Pros and Cons of Fully Automated Preroll Machines
As a preroll business, the allure of an all-in-one type of production machine can be extremely enticing. The promise of seamless operations, a streamlined production process, and low overhead, seems like a dream come true. However, there are many variables to consider when buying a preroll machine, and there are many things that these companies won't tell you upfront about their automated systems. In this article, we take a deeper dive into these fully automated systems and identify the promises that they make while providing some insights on what you should really expect, performance-wise and cost-wise.
What is a Fully Automated Preroll Machine?
Let's start with understanding the machines themselves. A fully automated preroll machine, or an "all-in-one" preroll machine, is a machine that can handle multiple aspects of the preroll production process at the same time.
These functions include filling, packing or rolling cones with flower, closing the cones by twisting or crowning, and lastly weighing the cones before it's eventually dispensed out of the machine.
The Benefits
On paper, fully automated preroll machines definitely appear to be the best solution out there for scaling a preroll production business. The ability to perform all preroll manufacturing functions with a single machine is a huge benefit of these systems.
Consistent Production Volume
With a fully automated machine comes production volume uniformity where you know how many prerolls you will be able to make consistently day to day.
Closing
Closing is a task that is commonly done manually. Any preroll manufacturers that use small systems like Knockbox will ultimately require a labor force strictly for closing prerolls one by one. The most standard way of closing a preroll is by twisting, however there are some systems that do a fold or "dutch crown." Most fully automated systems will automate the closing process by doing the crown.
Weighing
Like closing, weighing each preroll as it comes off the line is usually done manually or in batches. The required process for weighing could actually change depending on the location of the manufacturer. For example, places like Canada, and some US states have strict regulations for the weighing process to ensure a higher standard of quality control.
A fully automated system that can weigh each cone is definitely a big plus when it comes to streamlining preroll production.
While these benefits all sound great, many businesses have experienced some downsides to these machines that are worth pointing out.
Let's take a look at some of the downsides, or "hidden costs" of using a fully automated preroll machine for your preroll production.
The Cons
While the benefits of a fully automated preroll machine are very clear, there are some major talking points and hidden costs that every manufacturer should be aware of, and most don't find out until after they've already started working with the machine.
CON 1: Machine Size & Space Requirement
These fully automated systems are big due to the fact that they are designed to perform multiple different production tasks. With such a large size, businesses are required to accommodate with more spacious manufacturing facilities specifically with warehouse space and large doors.
These machines are also very heavy, and once they're placed in position they cannot be moved easily. You must plan your production environment carefully before acquiring one of these machines and installing them in your warehouse.
CON 2: High Failure Rate & Production Downtime
Logically speaking, when a machine has more moving parts and more functions, it is more prone to failure. We spoke to many preroll manufacturers who have experienced quite a bit of unexpected production downtime with these machines. If one thing breaks, the whole thing breaks.
Because of the high failure rate, many manufacturers find it is actually better to use more modular and simple production systems, this way if one component fails, the whole production process doesn't need to go on pause.
If your fully automated machine has any technical issues, you will unfortunately have to put your entire production on pause for weeks until you can get a technician on site. These aren't machines that are easy to fix yourself, and if you try, manufacturers have been known to void your warranty! So be careful! Remember, when your production is on pause you are losing revenue and losing operating capital daily.
CON 3: Time Consuming Cleaning & Maintenance
Similar to our last point, any machine with lots of small components and moving parts means that there is a lot more room for error. When working with cannabis, it is expected that flower particles and dust will get everywhere inside and around the machine. Since cannabis is so sticky, this build up can be detrimental to the machine functioning properly without being cleaned consistently. These machines require hours of cleaning daily.
CON 4: Maximum Production Output is Not Scalable
While automation is great, it still has its limits. These fully automated preroll machines each have a maximum production output that you cannot bypass without purchasing another machine. They can only operate at a single speed, so it is crucial to plan ahead and know what your production goals are because you may end up needing another machine which requires additional space and expensive labor.
There are many preroll manufacturers that are producing as many as 50,000 prerolls per business day, however, it would take as many as 4 or 5 of these fully automated machines in order to hit that volume, where as more modular systems like the Preroll Centrifuge System can help businesses reach those volumes with a single machine.
CON 5: Debilitating Long-Term Costs
There is a reason why businesses are starting to switch from these fully automated systems to a modular centrifuge system, the long term costs continue to build up and have a detrimental impact on operating cash flow. While many of these machines can be purchased on a lease or "pay per use" model, your overhead will continue to increase as you try and scale, which means you will continue to end up paying more and more overtime.
CON 6: Low Quality Prerolls
Like most things, when you increase production volume, you tend to lose on product quality. It's crucial to remember that cannabis is a very unique and sticky material to work with. Because of this, producing prerolls or any cannabis product in extremely high volumes will have much greater challenges.
When it comes to packing prerolls, the best way truly is by doing it with a preroll centrifuge system. Centrifugal force can pack preroll cones much more consistently and in a way that actually eliminates air pockets and ultimately creates a much higher quality product and the best possible smoking experience. Fully automated preroll machines don't use a centrifuge, therefore there is an increased chance in product inconsistency.