Mark 9 Max S

The Mark 9 Max S pairs the MK-9 cigarette maker body with the Max-S combiner, and it's the real jump in output from the Mark 8 line: 4,500 to 5,000 cigarettes per minute against the Mark 8D's 3,000. For a factory outgrowing its Mark 8 equipment but not ready for a Protos-class line, this is the natural next step.

The Max-S filter assembler runs through a mass flow tray filler rather than an older-style combiner, which keeps material waste and filter misalignment down at this higher speed. Circumference range stays at 17mm to 28.3mm with 65mm to 110mm filter-plus-rod length, and the default setup runs standard 84mm.

Worth noting for anyone comparing our Mark 9-family listings directly: this unit runs the MK-9 maker body, not the later MK-9.5. The Mark 9.5 Max S in our range uses the newer 9.5 body at the same rated speed, and the Mark 9.5 Lenze Servo Drives unit trades some of that speed ceiling for servo-driven format-change precision. All three share the same Max-S combiner concept, so the real choice between them comes down to maker generation and whether raw speed or format-change precision matters more for your line.

At around 7,800 kg, it's a heavy, stable machine built for continuous running, and a well-documented step for a factory scaling past entry-level output without committing to top-tier Protos volume.

The MK-9 maker and Max-S tipper stay in sync through a continuous speed-reference signal: the tipper tracks the maker's speed within roughly 0.1% to 0.5%, and rising rejects at the Max-S transfer point are usually the first sign that this synchronization has drifted and needs recalibrating. On the maintenance side, the parts that wear fastest and get replaced most often are garniture tapes, suction bands, cut-off knives, tipping drums, and the Max-S combiner's cam assemblies, all of which are available through both Molins OEM channels and independent aftermarket suppliers.