Regie's cigarettes go through the following production process.
1. Treatment of the Tobacco
1. Imported tobacco is sorted by class and then cut and arranged on the production line. The tobacco is fed into a cylinder which mixes it with vapor and water in quantities that are determined by the control system. This modern system is designed to establish a fixed humidity rate for the tobacco leaves to heat them to 55°C in order to open the cells and make them ready to receive softening and flavoring materials.
2. The humid leaves are then fed through an automated system that weighs them and then sprays softening and flavoring elements on the tobacco. The leaves are then stored for no less than six hours to achieve consistent flavoring. Throughout the process special pumps and systems maintain a constant rate of 22% humidity throughout the tobacco.
3. The mixed tobacco is then chopped by specialist machines that results in a ground tobacco of 0.77 mm in size and a humidity of not less than 19%. The ground tobacco is then moved to a drying cylinder where its humidity is reduced to 13% by electromechanical systems which adjust quantities of vapor and warm air in precise increments. On leaving the cylinder, the ground tobacco is cooled on an automated track that weighs the tobacco and, in conjunction with an automatic feeding line, ensures the correct mix of tobacco. Once the tobacco is mixed it is stored in warehouses before moving on to the packing phase.
2. Wrapping
A 6,000 meter line of cigarette paper is drawn via pulleys and a line of tobacco is positioned within it. The paper is then wrapped around the tobacco to form a stick. The stick is then cut into smaller sections at high speed. A large filter piece is then placed between the cut sections before being cut in two. The two filters are then wrapped in paper, attaching them to the body of the tobacco and paper and the sections are then cut in half, resulting in two filtered cigarettes. Each cigarette is electronically inspected three times during the production process to ensure the quality of its wrapping.
This highly accurate process can produce up to 12,000 cigarettes per minute.
3. Packing and Preparation for Distribution
The cigarettes are divided into groups of 20 prior to packing in a special paper that ensures freshness. The cigarettes are then packed into branded boxes that are then wrapped in a protective plastic layer that further maintains the freshness and smell of the cigarettes. The completed packs are then placed within cartons and are packaged together for shipping to markets via specialized sales managers.
The packing process is incredibly fast and results in the creation of 420 packs per minute.
You can watch a video of the manufacturing process here.