The global cigarette machinery market is dominated by a small number of specialist engineering companies — Körber Technologies for high-speed cigarette making machines, the Coesia Group (which includes Molins, SASIB, and GD) for mid-speed making and cigarette packing machines, and Focke and Co for hinge-lid packing and downstream packaging. Understanding which brand makes which machine, what each brand’s strengths are, and how the brands relate to each other is essential for any factory buyer evaluating cigarette machinery options.
The Four Main Brand Groups in Cigarette Machinery
| Brand Group | HQ | Key Machines | Market Position |
| Körber Technologies | Hamburg, Germany | Protos 70, 80 ER, M5 | Dominant in high-speed making — global installed base leader |
| Coesia Group (Molins, SASIB, GD) | Bologna, Italy / London, UK | Mark 8, Mark 9, SASIB 3000/5000/6000, GD X2/X3 | Dominant in mid-speed making and all cigarette packing |
| Focke and Co | Verden, Germany | HLP 180/250/400, overwrappers | Dominant in hinge-lid packing and downstream packaging |
| ITM (Poland) | Warsaw, Poland | Filter rod systems, handling | Specialist in filter and logistics systems |
Körber Technologies — High Speed Cigarette Making
Who they are: Körber Technologies — formerly Hauni Maschinenbau AG — is a German engineering company headquartered in Hamburg. Founded in 1946, Körber has been the dominant force in high-speed cigarette making machine technology for over seven decades. The Körber Technologies brand now operates as part of the broader Körber AG group.
What they make: Körber makes the Protos range of high-speed cigarette making machines — the Protos 70 at 7,000 cpm, the Protos 80 ER at 8,000 cpm, and the Protos M5 at 12,000 cpm. Körber also makes the Hauni KDF range of filter making machines. For a complete guide to the Protos range, see our Körber Protos Cigarette Maker guide.
Market position: Körber holds the largest global installed base of high-speed cigarette making machines. The Protos 70 is the most widely deployed high-speed cigarette maker in the world. Körber maintains direct service offices and parts depots in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East — giving it the strongest global service network of any cigarette machinery manufacturer.
Control systems: Körber machines use Siemens or Beckhoff IPC control platforms on the Protos 80 ER. The Protos 70 uses digital control systems. The Protos M5 uses AI-assisted sensor systems with approximately 370 monitoring parameters.
Hauni brand: Hauni Maschinenbau AG was the original company name — many engineers and factory managers still refer to Körber machines as Hauni machines. The Hauni name remains on some component descriptions including the Hauni KDF filter making machine and the Hauni Max S filter tip assembler.
Coesia Group — Molins, SASIB and GD
Who they are: The Coesia Group is an Italian industrial group headquartered in Bologna that owns multiple cigarette machinery brands acquired over decades — including Molins, SASIB, and GD. Each brand retains its own product identity and engineering heritage while operating under the Coesia corporate structure.
Molins — Mid Speed Cigarette Making
Heritage: Molins PLC was founded in London in 1912 and was the original developer of the continuous rod cigarette making machine — the fundamental technology that all modern cigarette making machines are based on. Molins is now part of the Coesia Group.
What they make: Molins makes the Mark series of mid-speed cigarette making machines — the MK8D at up to 3,000 cpm and the Mark 9 at up to 5,500 cpm. The Hauni Max 3 and Max S filter tip assemblers — which pair with Mark 8 and Mark 9 respectively — are Hauni products that became part of the Coesia ecosystem through Körber’s filter assembler collaboration with Molins platforms. For full Mark 8 details see our How the Molins Mark 8 Works guide and for the Mark 9 see our Molins Mark 9 guide.
Market position: Molins holds the largest global installed base of mid-speed cigarette making machines. The Mark 9 is the most widely deployed mid-speed platform globally. The large installed base creates a deep refurbished machine and spare parts market that makes Mark 8 and Mark 9 machines accessible to factories at almost every budget level.
SASIB — Cigarette Packing Machines
Heritage: SASIB S.p.A. is a Bologna-based Italian manufacturer with a long history in cigarette packing machinery. SASIB is now part of the Coesia Group.
What they make: SASIB makes the soft pack cigarette packing machine range — the SASIB 3000 at 400 ppm, SASIB 5000 at 500 ppm for 100mm format, and SASIB 6000 at 500 ppm for both soft and hinge-lid formats. SASIB also makes the Boxer carton boxing machine and naked over wrapper configurations. For full SASIB packing machine details see our guides to the SASIB 6000 and SASIB 5000.
Market position: SASIB is the dominant brand in soft pack cigarette packing globally. The SASIB 3000 and 6000 are among the most widely deployed cigarette packing machines in the world. SASIB’s packing machines typically pair with Molins making machines on mid-speed production lines.
GD — High Speed Cigarette Packing
Heritage: G.D S.p.A. (Grafica Durst) is a Bologna-based Italian manufacturer specialising in high-speed cigarette packing and packaging machinery. GD is part of the Coesia Group.
What they make: GD makes the X-series of high-speed hinge-lid cigarette packing machines — the X2 at 420 ppm and X3 at 500 ppm — alongside downstream packaging systems including the C600 PACK wrapping and cartoning line. For full GD packing machine details see our GD X2 and X3 Cigarette Packing Machines guide.
Market position: GD is the leading brand in high-speed hinge-lid cigarette packing globally. The GD X2 and X3 are the standard high-speed hinge-lid packers for factories running Protos 70 and Protos 80 ER making machines. GD’s integrated C600 PACK downstream packaging line is widely used in high-volume factories requiring packing, cartoning, and overwrapping in one integrated system.
Focke and Co — Hinge-Lid Packing and Downstream Packaging
Who they are: Focke and Co GmbH is a German engineering company founded in 1955 and headquartered in Verden, Germany. Unlike Körber and Coesia, Focke remains an independent family-owned company.
What they make: Focke makes the HLP series of hinge-lid cigarette packing machines — the HLP 180 at 180 ppm, HLP 250 at 250 ppm, and HLP 400 at 400 ppm — alongside the Focke FX Series integrated downstream packaging lines covering boxing, overwrapping, and automated material handling. For full HLP 250 details see our How the HLP 250 Works guide.
Market position: Focke is the dominant brand in mid-speed hinge-lid cigarette packing globally. The HLP 250 is the most widely deployed mid-speed hinge-lid packer. The Focke FX Series integrated downstream packaging system is widely used in factories requiring a complete automated packaging line downstream of the cigarette maker.
How the Brands Work Together on a Production Line
On most commercial cigarette production lines, machines from different brands work together. A typical mid-scale production line might combine:
- Molins Mark 9 cigarette making machine — mid-speed maker
- Hauni KDF filter making machine — filter rods for the Mark 9
- SASIB 6000 cigarette packing machine — packing the cigarettes the Mark 9 produces
- SASIB Boxer — carton boxing the packed cigarettes
- Focke overwrapper — cellophaning the cartons
A high-speed line might combine a Körber Protos 80 ER making machine with a GD X3 packing machine and GD C600 PACK downstream packaging line. Understanding which brands pair naturally on a production line helps factory buyers plan complete line specifications — not just individual machine purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What brands make cigarette machines?
The main brands that make cigarette machines are Körber Technologies (Protos range — high-speed makers), Molins (Mark 8 and Mark 9 — mid-speed makers, now part of Coesia Group), SASIB (soft pack packing machines, part of Coesia Group), GD (high-speed hinge-lid packing, part of Coesia Group), and Focke and Co (HLP mid-speed hinge-lid packing). Körber and Coesia together dominate the global cigarette machinery market.
What is the difference between Körber and Molins cigarette machines?
Körber Technologies makes high-speed cigarette making machines — the Protos range at 7,000 to 12,000 cpm. Molins makes mid-speed cigarette making machines — the Mark 8 at up to 3,000 cpm and the Mark 9 at 5,500 cpm. Körber machines are for factories targeting above 3 billion cigarettes per year. Molins machines are for factories targeting under 3 billion. Molins is now part of the Coesia Group while Körber is an independent group.
What does SASIB make?
SASIB makes cigarette packing machines — specifically the soft pack range including the SASIB 3000 at 400 ppm, SASIB 5000 for 100mm format at 500 ppm, and SASIB 6000 for both soft and hinge-lid formats at 500 ppm. SASIB also makes the Boxer carton boxing machine. SASIB is part of the Coesia Group, headquartered in Bologna, Italy.
What does GD make in cigarette machinery?
GD (G.D S.p.A.) makes high-speed hinge-lid cigarette packing machines — the GD X2 at 420 ppm and GD X3 at 500 ppm — and integrated downstream packaging systems including the C600 PACK wrapping and cartoning line. GD is part of the Coesia Group and is the leading brand in high-speed hinge-lid cigarette packing globally.
Is Hauni the same as Körber?
Hauni Maschinenbau AG was the original company name — the company rebranded to Körber Technologies as part of the broader Körber AG group restructuring. Many engineers and factory managers still refer to Körber cigarette making machines as Hauni machines. The Hauni name remains on specific component descriptions including the Hauni KDF filter making machine and the Hauni Max S filter tip assembler used on Molins Mark 9 platforms.
Conclusion
The global cigarette machinery market is built on a small number of specialist brands — Körber for high-speed making, Molins for mid-speed making, SASIB and GD for packing, and Focke for hinge-lid packing and downstream packaging. Understanding what each brand makes, their market position, and how they combine on a production line is the foundation for evaluating cigarette machinery options accurately. For a complete guide to all cigarette making machine types and speed tiers across these brands, see our What Is a Cigarette Making Machine guide. For tobacco machinery suppliers in USA who supply machines from all these brands, see our dedicated suppliers page.
