With the growing legalization of cannabis and numerous technological advancements in the industry, businesses had to come up with specific innovations regarding handling products. Optimized packaging is key to staying on top of this industry that keeps on growing. That’s why an increasing number of companies have started to rely on packaging machines.
But are these pre-roll machines worth it? More specifically, are they worth it from the business perspective? Let’s discover the importance of automated pre-roll machines for cannabis producers.
Automated Pre-Roll Machines 101
Automated pre-roll machines have been on the market for some time; however, they’ve created a boom in the business relatively recently. Since you might be unfamiliar with all the info regarding these machines, allow us to explain what they actually are.
Pre-roll machines enable the automated filling of pre-rolled cones. That means that manual labor is excluded from the process, as the machine does everything by itself. Such a device comes with two designated slots for herbs and cones. This allows the machine to use vibration, gravity, or something else to navigate the herbs toward the cones, filling hundreds of them per hour.
A pre roll machine by Hefestus can fill up to 2,000 cones an hour, thus increasing output production and lowering costs. Moreover, only one person is needed to manage the machine — all they need to do is set the necessary parameters at the beginning of production. It doesn’t take a lot to see the value of these machines.
Reasons to Choose a Pre-Roll Machine
There aren’t many options when it comes to packaging joints. You can either do it manually or rely on a pre-packing machine.
It’s clear that manual rolling is not only time-consuming but also physically demanding. Conversely, automated machines do not rely on manual labor; in fact, they only need a few hours to put out thousands of joints. It’s hard to imagine how many people and hours you would need to do it by hand.
On top of that, products made by a machine will always look and feel better. Machines do not go wrong when it comes to product handling, so each joint will weigh approximately the same, look the same, and burn at the same rate.
Don’t let anyone fool you — appearance is important. You can look closer at this Hefestus video to see what we’re talking about.
Financial Aspects of an Automated Machine
Naturally, when making such a big purchase, business owners’ minds go straight to financial aspects. A pre-roll packaging machine is a good decision, but it does not come cheap. That’s why you must devise a good business plan first to help your business succeed — more about that here.
Pre-roll machines utilize advanced technology that is far from inexpensive. They are also rather pricey due to their production power — as a result, they can cost from a couple of thousand dollars to tens of thousands.
Such prices can be a big stretch for small businesses, but these devices are worth it in the long run. However, note that several things play a role when business owners are faced with this decision, and we’ll mention them in the following paragraph.
How to Decide What Your Business Needs
To make a good business decision, you need to ask yourself: what percentage of pre-rolled cones do I need? Entering a competitive industry like this one is tricky, and joints will not be your single selling point. You will also need to consider edibles, beverages, oils, and more.
So, use these methods to answer the question raised above:
- If you have a standard customer base, conduct a survey examining everything you want to know.
- Pre-roll sales will take about 8% of your business, so you’ll have plenty of time to commit to other products.
- If available, rely on market research from your state or city to determine your status.
- Ask your flower supplier for their vision of usage in the industry.
Naturally, determining the correct number will be challenging, but at least you’ll get some insight into what your business needs.
