The tobacco industry has evolved. No longer are customers presented with a selection of cigarettes in standardized packaging. Now physical shelves and online stores are packed with alternatives to cigarettes, many of which come in quirky, eye-catching packaging. Perhaps the best example of packaging comes from the Nicopod industry, where brands like Nicocharge leave the way with bold, unique colors and materials. But how are these catchy designs made?

The rise of automation and IIOT methods has been a godsend for brands that are selling a physical product. Packaging is crucial from both a marketing perspective and a logistics one. In the world of nicopods, packaging is used to transport goods across the world but also to attract the eye of shoppers in what is becoming a highly competitive industry.

Producing nicopod cases begins with design. This will involve CAD software to shape the container and design the lid mechanics. Branding features will be considered at this stage but not finalized. Automation has greatly sped up the gap between design and prototype; these early designs will quickly be transformed into a usable container with the help of automated mold-making systems. This will involve heating polypropylene or polyethylene pellets which form the base of each container.

This container will be far from the finished product. Robotics are then used to put precise finishing touches on the container, which includes tasks such as trimming excess material. IIoT methods come in at this point, bringing consistency to the process. Regulating machines will flag any product that doesn't fit the required criteria in terms of temperature, pressure and so on. It's also becoming increasingly common for artificial intelligence to be used at this stage to identify any containers that display inconsistencies.

From here, branding designs and different textures can be added to the design. This area combines human expertise with automation. A designer will create the designs that are to be used for the nicopod case, but automated technology will apply the designs to the case, greatly speeding up the process and again ensuring consistency.

The consistency of the product is paramount in this industry, but with automation and IIoT, the packaging that carries these in-demand items around the world has become just as consistent. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how technology further drives the industry to a more effective world.