06 Aug
The Ultimate Guide to Mass Producing Pre-Rolls (Without Sacrificing Quality)
With the increasing demand for pre-rolls, more brands are looking to scale up their pre-roll machine lines.
But with increased demand comes more scrutiny towards quality, and customers want their pre-rolls to be flawless. Many businesses fill them by hand, which can allow for close attention to detail. But this becomes inefficient and costly at scale, and maintaining consistency across high volumes can be difficult…
…unless you have automation.
How do you mass-produce pre-rolls without sacrificing quality? By using automation and cutting-edge machinery that adheres to high standards.
This guide will cover types of pre-roll machines and how to build a scalable and profitable production line.
What Does It Mean to “Mass Produce” Pre-Rolls?
Production can vary based on business needs and investment potential. For businesses that produce fewer than 1,000 pre-rolls per day, a small machine should suffice. This is ideal if you’re a startup or boutique brand looking for small production runs.
However, small pre-roll machines can cost more per unit, especially in the long run. Then there’s the issue of uneven burns and clogged draws for customers and the wastage per production run for the business.
Mass-producing can be done with specialized, automated machines that can be modified based on specific needs. Some of PreRoll-Er’s machines can make 10,000+ pre-rolls in a day and can handle high-volume SKUs for brands that operate in multiple states.
Yes, mass production requires a higher up-front investment. Automated pre-roll machines, though, can significantly reduce material loss and improve per-unit costs. Plus, they streamline consistency. All factors that drive long-term ROI.
Choosing between systems can be decided based on the size of your operation. Some metrics to keep in mind are:
- Demand from customers
- The corresponding volume required to meet that demand
- Your margins
- How much labor capacity your business can handle sustainably
Traditional Methods & Why They Fall Short
Most small brands start with hand-packing, knockbox-style pre-roll machines, or vibratory machines. But these methods have:
- Inconsistent fills
- Air pockets in their pre-rolls
- Loose tops that cause unequal burns
- Clogged draws
- Limited capacity that can cause production delays
These methods are also expensive in the long run. One, the number of pre-rolls produced is low. Two, your team works longer, including fixing the issues that hand-packing and vibratory machines cause.
That’s where centrifugal machines come in! PreRoll-Er’s centrifugal technology delivers consistency and compaction across batches, especially when paired with properly prepared material and calibrated fill weights.
Of course, no matter how advanced your pre-roll machine is, consistent results rely on upstream preparation. Proper grind size, humidity control, and removing stems are essential for optimal compaction and fewer jams.
Implementing automation brings:
- More pre-rolls produced on a daily basis
- Little to no quality control issues
- Easy maintenance
- A shift in labor from repetitive manual tasks to more skilled roles like machine operation, QC, and upstream processing
Building a Scalable Pre-Roll Production Line
Building a production line can vary from a small tabletop pre-roll machine that can supply a medium-sized dispensary…
…to a fully integrated industrial setup that can efficiently handle the monthly needs of a small state.
With our line of automated pre-roll filling machines, you have the capacity to fulfill either of those requirements!
The Pre-Roller 200, for example, prepares your pre-rolls for final packaging by automatically sorting, aligning, and staging finished cones for boxing or bulk packaging. This reduces the need for manual handling during one of the most time-consuming steps in production.
This is a customizable, hands-free process that can produce 1,300 pre-rolls in an hour. Actual throughput may vary based on:
- Cone size
- Material prep
- Operator proficiency
- QC requirements
Get a free demo of the Pre-Roller 200 that’s already been recorded. Watch it any time.
On the other hand, a Pre-Roller Mini can work in tight production spaces. While you’ll have to prepare the grind and load the pods, it can still produce up to 600 pre-rolls in an hour. And you have the option for automated packaging add-ons and extra pods, which allows for scaling up in the future without buying a new machine.
It’s also a lot easier to maintain and clean, with material waste minimized through dialed-in operation and consistent grind prep.
Our modular pre-roll machine setups can scale with your business as it grows. For startups and small dispensaries, we recommend starting small and adding automated options as you scale over time. This allows you to minimize the up-front investment and reduce production downtime, given that setting up machines and optimizing your operations around them will take time.
Get a free demo of the Pre-Roller Mini that’s already been recorded. Watch it any time.
Each business requires a carefully planned and individualized scaling plan. Our licensed technicians can help you determine the workflow or automation plan that best fits your business.
Operational Tips for Scaling Successfully
Two of the most important factors to scale your cannabis business successfully are to
- Choose the right team members who can implement automation into their workflow efficiently
- Choose the right equipment for your stage
Working with people who have automation experience or mechanical skills will help ease the transition into scaling your business. Linking employees with this expertise to newcomers will also help your workforce learn from each other and optimize your standard operating procedure (SOP) for automation.
Having a team lead who’s skilled and supportive will go a long way toward smooth employee and equipment operations. While automation will help significantly cut down manual labor for producing pre-rolls, it doesn’t replace it either. Instead, it helps focus on enhancing productivity and efficiency.
It’s important to build a team trained for efficiency, rather than replacement. Upskilling team members to handle multiple facets of your business helps:
- Build your company from the ground up
- Improve employee motivation to collaborate and help each other build
- Solve problems
- Enjoy the fruits of your success
Don’t overbuy and invest large sums of money into machinery that your business can’t adequately handle at this stage.
Partnering with the Right Equipment Provider
Having accessible and reliable customer support is an important factor that can make or break the customer’s experience. Most large-scale equipment providers have a suite of support staff to assist companies with their solutions.
At PreRoll-Er, we understand that your success is our success. Our on-site training and ongoing support are tuned to the needs of your operation.
We help you identify your equipment needs, set it up, and train your team to transition into automated cannabis production. We also provide troubleshooting and diagnosis if anything is wrong with your machine.
As a customer, you get online portal access with your machine purchase. This gives you exclusive access to online resources, including instruction manuals and the ability to track your service requests.
Our customizable solutions also include cones from Tree-Er that are purpose-built for pre-rolls and machines built by PreRoll-Er. We’re built for compatibility with each other, which leads to fewer jams and faster runs. You can choose between classic for your everyday pre-rolls, blunt, and custom cone options.
Your Path to Scalable, Profitable Pre-Roll Production
PreRoll-Er offers centrifugal machines that are customizable based on scale, helping you produce excellent quality pre-rolls that customers swear by and brands live by.
Ready to see the impact of automation on your bottom line? Reach out to our expert team today with any questions or request a live demo!