How to Fill iCell Ceramic Snap-on Cartridges

The Ascent iCell ceramic snap-on cartridge is known for its world-class power and flavor, but the fillers should be very efficient.

Necessary Equipment:

• 100x iCell ceramic cartridges
• 1x auto-filling machine or cartridge gun filler.
• 1x Heating magnetic stirrer
• 1x Capping machine or 12mm socket wrench

Process:

To begin, make sure your filling machine is set up correctly:

All heat pads should be tight and securely fastened. You do not want any heat loss between any possible spaces between the heat pad and material vessels (lines, reservoir, and fittings). As you homogenize your product, pre-heating your filling units is also important.

1. Line heat pads on the cartridge gun unit should be set to 175-215°F
2. Reservoir heat pads on the cartridge gun unit should be set to 125-175°F

Allow your cartridge gun to preheat for 10-15 minutes.

Mixing

Mixing to total homogenization is highly essential. For complete homogenization, the mixed material must be in liquid form with a viscosity similar to olive oil. We recommend using a heating magnetic stirrer to warm distillates and diamonds to homogenization temperatures (194°F):

1. Heat your base material to a mixing temperature.
2. Once liquified, your starting material vessel has pre-weighed batches of terps dumped in.
3. Once the terpenes are mixed in, you can place the homogenizer probe in and mix. (Your homogenizer should be adequately sized to mix the entire batch in less than a minute.)

Filling

Now that you have the product mixed and up to a temperature of 176°F you can pour your product into your reservoir:

1. Once you have all the product in your reservoir, you can begin to prime your gun:

• To do so, begin by bringing the gun to the top of the reservoir and depressing the plunger to push out all the volume in the dispenser.
• As you continue holding the plunger down on the gun, bring it below the reservoir and let it refill.
• Repeat process approx. 5-10 times.

Remember: even when the material starts to flow freely, prime the dispenser a few more times afterward to ensure that all material going through lines is at the correct temperature.

2. Now, you can attach your needles and start filling them. 

• DO NOT REST THE NEEDLE AGAINST THE GLASS OR THE CENTER POST!
• Every fill should have the needle pointed directly down into the cartridge to avoid stressing the center post or surrounding glass.

Capping

There is a 5-minute time limit on capping the cartridges. The operator must be able to fill a tray in the amount needed in under 3-4 minutes. Each cartridge must be capped within the first five minutes of filling it.

The filling team’s job is to get the product off heat as fast as possible for the best color and flavor, so set the filling space up to be efficient from filling to capping. The cappers should be on the opposite side of the filler, with the filler starting closest to the capper and moving left to right, so the capper has easy access to the cartridges without obstructing the filler.

1. When the filler starts their fill, they announce “FILLING” to the team. The capper then starts a clock and marks the first cartridge filled to ensure correct capping.
2. The capper should be equipped with both individual caps and a 100-tray tray of caps to ensure capping occurs whether the filler is finished or not.
3. The capper places either an individual cap or a full tray.
4. The capper then aligns the cap over the cartridge and presses down with the capping tool (or 12mm socket wrench).

Ascent all-ceramic cartridges are the only cartridges that can be flipped after filling to offset capping pressure without flooding the coil. This allows for a fuller-looking cartridge.