PROFILE: PMB-UVA INTERNATIONAL
Profile: PMB-UVA International
A Fine Tradition in Cigar
Machinery and Equipment
PMB’s 70 years in cigar-making machinery –Staff Report
he story of cigar machinery manufacturer PMB, and the near 70-year
tradition of the company, began in
1946 when Mignon & de Block started to
sell their cigar banding machines through
the company Progrès Mécanique
Bruxelles. At that juncture, and since the
abbreviation “PMB” was recognizable in
the tobacco industry (its use dates back to
1935), it was retained. Later, in 1961, PMB
became part of the Swedish Match machinery division Arenco. Some years following that acquisition, PMB returned to
being an independent company.
In 1980, the business volume in the
US and Canada for the newly independent PMB was such that it necessitated
the company being established in
T
Richmond, Virginia. During that period
of transition, the decision to diversify into
packaging was made, and this leveraged
the company’s experience in packaging
cigars and other fragile products.
Acquisitions soon followed. Over the
years, PMB acquired UVA Packaging, a
manufacturer of Vertical Form Fill and
Seal machinery in 1984, and the
Servotech company, which developed
and produced Butler machines, in 1992.
In 2003, the activities of PMB-UVA were
once again the focus of a buyout, this
time by the VDL Groep, an international
industrial company focused on the development, production and sale of semi-finished products, buses and coaches and
other finished products. VDL is a con-
40 TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2013
glomerate of 82 flexible and specialized
companies that employs 8,700 people in
over 18 countries. The strength of
Eindhoven-based VDL lies in the unique
cooperation between its companies.
With so many incarnations, the company has seen changes to its name and the
current PMB-UVA International BV
comprises two distinct product groups.
PMB Tobacco
PMB Tobacco is the brand name for the
company’s cigar machinery activity. This
company manufactures machinery for
making cigars, including (rod) bunches,
over rolling, finishing and the packing of
the cigars. PMB Tobacco is distinguished
by several characteristics, including its
high-tech developments in standard machinery, a strong, professional, global
post-sales service force and a complete
spare parts service that includes delivery.
PMB Tobacco has developed and
produced a wide range of machines and
equipment for the tobacco and cigar industry, such as:
PROFILE: PMB-UVA INTERNATIONAL
• Primary: complete threshing lines
with all auxiliaries as driers and
shredders (VK 750).
• Bobbinizing: PMB invented, developed
and produced machines for the bobbin
system.
• Bunch making, conventional and rod
bunch making machines.
• Over rolling natural and homogenized
wrapper with MI, BUD’s, TOM, HSO
and the latest development, MI-P.
• Treatment line, perforating, cutting,
collating and tray loading, new VID
vision system and drying unit.
• Finishing line, C-100 film wrapping, S100 banding, TP-100 tipping, PA-100
hole piercing, W-100 cedar wood wrapping and new TR-100 trimming, C-160
film wrapping as well as Upgrade Kit to
turn a C-100 into a C-160.
UVA Packaging
UVA Packaging is home to the Vertical
Form Fill and Seal machine activity. The
ability of UVA Packaging to find and develop creative solutions is what sets it apart
from competitors. From the modular design machine to the know-how of the company’s personnel, UVA aims to give their
customers a real advantage in the market.
Over Rolling: TOM’s 10th Anniversary
The first series of TOM was launched a
decade ago, and this new way of over
rolling performed well. However, as with
42 TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2013
all product development, the early TOM
was upgraded as new methods were
found to help make the drive cams run
even smoother. In addition, the pneumatics have been updated to complete islands and the software has been modified
for even higher speeds. Just 10 years ago,
the first TOM ran at a rate of 40 to 60
products per minute. Today, that rate has
increased to more than 80 double length
cigarillos.
Other modifications include stainless
steel housing which now covers the machine bed. Where possible, phenolic cams
are used for making the machine even
more quiet.
TOM is useful in several applications,
but clients frequently place a premium on
the versatile facility of TOM. At some locations, TOM is particularly useful for a
continuous, high rate of production.
At other shops, TOM is valued for
other qualities, like the facility for frequent changing of the model. In these applications, where the model might be
changed as often as twice a week, what as
once a tremendous job (on some other
machine) is now being done within 2.5
hours. The quick exchange of the servo
driven rolling device has proven to be a
particularly useful solution. And by simply pushing a few buttons, the continuous
changing speed of the rolling device will
adapt itself to the required speeds of the
new model.