Through its CARE initiative, Vaporesso continues to give back to the communities it serves. On Christmas Eve last month, the China-based vapor company teamed with 17 participating vape shops around France to distribute relief supplies of food to their local communities. With more to come in the New Year, the supplies are intended to help support needy people affected by the fallout of Covid-19.
Credit: Vaporesso
“As Vaporesso grows in size and influence as an international brand, its capacity to influence positive change around the world expands. This growing ability contrasted with the Covid-19 outbreak resulted in the company ramping up corporate social responsibility initiatives throughout 2020,” a press release states. “Through a global network of international partners, Vaporesso has been donating time, money, and energy to giving.”
In France, Vaporesso CARE specifically chose the Christmas holiday as a time to give back. With Covid-19 still raging throughout the country and much of the rest of the world, many people were unable to spend time with their loved ones during the festive season. This, coupled with financial pressures meant that many people were in desperate need of support, according to the release.
Understanding this, Vaporesso CARE connected with local vape shops to give away free supplies, helping needy people throughout the holiday season. The food supplies have also been donated to a number of charity organizations with the intention of giving to an even wider range of people.
Vaporesso’s Global Marketing Director, Niki Zhang, said “At Vaporesso, we take being a positive corporate citizen very seriously. Doing what we can to give back to the community is part of our global mission to make the world a better place.”
The Vaporesso CARE program is dedicated to charity and positive action projects. Initially put together to help international partners cope with the pandemic, it has since grown to represent much more than the fight against Covid-19. Vaporesso CARE is now dedicated to supporting communities around the world through working together with local vape shops and institutions and is set to continue to grow into the future, according to the release.
Vaporesso is the first refillable vapor product to pass Canada’s Child Resistant Certified (CRC) regulation. The rule was imposed by the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA).
Vaporesso, which is owned by the world’s largest vapor company Smoore International, received certification for its ZERO and XROS CRC devices. The GTX TANK 22 CRC version compatible with the GEN S, GEN Nano, LUXE II, and SWAG II mods, was also approved.
Similar to the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) in the United States, Canada’s CRC-compliance is a federal requirement for all vaping manufacturers who want to continue advertising and selling their vaping products in Canada. The regulation serves to prevent children and teenagers from using vaping products, according to a press release.
“Working closely with the official authorities, Vaporesso is committed to leading the industry into strictly complying with all vaping-related regulations,” the release states. “The brand’s purpose is to prevent people who haven’t reached the legal age from using vaping products while maintaining the industry’s healthy development.”
The brand’s ZERO refillable pod system was compliant with the ISO8317 child-proof standard certification before the CRC Act took effect in the vaping industry. As a result, Vaporesso quickly redesigned the GTX TANK 22 into a new CRC-compliant version launched in 2020.
The new XROS pod system from Vaporesso revolutionizes the method for filling vapor devices.
By Mike Huml
The XROS from Vaporesso is a pod system representing the culmination of the most successful features available in a pod. From its build quality to its ease of use, nothing is out of place or unnecessary. The XROS retains maximum simplicity while offering superior vapor production and flavor. Vaporesso is well known for its quality and innovation, and the XROS is no exception.
The newly released XROS is a pod system with a manual-automatic switch combination, an 800 mAh battery and a 2 mL e-liquid capacity. It uses a USB Type-C connection for extremely fast charging and a single LED below the fire button to display battery life and charging status. The reverse side of the body features adjustable airflow, allowing the user to vape using both direct-lung and mouth-to-lung vaping styles.
The pod itself is held in place securely with two magnets. The top half of the pod is transparent and extrudes far enough beyond the body that determining the amount of remaining e-liquid is effortless. The top part of the pod is the mouthpiece, which can be easily removed to reveal the filling port. Vaporesso has taken the extra step to make sure that filling is quick, easy and clean.
If that all sounds standard, think again. If other pod systems are easy to fill, the XROS is easier. If other pod systems are great for mouth-to-lung and direct-lung vaping, the XROS is better. There is not a single area where the XROS doesn’t excel, and that is mainly due to the nuanced and subtle improvements over past pod systems.
One of the largest improvements over other pod systems is the filling method. First and foremost, the pod does not need to be removed to be filled, which isn’t in and of itself unique, but it is rare. What’s more impressive is the simple and intuitive filling method. After removing the mouthpiece, the e-liquid bottle is simply inserted into the fill port and squeezed until the reservoir is full.
This generally leads to all sorts of issues such as flooding, leaking or e-liquid backing up due to pressure and surface tension. However, the XROS eliminates these issues by using a flap to seal the fill port when it’s not in use as well as introducing a pinhole opposite the fill port to release pressure when the pod is filled. It’s another one of those things that’s so incredibly simple and effective that it’s a wonder it hasn’t been thought of already.
Each pod is available in 1.2 ohm and 0.8 ohm varieties, with the 0.8 ohm pods using a red rubber seal as opposed to the 1.2 ohm’s black seal so that the user can tell which is which at a glance. The practical difference between these two resistances is negligible. The 0.8 ohm pods will generate slightly more heat and therefore are better for direct-lung vaping due to the increased airflow required, but both pods perform perfectly regardless of vaping style.
Both pods incorporate mesh coils for increased surface area, which also means more vapor and flavor at lower powers. While the XROS uses a constant voltage output and can’t be adjusted, both coils are tuned specifically for this device, and voltage adjustment isn’t necessary.
The coils have also been tuned to work well with the full range of airflow available with the XROS. By sliding the airflow adjustment all the way to the right, the airflow will be at its most restricted, and sliding it to the left will open it up for direct-lung vaping. While many pod systems rely on more open airflow for increased vapor production, the XROS produces impressive vapor at its most open and when closed.
Additionally, a common problem with many pods that claim to support mouth-to-lung vaping is that other than the adjustable airflow, nothing about the airflow path is designed for mouth-to-lung vaping. The coil is too large, the wire too thick or the airflow inlet too wide. This leads to poor vapor production, weak flavor and a harsh throat hit. Amazingly, the XROS suffers from none of these issues, no matter which coil is installed. Both the 0.8 ohm and 1.2 ohm pods offer great vapor and pure flavor without an overly harsh throat hit when direct-lung vaping and mouth-to-lung vaping.
The XROS only has one button, and it is used to turn the power on or off and optionally to fire the device manually. As is the standard, five clicks of the button will toggle the power on or off. Holding the button will fire the coil, but this is down to personal preference. The automatic switch more closely simulates smoking, but the manual switch allows for more control and pre-firing.
There are no settings to switch back and forth, and the user can simply vape however they want without having to think about it. Underneath the button is a single LED that will illuminate when the switch is activated or when the device is charging. Green signifies that the battery is above 70 percent charged, blue indicates a charge between 30 percent and 70 percent while red is reserved for a charge level under 30 percent.
When it comes to the fit and finish, the XROS is second to none. The glossy metallic finish does collect some fingerprints but only minimally so. It never ruins the overall sleekness, even after days of use. The XROS is also fairly heavy for its size. It exudes a sense of quality, and it’s not so heavy as to take away from its portability or convenience. Overall, it’s a simple design that gets the job done and looks great in the process.
The incorporation of the USB Type-C charging port is a welcome addition that should be making its way into more devices for two main reasons. First, it eliminates the annoyance of having to fiddle with the charger to ensure that it fits correctly. Unlike micro-USBs, the USB Type-C charger is symmetrical and can be inserted in either direction.
Second, it can charge the battery much faster. In the case of the XROS, it can be charged at a rate of 1A when used with the proper adapter, which means it can charge the 800 mAh battery from empty to full in under 20 minutes. This virtually eliminates the need to worry about backup batteries. In today’s modern world, USB ports are abundant, and finding one to use for a few minutes in a pinch is getting easier and easier.
With refillable pod systems gaining in popularity due to the ban on most pre-filled pods, many manufacturers have tossed their respective hats in the ring, but most don’t hold a candle to the XROS. The battery is solid and long-lasting with possibly the most effective adjustable airflow to be found in a pod system to date. The pods are disposable, eliminating the need to maneuver with replaceable pods in addition to replaceable coils. The disposable nature of the pods keeps things simple, which is what pod systems are all about.
The filling system is also ingenious in its simplicity, allowing for fast fills with no mess. Fast charging via USB Type-C ports keeps downtime to a minimum, although the 800 mAh battery is likely to last for six to eight hours of constant use. Mouth-to-lung vapers will find quite a bit to love about the XROS with its perfectly tight airflow when restricted that produces clean and robust flavor as well as the ideal amount of vapor and throat hit. Vapers who favor direct-lung vaping should appreciate the increased vapor when the airflow is open, and it could be argued that the XROS rivals most “cloud-chasing” pods on the market in terms of raw performance.
It can be difficult to find a pod system that’s just right for each vaper and that’s also made by a proven manufacturer, which is important due to the fact that replacement pods can become difficult to find over time. With the XROS being Vaporesso’s most recent pod system and with PMTAs taking effect, there is a good chance the XROS is here to stay. For those looking for the most reliable pod system in roughly the same vein as the Juul, the XROS is currently the best bet.
A New York federal judge recently granted Vaporesso parent, Shenzhen Smoore Technology a $5.4 million default judgment and permanent injunction against over 100 defendants accused of selling counterfeit Vaporesso and other Smoore brand products.
The default judgment is for $50,000 dollars per defendant. Smoore filed the complaint in October alleging trademark counterfeiting and infringement against the defendants located mainly in China but conducting business in the U.S.
In the same lawsuits, Smoore settled with a significant number of defendant sellers who paid compensation for infringement and cooperated to identify their sources for the counterfeit products. The litigation demonstrates Smoore’s determination to protect its intellectual property rights in the jurisdiction of the United States.
Smoore has undertaken the lawsuits as part of an overall anti-counterfeiting program in the United States that includes cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to seize counterfeit products. The damages may not be completely enforced, but Smoore is planning to enforce the default judgment in order to collect compensation.
Smoore International is defying numerous challenges. The world’s most-valuable vapor company has overcome a pandemic, a trade war and tightening regulations to report a huge increase in profit.
Smoore International Holdings, based in Shenzhen, China, posted a 40 percent year-on-year jump in underlying net profit on Monday for the first half of 2020, to 1.3 billion yuan, according to the South China Morning Post. Revenue rose 18.5 percent to 3.88 billion yuan. Last year Smoore posted a 16.5 percent share of the $763 billion global vaping devices market, up from 10 percent in 2018, according to Smoore’s chief financial officer Wang Guisheng
“In the year’s first quarter, our sales dropped 8.8 per cent year-on-year, as the pandemic curtailed our production capacity for a month,” said Wang Guisheng on Tuesday. “We quickly resumed normal operation, with second-quarter revenue doubling from the first-quarter, and rising 38.9 per cent year-on-year.”
While only half its production capacity was used in the first six months, the company is undergoing phase one expansion that it says will double it next year. Phase two expansion will boost production by a further two thirds by 2023. Smoore just recently joined the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
“The expansion will further drive down our unit production cost through automation,” said chairman Chen Zhiping, according to the release.
The US made up around half of Smoore’s sales, while 18.6 percent came from mainland China and 12.5 percent came from each of Japan and Europe. Chen said the company had made a filing to the FDA for one of its self-branded products, and has been assisting with its US customers’ filings.
Since 2018, its US customers have had to pay a 25 percent additional import tariff as part of the fallout from the trade spat between Washington and Beijing. The firm said the tariff has not stopped US demand from growing since its products are “technologically superior”.
Vaporesso received an acceptance letter for its first round of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 20, 2020.
The acceptance letter came three days after the company submitted its PMTAs. The application received positive comments from the FDA on its preparation, according to the company’s U.S. scientific CRO agent.
“A successful acceptance has boosted the confidence of Smoore to keep investing in bringing more vaping products into PMTA in the future,” the company wrote in its press release. “Our commitment to vapers in the USA remains the same: We will make vaping as easy as possible, and we will consistently provide high-quality vaping experiences for vapers all over the world. So the first round of application accomplished by Smoore is merely the start with more products to come.”
Smoore International Holdings becomes the first vapor company to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
By Timothy S. Donahue
It was only a matter of time. It took more than a decade, but China finally has its first billion-dollar vapor company. Smoore International Holdings, parent to Shenzhen Smoore Technology, which houses Vaporesso, Feelm and several other house brands, is also the first vapor company to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HK6969). Smoore is now the most valuable vapor company on the planet.
On July 10, its first day of open trading, Smoore’s stock rose by nearly 150 percent above its initial public offering price of hkd12.40 ($1.60). Closing at hkd31, the success places Smoore’s valuation at hkd178 billion, or nearly $23 billion, according to Forbes. By comparison, Altria Group in January reduced the value of its investment in Juul Labs to around $12 billion, almost 70 percent less than the $38 billion that Altria assigned to the company when it bought Juul in December 2018.
Smoore had locked in 10 cornerstone investors, which accounted for $340 million of the total raising, according to its prospectus. The largest of those investors were Huaneng Trust, which took $80 million worth of stock, and Prime Capital, which took $50 million. A prospectus is filed when a company is considering offering stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
Smoore’s stock surge also created two new billionaires. Chairman and CEO Chen Zhiping, 44, held a stake worth nearly $8 billion; shares held by executive director Xiong Shaoming, 49, were worth $1.2 billion at the stocks’ close on its opening day, according to Forbes.
“As the global leader in offering vaping technology solutions, Smoore’s mission is to build the world’s leading vaping technology platform to bolster the innovation and development of vaping technology with a wide range of applications,” a Smoore spokesperson told Vapor Voice. “In the next three to four years, Smoore plans to invest more in improving production capacity and upgrading equipment, including setting up new manufacturing facilities and a research institute of group level as well as installing automated production lines and IT equipment.”
Chen first became involved in the manufacturing of vapor devices and research and development of vapor technology when he joined Shenzhen Simoer Technology Co. as minority shareholder in 2007. He then gradually increased his shareholding to 85 percent.
Chen soon established Smoore in September 2009 through an entrustment arrangement as a platform to provide research and development of vapor and heating technology services together with manufacturing and in-house sales and marketing functions under ODM (original design manufacturer) and OEM (original equipment manu- facturer) business models, according to the prospectus.
Smoore’s Chairman and CEO Chen Zhiping
Since then, business has been principally conducted through Smoore and has been growing with a diversified product port-folio and an expanding international footprint. To streamline operations, Chen deregistered Simoer in November 2012 and directed resources to Smoore for its business development and expansion, according to the prospectus.
According to Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting firm, Smoore is the world’s largest vapor device manufac-turer in terms of revenue, accounting for 16.5 percent of the global market in 2019. “In the past 14 years, we have been firmly grounded to focus on advanced R&D technol-ogy, strong manufacturing capacity, wide-spectrum product portfolio and diverse customer base. We are glad about what we have achieved and will take this as a new start,” said the spokesperson.
Smoore earned cny2.1 billion ($300 million) in 2019 on sales that increased to cny7.6 billion from cny3.4 billion in 2018. About a fifth of its revenue comes from the U.S. and nearly half from mainland China and Hong Kong, according to Forbes.
In its prospectus, Smoore labels itself as a “global leader in offering vaping technology solutions, including manufactur-ing vaping devices and vaping components for heat-not-burn (HnB) products on an ODM basis, with advanced R&D technology, strong manufacturing capacity, wide-spectrum product portfolio and diverse customer base.”
Smoore operates two principal business segments: the corporate client-oriented business and the retail client-oriented business. Corporate business includes the research, design and manufacturing of closed system vapor devices and vapor components for several large international tobacco companies as well as some smaller independent vapor companies.
In the retail arena, Smoore performs research, design, manufactur-ing and the sale of self-branded, open system vapor devices for retail clients. Some of Smoore’s corporate clients include Japan Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Reynolds Asia Pacific, Relx and Njoy, according to the prospectus.
Smoore also has several of its own brands, including Vaporesso and Feelm. “All of our self-branded [devices] are open system vaping devices,” the prospectus states. “We sell our self-branded [devices] to distributors for resale to end consumers subsequently. We did not operate any retail stores or online platforms for the sale of our self-branded [devices] directly to end consumers.” The company also manufactures vapor components (cartridges and batteries) for HnB products.
As its most prestigious brand, Vaporesso has inherited Smoore’s “spirit and incorporated it into its own mission to be ‘Beyond the Ordinary,’” according to the spokesperson. “Vaporesso’s business has spread to more than 60 countries and regions around the world and has established a substantial brand influence in Europe, America and emerging markets. Vaporesso’s products—such as Veco, Zero, Luxe and the Gen family—cover the full range of open system vapes and fulfill the various needs of vapers.”
Smoore takes pride in its R&D capabilities. The company is one of the most innovative in the vapor industry, according to the prospectus. As of this writing, Smoore has applied for more than 1,600 patents in China and abroad, of which more than 700 patents have been granted.
The company’s process of launching and producing new products starts with extensive research on market demands and figuring out if the product could be successful in the market. “Upon the project’s internal approval, our R&D team will proceed to design the new product,” the prospectus states.
“After completing the design of the new product, we will manufacture the mold, evaluate the sample, file technical documents and conduct trial verification.” The last step of a product launch and production process is the mass production of the new product at Smoore’s production facilities.
The company’s public listing opens new opportunities. “After being listed on the Hong Kong stock market, Smoore is prob-ably going to be able to invest more in the R&D and application of heating technology, for instance, in the medical atomization arena,” said the spokesperson. “Meanwhile, we are able to better serve our clients and provide a better life for our employees. As a leader in this field, Smoore is also able to play a more important role in shaping the industry and the whole of society.”
In the vapor industry, staying innovative is key to a com-pany’s success. The prospectus states that Smoore’s R&D capabilities are critical to the growth and preservation of its market-leading position globally. The company uses its R&D platform to market some of its key technologies and expand its brand awareness.
“We not only focus on scientific research but also its practical application to our products,” the prospectus states. “Our R&D development path has gradually evolved along with the industry trends and the enhancement in our R&D capabilities—from product application to prod-uct structure and further to core vaping technology.”
Credit: Vaporesso
Smoore’s R&D capabilities have made a major impact on the vapor industry. In 2016, the company launched its second-generation heating technology, Feelm, which com-bines metal films with ceramic conductors to “achieve improvements in material and structural science,” according to the Feelm website. “Feelm has been adopted widely by many of our corporate clients and exported to the U.S., South Korea, Germany, France, Belgium, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries.”
Proof of Smoore’s R&D success is that the company has earned several accolades. In 2019, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration awarded Smoore the China Patent Excellence Award for its patent relating to the manufacturing technique and application of porous ceramic. The award is one of China’s most prestigious awards for patents
Also in 2019, Smoore received the Laboratory Accreditation Certificate from the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment for the safety and quality of its laboratories. “The scope of the accreditation encompasses our laboratories’ ability to conduct chemical analysis, physical performance testing and product quality testing, among others,” the prospectus states. “Our ability to build up our own technology brands serves as an entry barrier to other competitors and also helps maintain our leading position in the vaping industry.”
Earlier this year, Smoore was awarded the iF Design Award by iF International Forum Design for its disposable paper e-cigarette design. “Our disposable paper e-cigarette uses eco-friendly paper material instead of plastic and sig-nificantly improves its degradability,” a press release stated at the time.
Moving forward, Smoore must still overcome several regula-tory hurdles. “For example, our closed system vaping devices and open system vaping devices marketed in the U.S. are sub-ject to premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) require-ments, and a large portion of our closed system vaping devices sold in the U.S. are subject to flavor bans in several states,” the prospectus states.
“Moreover, Hong Kong may, in the future, enact law to prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of vaping products. All of the changes in the regulatory landscape may materially and adversely affect our business and financial performance, including revenue, gross profit and profit margin as well as future growth.”
However, Smoore’s outlook still looks promising. The global vapor market is large and competitive. According to Frost & Sullivan, there are more than 1,200 vapor device manufacturers globally. Though the top five players accounted for 30.5 percent of the entire market share in terms of revenue, the top 10 players accounted for less than half of the entire market share in terms of revenue in 2019, and most vapor device manufacturers are small-sized to medium-sized enterprises.
The global market for vapor devices is expected to grow by more than 20 percent annually to $22.7 billion in 2024 from $6.7 billion in 2019, according to Frost & Sullivan. This represents an increase of more than 116 percent and is expected to continue increasing in the future. V
After a brief shutdown of all operations, vapor hardware manufacturers in China are now operating at more than 80 percent of pre pandemic production.
By Timothy S. Donahue
It’s not the same as it was this time last year. However, vapor hardware manufacturers in China that produce products for the world market are back in service after a brief hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mostly based in Shenzhen, the e-cigarette capital of the world, companies say that they are working hard at implementing new standards and processes in order to keep employees and customers safe.
They are also playing catch-up in collecting data for premarket tobacco product authorizations (PMTA) in the U.S. market. “The coronavirus is indeed having an impact on the PMTA process,” says Welford Ou, CEO of Smoktech, a major manufacturer. “For example, the behavioral investigations have been stopped, and it is also taking more time for us to prepare all the products for the PMTA.” As of this writing, PMTA applications are due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 12.
Smoore Technologies, the parent to Vaporesso and Feelm, says it “took strong and comprehensive measures” in advance of the virus’ outbreak. “We set up disease prevention and control teams in each of our facilities before the Chinese Spring Festival holiday. Dating back to the 20th of January, Feelm teams started to collect information, investigate employees’ conditions, prepare epidemic prevention supplies and disinfect public areas,” said Sofia Luo, marketing director for Feelm. “Before getting back on track, Feelm handed out a Covid-19 prevention and control booklet to each employee, providing scientific support to enhance health security.”
All Smoore facilities are now back up to at least 85 percent of pre-pandemic production, according to Luo. She says Feelm is already shipping goods to the U.S. and has been since the middle of February. “Smoore and its subsidiaries have enough key materials inventory, and all of our supply chain has recovered and is back in production,” she said. When asked whether there was a supply shortage, Luo replied, “In general, the impact of supply shortage is under control.”
Smoktech is getting back to its normal operations and more workers are expected to be hired as the virus outbreak is brought under control, according to Ou, who added that the company is awaiting the return of some workers from Wuhan (located in the Hubei province and the epicenter of the pandemic) where the quarantine was officially lifted on April 8.
“The sales are doing well even with the Spring Festival and a long time staying at home for virus control,” says Ou. “Our challenge is to get more skilled workers in [a] short amount of time to meet the growing demand. My concern for the world market is [that] hopefully they will embrace vaping and see it is better and safer than smoking cigarettes.”
Smoore took early action in order to prevent a massive global disruption in the vapor and e-cigarette market, according to Luo. She said that the company started to communicate frequently with its clients at the early stages of the pandemic. “We reminded customers to pay great attention to the epidemic. With the development of Covid-19 worldwide, most of our customers have been prepared (in terms of staff safety and inventory),” Luo stated. “The [virus] was a black swan event of great magnitude.” A “black swan” event refers to an unforeseen occurrence that typically has extreme consequences; in contrast, a “gray rhino” event is an obvious yet ignored threat.
Luo says that, although Covid-19 is spreading all over the world, the demand for e-cigarettes hasn’t changed. “Vapor stores in many countries remain open. And we know some brands are increasing the online sales and e commerce service,” she said. “We forecast [that] the 2020 industry will be the same size or a slight increase compared with 2019. And after PMTA, [the industry] will get a big increase.”
When it comes to issues like the limitation of freight and whether the virus could be on packaging, Feelm says the information from official sources are that there’s no limitation of freight, and the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms coronaviruses do not survive for extended periods on objects such as letters or packages and that it’s safe for people to receive packages from China.
Luo says Feelm will continue to stay updated on related information and adds that the company will spare no efforts to guarantee each product is clean and safe in all aspects from purchasing raw materials to exporting goods. Feelm products have been approved by several international quality and safety systems, according to Luo. “As a leading company in the automatization area, Feelm has the strength to embrace health and security first,” she says. “Disease prevention and control is our responsibility. Feelm is well prepared to protect employees’ safety to recover production and to win the battle.”
At its factories, Smoore and its other entities’ staff are well-equipped with protection products such as masks, gloves and other safety equipment, according to Luo. “Disinfection in public areas is proceeded twice a day. Exclusive dust bins for used face masks are placed throughout the facilities,” explains Luo. “All these measures lay a solid foundation to protect Feelm and all Smoore employees’ safety. This allows for the greatest possibility for full production recovery.”
THE NEW NORMAL
United we stand, together we win. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 at the end of last year, the Chinese government has implemented a series of powerful measures that have effectively controlled the spread of the virus, according to Sofia Luo, marketing director for Feelm, a major atomizer company based in Shenzhen, China.
“At present, production recovery has become the top priority. Allied with government regulations and a corporate plan, Feelm employees started to work online at the beginning of February. Now, all facilities serving Feelm clients are getting back on track,” explains Luo. “Thanks to Feelm’s advantages with having a strong supply chain and the ability to deal with emergencies, Covid-19 has had little impact on production. Once getting back to work, the production capacity will recover soon.”
In order to ensure the prevention of a recurrence of the virus within the company, Feelm has implemented an eight-step policy to enhance protocols and address health and security concerns for its employees. According to Luo, the first step requires all employees to register their current health status and any other conditions they may have.
“They must also inform us of the dates they are returning/returned to Shenzhen, the people they have met, etc.,” she says. “They must archive related documents setting up an exceptional first line of defense. Step two: any employees returning to Shenzhen from other places must isolate themselves at home for 14 days. They must work from home or online if applicable, according to Luo. Only if without any suspected symptoms like fever and coughing, are they permitted to return to the office. All employees must wear a face mask at [the] factory.”
Step three is all factories must have epidemic prevention supplies ready, according to Luo. Employees must wear a face mask while going out and have their temperature taken before stepping into the factory. They must also wash their hands after touching anything and always have disinfectants at hand.
Step four involves having strict Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) access control systems in place. Employees must wear identification badges and have their temperature taken twice a day. “Anyone whose body temperature is over 37.3 degrees Celsius should stay at home for medical observation,” says Luo. “Protecting yourself is protecting others.”
Luo explains that step five is one of the most vital steps. She says the company actively disinfects all public areas in factories twice a day. “Office areas are disinfected once a day after work. Public space and dormitories are also once a day,” she says. “Production area disinfection is arranged by departments.”
Step six involves maintaining the cleanliness in production workshops. “Enter the air shower room after disinfection, no more than six persons at one time. [The] distance between two workstations should be wider than one meter,” says Luo. “Reduce the number of employees at one production line. Add extra production lines if necessary. Spare no efforts to guarantee production safety.”
The final two steps are more lifestyle changes, according to Luo. Step seven centers on employees keeping a one-meter distance from each other while dining. “Dining out is temporarily prohibited. Keep [a] one-meter distance while queueing (getting in line) and dining. Wash hands before and after dinners,” Luo explains. “[A] disposable tableware policy has also been adopted. We also disinfect tables and chairs after using three times a day. Eat at ease, work at ease.”
Step eight asks for Feelm employees to avoid crowds while commuting. “Walk, ride or drive to work. Try to avoid public transport, if possible,” she says. “If you must, avoid touching anything. Clean phones and keys with wet tissue or medical alcohol often.”
Chinese manufacturers say UL certification proves that their vapor hardware is safe.
By Timothy S. Donahue
It’s a positive for the vapor industry. However, it’s also meaningless in the U.S., the world’s largest vapor market. Numerous vapor hardware manufacturers have produced Underwriters Laboratory (UL)-certified devices, but under current regulatory guidelines in the U.S., the safer products are often not allowed to be marketed. The exception to the rule is if the certified device had been marketed before Aug. 8, 2016, the cutoff date for new vapor products set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Several major Chinese manufacturers, including Aspire, Innokin, Joyetech, KangerTech, SmokTech and Vaporesso, have or will soon have UL-certified devices that were on the market before the FDA deadline; however, the hardware was certified after the deadline, and manufacturers have shied away from adding the UL logo because that could be construed by the FDA as altering the device. While the EU has allowed vapor products to innovate, the FDA has not permitted any new devices to be marketed in the U.S. since the Aug. 8, 2016, cutoff date. Vapor Voice recently visited with some of China’s leading vapor manufacturers in Shenzhen to discuss their efforts to get UL certified.
Joyetech has been an innovator in adopting UL standards. It was the first organization to receive a UL 8139 certification for its eGo AIO device, according to UL. Joshua Church, chief compliance officer of Joyetech, said that the UL standards are an important element to quality standards in the vapor industry. “UL compliance isn’t easy. It has taken a lot of time, money and effort to push products through the certification process,” he says. “Joyetech has been a leader in helping create and confirm these guidelines. Joyetech has its own ISO-certified labs and reinvests 50 percent of its profits back into R&D. Joyetech has its own UL-certified testing lab (or witness test data lab).”
Through UL’s witness test data program, tests may be conducted at customer or third-party test facilities under the supervision of UL personnel. Currently, Joyetech is the only manufacturer in China other than UL with a witness test lab. SmokTech’s lab, however, is nearly complete.
Welfer Ou, CEO of SmokTech, says his company’s products are used by more than 80 million vapers around the world, and choosing to get products UL certified was just a way to show customers that SmokTech is dedicated to making industry-changing innovations under the highest standards of safety and quality.
“We had our Novo pod system UL certified very quickly after the UL guidelines were confirmed,” says Ou. “We have spent a lot of time and money in equipment to be able to complete the required testing under UL standards. The FDA has stated that a PMTA [premarket tobacco product application] recommendation could involve UL 8139 certification, and we are working on having all of our models receive UL certification.”
George Xia, co-founder and vice president of Innokin, says consumer safety and producing quality products are a part of Innokin’s ethos. However, the vapor market is changing very fast, and competition is getting fiercer. Xia says he sees having devices UL certified as a way for a company to set itself above the competition.
“The Kroma-A and Zenith kit were the world’s first variable output mod certified UL 8139,” says Xia. “It is one of the best-selling mods internationally. We have been paving our own trail in R&D, and Innokin will continue to work closely with UL on the certification of existing and future devices. We are committed to constantly improving our manufacturing and quality control [QC] standards that are already some of the best in the industry. Innokin devices are always focusing on safety and durability. It has become a part of our core culture, and our customers enjoy these qualities.”
A global safety consulting and certification company, UL collaborates with a diverse array of stakeholders to create standards that generate level playing fields to help develop new pathways for innovation. The organization’s UL 8139 guidelines evaluate the safety of the electrical, heating, battery and charging systems while also addressing fire safety concerns raised by North American fire officials. The new UL standard has been published with the acceptance of the American National Standard Institute and Canada Standards.
UL 8139 requirements include determining if lithium cells are operating within safety windows, assessing the battery management system for both regular use and likely misuse, and evaluating compatibility among interconnected systems. The UL 8139 requirements also consider wide environmental parameters and conditions, tests for reasonably expected mechanical stress in use/misuse and requires devices to direct venting away from the inhaler.
UL 8139 standards were written specifically for electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) and are part of the larger UL 1642 standard that covers a wide array of lithium-ion products. To qualify for UL 8139, the battery cells must be internalized, meaning that the standard 18650 e-cigarette battery can never be certified or listed under the UL standard if it’s changeable or not inside a battery pack. However, it can receive a UL “Recognized Component Mark” or “RU.” This quality mark can be applied to components that are affiliated with a UL-listed product.
Currently, KangerTech does not have a UL-certified device. This will change soon, however, according to Danny Zhu, founder and chairman of KangerTech. “We are working on getting some of our products UL certified,” he says. “It isn’t about being first; it is about doing things the right way the first time. We are also now actively working on breakthrough technology that focuses on some common issues such as leakage. In a few months, KangerTech will have new products that will address the concerns of the consumer. This will improve the customer experience. That is most important to KangerTech. This technology will be applied to both open and closed systems and will, for the first time in the industry, combine the battery and cartomizer to make the system work better.”
Eve Wang, the director of sales and marketing for Vaporesso, said that UL is certifying e-cigarettes to enhance consumer safety, and that’s one of the same goals Vaporesso has. “At Vaporesso, we have a real drive to give people a vaping lifestyle that is not only safe but up to our high standards,” she says. “First and foremost, we built up a panel of experts to study and understand the requirements of the UL certification. Then, we had the team look at our existing product portfolio to ascertain that we definitely shared the same vision. Even with our early stage products, like the Tarot Nano, we had the same mindset. We sent out the device to UL for testing, and based on the feedback we received, we made small adjustments to obtain our certificate successfully. The Tarot Nano is one of our earliest and most popular devices, released in early 2016.”
Tony Lau, president of Aspire, says that battery quality is a major factor in achieving UL certification. In order to guarantee the quality of batteries in Aspire products, Lau opened his own battery factory. “Yes, we are continuing to put products through the UL 8139 certification process,” says Lau. “We will also send materials from our battery factory and other suppliers to a third-party testing facility to test the quality of materials and [see] if it meets our standards. The third-party is a global standards company. Every batch is tested for quality, size … if it is OK from a production standpoint. This is critical to maintaining high QC standards.”
Because the FDA doesn’t allow new vapor products on the market that have been introduced after its deadline, many companies are selling their improved products in other markets, such as Asia and Europe. Vaporesso states that the FDA’s rules don’t prevent the company from innovating. “We are constantly striving for new ways to bring safer, more advanced devices to the entire market, not just the U.S.,” said Wang. “So, by continuing to work closely with the FDA and making sure our premarket tobacco product application certificates are processed as smoothly as possible, we hope to be able to make all of our new innovations available for everyone as quickly as possible.”
Ou says that SmokTech’s quality control is internally controlled to maintain a high level of success. The company places a major focus on the R&D process, which needs to be strong and consistent from the single sample to mass production. “We want to be able to control the high quality expected in a Smok product,” he said. “Our biggest advantage is quality control. If the quality is bad, people can only trust you the first time. We want to be trusted repeatedly. We want to be a global brand, not just a Chinese brand.”
Wang adds that Smoore (Vaporesso’s parent company) is also putting its pod system, the Renova Zero, through the UL certification process, and more existing products with the UL certification will be released soon. “We will make UL certifications standard for our future products by making it our R&D standard,” she says.
Church said he couldn’t be more pleased with how Chinese manufacturers have embraced UL certification. “The UL standards are a way for a company to prove that their products meet a high level of safety and quality,” he says. “This isn’t just saying, ‘Oh, our products are safe.’ This is proving our products are safe.”
