Demands that are usually considered when developing a cannabis vaporizer

When we define and develop any product or products, we analyze the needs of our customers very carefully. Cannabis vaporizer is the second last stop before a cannabis vaporization product is launched on the market, and it can be a bit different compared to e-cigs. Primarily, the final product is filled and capped outside of the hardware manufacturer's borders, and there are a large number of production or testing processes that are outside of the hardware vendor's control or knowledge. At the same time, there are no scenarios for practicing, as cannabis itself is a controlled substance in China. In my past product development and definition process, I also experienced a lot of good and bad times. Here are a few aspects that we will consider in our product definition process.

First of all, we need to define, what is cannabis atomization hardware.? Here is my understanding,

A cannabis vaporizer is a device used by cannabis vape brands or manufacturers to load cannabis products and use them to deliver a specific cannabis atomization experience to the consumer.

Based on this definition, there are two major demands that need to be taken into consideration when designing such a product, the needs of the cannabis vape brands on the one hand and the needs of the consumer on the other.

The needs of the brands are a business-to-business concept:

1. The first thing to consider is reliability. That is, will the product have a quality problem above a specific percentage after large-scale production of oiling and packaging? Such quality issues, in terms of severity, include safety issues: i.e., heat generation and spontaneous combustion due to the presence of batteries, which is the biggest risk for business customers. The second is a large percentage of leaks, clogging, and odors. Due to the high unit price of oil and the difficulty of recycling, large-scale quality issues can be fatal for a brand.

Reliability is the Hygiene factor.

2. The next one is productivity.? Many licensed manufacturers‘是production facilities are cGMP-compliant. Was the vaporizer moved in in a clean way? So are the outer box as well as the inner box GMP compliant?

Secondly, how do the atomizers in boxes or cartons flow to the customer's oiling equipment? Is it taken one by one by hand, or can the whole tray be put over;

Third, when filling oil, is the space left for the customer large enough? Is it obvious enough? Is it necessary to carry out other preparatory actions before oil injection? Whether it is compatible with automated machines? Oil-filling is one of the most important parts affecting production efficiency;

Fourth, is the capping. Capping process accounts for most of the leaking cases.? In which way are the devices capped? Is the time limit of capping in conflict with the workflow of the site? After the completion of the capping process, are there other considerations that may affect the reliability of the product or packaging process?

Productivity is a motivator.

3. Atomization efficiency: how to consume more oil in a certain time or hit.

4. Matching: The atomizer has the oil atomized into the desired flavor or state.

5. Personalization: whether the hardware can match the brand's style and personality in appearance, which in turn helps the brand to attract its consumers.

6. Regional or industry regulations: for example, heavy metal standards, which are different in California and Illinois, child-resistant design requirements, and so on;

7. Price, or cost. In the cannabis industry, vape brands are not particularly concerned with how cheap you are. The hardware stands a very low share of the cost of the finished product, less than a tenth in many cases. So it doesn't require too much effort on cost reduction because the marginal benefits of cost reduction are not obvious to the customer. Of course, this point is currently changing, because the industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and some customers in the profitability of the pressure have begun to consider reducing costs on the vaping devices.

So what are some aspects of consumer demand for vaping devices? Usually, consumers do not evaluate a piece of hardware separately. They take the vape as a whole product. Several aspects related to hardware are as follows:

1. Right appearance. The appearance of a product is starting to have a bigger and bigger impact on whether or not a consumer chooses an atomizer. From the traditional 510 thread carts, to cigarette-like disposable, to flat disposable or pod products, there are more and more appearances; from baby boomers to Generation X Y, and Z, they have different preferences for shapes. and consumers are also attracted by different CMFs and colors. Similar to the e-cig sector, Users want to show their taste through their choice of appearance.

2. Discreet: In this industry, "small" is always right, which is to meet the user's privacy needs.

3. Ergonomic: the level of suction resistance, whether the mouthpiece is healthy and comfortable, whether the buttons are easy to press with the thumb and forefinger when smoking;

4. Performance: Volume of vapor, flavor consistency from first day to last.

5. Quality: leakage, clogging, burnt, odor, and oil-battery match.

By identifying a certain combination of different needs, we adapt different technologies and designs to match the positioning of different cannabis vapes. If there is no proper package, then an innovation will be created. ?