A Step By Step guide to starting a profitable Pre Roll Cone Factory
Are you ready to start manufacturing your own pre roll cone factory?
If you've been wanting to start your own Pre-Roll Cone manufacturing unit but are at wits end how to begin and where to even find all the relevant information to help you get started you have landed on the right page. Through this article we are going to break down all the major steps you need to take to start your own pre roll cone factory and help you acquire all the knowledge necessary.
By the end of this article you will have a clear game plan on exactly what YOU need to do to set up your pre roll cone manufacturing unit. If you still feel like you require more personalised help you can book a 1:1 consultation with our C.E.O who will you be able to give you all the tricks of the trade and advice to tailored to you. If this is something you are interested in you can click here to send us an email to set up a video consultation.
Through this guide we will use India as the location example for a number of reasons, which include but are not limited to:
- Access to labor
- Booming domestic market
- Ability to export
- Ability to import raw materials
- Disorganised distribution; making it easier to get products on shelves.
However, this information being shared on here can also be used to replicate the model in any other country that is manufacturing friendly.
- What do I need to start my own pre-rolled cones unit?
Rolling Paper Bobbins
The main raw material which you will need to procure is the rolling paper bobbin.
What is a rolling paper bobbin? A rolling paper bobbin is a big spool of rolling paper, which is cut and made in to the pre roll cones. Alternatively you can buy bundles (interleaved rolling paper), however you must take in to account that these sheets already have the crease in the middle making them less ideal to use.
What size do we start with? With so many different varieties out there, it can be confusing to know which one to go for when you are starting out. Through our intensive research we can confidently say that the 44mm width x 5000m length, will be the optimum option for you to start off with. This would be equivalent to the king slim size.
How much does each bobbin cost? At the time of writing the current rate is $30 per bobbin (CNF) for the bleached (white) and unbleached (brown) if you choose to procure it from us
Do you recommend we use a water mark or is the watermark unnecessary?
Using a watermark will all depend on your budgets when starting out. Using a watermark is what will ultimately set you apart from your competitors in the market place.
However, as the watermarks increase your initial costs you will need to look at your budgets to decide whether you you go ahead with it or wait till your business is generating profit first.
Studies have shown that the India market has a clear preference for the verge line or criss cross watermark, which is good to keep in mind if you do choose to use a watermark.
How do we cut the bobbins?
When it comes to cutting the bobbins there are two different options which you can pick from:
The first option is to employ workers who can manually cut them one by one.
OR
The second option which you can go with it would be use a cutting machine. You can get more information on this if you visit: indiamart.com and search for "roll to sheet cutting machine”.
If you would like to see a video example of the machine in action you can watch it here:
Few pointers to keep in mind if you do decide to use the machine is that the speed should approximately be 30, 100mm sheets per minute
When you do grow and need to increase your output capacity you can keep on procuring more cutting machines in order to meet the markets demands.
What is the yield per bobbin?
For this equation let us use a king slim cone as the example:
the length is 110mm
so therefore 5000M/110MM = 45,000 cones +/- per bobbin.
How do you cut the bobbins to get the perfect shape?
In order to make the straight line you first need to cut it in to sheets, stack them and then use the guillotine machine to cut an angle so the paper is trapezoid shape. The gum size will be straight and the opposite side will be at an angle.
To see an example of a guillotine machine you can watch it here:
Is there a rolling tool we can use to roll the cones?
Yes there is!!
A rolling tool which allows you to get the perfect cone rolled out each time exists and you can get it now. To get the rolling tool you can download the STL file HERE and get it 3D printed or CNC cut with any vendor in India.
If you go on India Mart and run a search for a 3D printing company or CNC cutting company you will be able to find an ample of them based locally. However, if you would prefer to order the rolling tool from us that is also an option available to you Just contact us here and we’ll share more information on that with you.
How do we make the roach?
In order to make the roach you need the die-lines which is available for your to download here.
The height of the roach is 26mm, however you can also choose to increase the height to make the roach longer depending on your preference.
The weight of the paper usually ranges between 80-110GSM, depending on your customer base and only you will what you know what your target market preference is.
We would recommend using white roach paper with bleached rolling paper and brown roach paper if you are using it with brown rolling paper
When getting the roach paper cut you need to pay attending to the direction that the paper is being cut in. Papers have fibers that move along the Y and X axis. To ensure the paper is being cut in the right direction we advise you to cut a swatch first from the big sheet, and curl the paper, to see which direction is the correct curl.
Packaging Material - A printing factory to cooperate with
For the cones you can package them in single packs.
The GSM for the packaging material can vary so we highly recommend that you first first samples of the color box and display box that fit and see if it apt with your requirements or if any amendments are necessary before placing an order for a large quantity.
When choosing the packaging design it is easy to be enticed with the complicated designs however we would highly recommend you pick a simple yet clean design for your packaging.
📣An insider tip from us - having a great relationship with your printing vendor is crucial in this business as they are the key in making or breaking you. Remember don’t try to save 1% and risk gambling with 100% of your business.
A heat shrink wrapping machine:
You will require this machine for packaging the display boxes, so that they look attractive yet professional when it is delivered to the wholesalers. Please watch this video for a good reference on how it should be done:
Labor to roll:
If choosing to hand roll the cones - a team of female hand rollers will be most beneficial to your factory as they tend to have smaller hands and are able to do a more delicate job in comparison to a man. So when building a team this is an important factor that may get overlooked but is important/
How much should I be paying per hand roller? The daily wage rate (at the time of publishing) is 300INR per working day. Once your employee is trained her output of a curled cone gum line should be 1000-1400pieces per day and for straight gum line is 800 pieces
If we use the curled gum line as the metric, your basic rolling cost will be around 300/1000 = INR 0.3 per cone.
Again please do remember that your employees are essential to keep the production going. Please be good to your workers! They work hard for you, so you should reciprocate and make sure they have good working conditions!
How to make the cones - The technique of cone rolling
In India you do not need any machines to roll the cones - it can all be done by hand. Check out this step by step video we have created to show you the process.
Here we will also list the steps out you in order:
- Crease the W or M roach paper and insert into tool.
- Wrap roach around the tool.
- Pick up paper, tuck the paper into the roach by 3-5mm.
- Roll the paper around the tool.
- Use a fine paint brush, dip in to water, strike the gum line.
- Tightly seal the cone.
- Run your finger from down to up to make sure the cone is fully sealed.
- Leave the cones to dry over night as the gum is still wet.
- You are done!
Packing into retail box
Once you have your cones rolled you will need to package them so that they are ready for retail. For every 2 hand rollers you will need 1 to pack them into the retail box.
An efficient way to get this done is to setup a big table and first start with all workers packing single cone into the colour box.
Once all coloured boxes have been packed, then pack them into the display box.
Pass the display box through the heat shrink wrapping machine and you are done!
There you have it: the full step by step procedure in starting your own custom pre-roll cone factory. We understand that you still may have some specific queries which you want answers to and may be need some troubleshooting help. Our CEO - Sam, who have been in the industry is offering 1:1 custom consultations via video call to help you with any more personalised help.
If one needs further, consulting their factory, please click here to find out more about having a business consultation session set up by clicking HERE
If you need to place an order for the rolling paper bobbins please click HERE.
For any other help or information on custom herb products we can supply you with please check out our website or send us message directly on the website and someone will be happy to help you with any queries you may have.
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