Think You Can Do It All? 20,000 Reasons Why Automation Outperforms A Broad Approach In Cannabis
In an exclusive interview with Benzinga Cannabis, Alain Vo, CEO of LeafyPack, discussed the impact of automated cannabis packaging solutions on operational efficiency and cost reduction.
Alain detailed how his company’s technology is helping cannabis producers streamline their packaging processes, ensuring consistency and reducing labor costs.
The Role Of Automation In Cannabis Packaging
Vo highlighted the critical role automation plays in enhancing efficiency for cannabis producers, particularly in the pre-roll segment, which remains the most popular and fastest-selling product in the cannabis market. “They are the fastest selling, lowest margin product out there in the market,” Vo noted. This makes them a prime candidate for automation, as the process can be time-consuming and labor-intensive when done manually.
“There was always a need to figure out how we can make pre-rolls faster because they’re very time-consuming. If you do them wrong, they’re very ugly. They don’t look good, they’re cosmetically deformed, they’re overweight or underweight,” Vo explained. To address these issues, LeafyPack developed a pre-roll machine capable of producing between 800 to 1,000 consistent pre-rolls per hour.
Pre-rolls, despite their popularity, offer the lowest profit margins in the cannabis sector, making cost-effective production crucial. “Automation came in because operators wanted consistency. They were tired of theft, and the cost of labor was high due to the revolving door of temporary workers,” Vo shared.
Automation allows producers to scale their operations without a proportional increase in costs.
Addressing Industry Challenges
LeafyPack’s initial attempts at automation included using a volumetric filling system, which employed an auger to fill the pre-roll cones. However, this approach proved inadequate due to the inconsistent nature of cannabis. LeafyPack shifted its focus to developing a weighing system that could handle the unique properties of cannabis more effectively. The company invested two years to creating a machine that could weigh the product accurately before filling it into the cones.
The development process was complex and involved collaboration with engineers who provided insights into similar challenges faced in the tobacco industry. The final machine, introduced at the end of 2022, integrated both vibratory and tamping mechanisms to ensure that the product was packed tightly …