and their tobacco structure control process as described in Example 2.

[0096] Twenty cigarettes from each of the inner and outer rows were randomly selected from the same rolling locomotive, and their axial density was measured. The cigarette density distribution uniformity coefficient was then calculated.

[0097] Depend on Figure 2 It can be seen that the density of the third and fourth groups is higher than that of the first and second groups at 0-10mm of the cigarette, the density of the first and third groups is higher than that of the second and fourth groups at 10-20mm of the cigarette, and the density of the fourth group is higher than that of the other three groups at 30-40mm. Combining the density distribution consistency coefficient of the four control modes: the third group < the first group < the second group < the fourth group (Table 2), that is, the cigarette density distribution of the third group is more uniform and the cigarette density is more stable during the production process.

[0098] The above results show that by adjusting the structure of the tobacco shreds in processing module B during the group processing, the consistency coefficient of the tobacco shred rolling density is reduced, and the consistency of tobacco shred density is improved.

[0099] Table 2 Density Distribution Consistency Coefficient

[0100]

[0101] 2. Analysis of the suitability of tobacco shreds

[0102] The scrap rate of the locomotive during production can indirectly reflect the suitability of tobacco shreds for the locomotive and the quality of rolling. This example will compare the scrap rejection rate of the locomotive under different group processing and tobacco shred structure control processes in each control group.

[0103] Referring to Table 3, in terms of the total number of scraps removed, Group 4 > Group 1 > Group 2 > Group 3. Group 4 has the highest amount of scraps removed in all categories, while Group 3 has the lowest total amount of scraps removed. In terms of the number of overly light and overly heavy cigarettes removed, Group 3 has the lowest amount of scraps removed. It can be seen that the processing technology with tobacco structure control through processing module B has the best applicability between tobacco and locomotive.

[0104] Table 3 Applicability Evaluation of Tobacco Rolling Process

[0105]

[0106] 3. Analysis of the Influence of Cigarette Physical Properties

[0107] This embodiment will also analyze the impact of different control group processing control processes on the physical properties of cigarettes.

[0108] Based on Table 4, the differences in cigarette physical indicators among the different control groups under the processing control conditions were not significant. In the third group, except for cigarette hardness, the standard deviations of the other indicators were lower than those of the other three groups, indicating that the stability of the physical indicators of the cigarettes in the third group was better than that of the other three groups. Combining the cigarette tip content and the amount of end-burst fibers, it can be seen that controlling the tobacco structure in processing module B reduced both the cigarette tip content and the amount of end-burst fibers, thus improving the stability of cigarette quality.

[0109] Table 4 Physical properties of cigarettes processed with different grouping control techniques

[0110]

[0111] This embodiment, by combining changes in tobacco shred structure and rolling physical indicators, found that by adjusting the tobacco shred structure in processing module B, the processing technology improves the uniformity of tobacco shreds, ensures that broken shreds are under control, and appropriately reduces the proportion of long filaments in the tobacco shreds, thereby improving the stability of rolling quality.

[0112] It should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tobacco shred structure control process based on group processing, characterized in that: include S1 material preparation Prepare raw materials according to the leaf group formula requirements and balance them in the raw material formula automated warehouse for more than 48 hours. Remove the raw material packaging box, check the quality of the blades and measure them to ensure that each batch of raw materials meets the process formula requirements, and then transfer them to processing module A and processing module B respectively so that they can simultaneously perform the following steps; S2 blade treatment Adjust the moisture content and temperature of the leaves, loosen the leaves, and remove any green or impurities from the leaves; S21 Slicing process: Cut the leaf into four pieces with three cuts each; S22 Vacuum Rehumidification: The leaf moisture content is adjusted to 12%-15% and the temperature is 63℃-73℃ by vacuuming. S23 Loosening and Rehydration: Regulates leaf moisture content and temperature. Processing module A: Leaf moisture content 18.8%-21.8%, temperature 49.0℃-55.0℃; Processing module B: Leaf moisture content 19.0%-22.0%, temperature 52.0℃-58.0℃; S24 blade feeding: Apply the liquid material evenly to the blade according to the formula requirements, atomize the liquid material and spray it on the blade surface, so that the liquid material temperature is 40℃-70℃ and adjustable. S25 Leaf Preparation and Storage: After feeding, place the leaves in a storage tank to fully absorb the liquid, balance the moisture content and temperature of the leaves, and store the leaves for 5.0h-36.0h. S3 Leaf-making Fibers The leaves are made into leaf filaments of uniform width according to the set requirements and then dried to remove excess moisture from the leaf filaments. S31 Hot Air Leaf Humidification: Increases the temperature of the leaves, causing them to loosen and unfold, and adjusts the leaf moisture content to 21.3%-22.3%; S32 Leaf Fiber Preparation: Cut the leaf blade into leaf filaments with a width of 1.0±0.1mm; S33 Leaf Filament Drying: Removes some of the moisture from the leaf filaments, improving their filling capacity and processing resistance; Processing module A: Thin plate drying is used for drying the filaments, with the cylinder wall temperature of the thin plate drying tube being 145℃-153℃; Processing Module B: The blades are dried using an airflow drying method with a steam injection rate of 700-900 kg / h and a main process gas temperature of 187℃-197℃. During this process, processing module A does not adjust the tobacco structure; Processing module B controls the structure of the tobacco shreds. The parameters for controlling the structure of the tobacco shreds are the frequency of the screening motor and the frequency of the shearing motor. S4 blended with fragrance According to the formula requirements, processing module A, processing module B, stems and recycled tobacco are mixed and blended in the required proportions. The flavoring liquid is evenly applied to the tobacco and the materials are further mixed evenly. S41 blending ratio: The proportion of stems used is 10.0%; S42 blended silk with added fragrance: overall fragrance precision ≤ 0.5%, filler value ≥ 4.0cm 3 / g; In step S33, the processing module B adjusts the structure of the tobacco shreds by adjusting the frequency of the screening motor and the shearing motor so that the tobacco shreds can be flexibly sifted through the combined action of the moving roller and the pick knife, and the long shreds are transported to the chopping device to be turned into medium and short shreds; the adjustment range of the frequency of the screening motor and the shearing motor is 30~50HZ.

2. The tobacco shred structure control process based on group processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step S3 also includes S34 removing the dry head and tail leaf fibers.

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