Table of Contents
- Who is the FX-8 designed for?
- How does the FX-8 eliminate inconsistency in infusion?
- How much can the FX-8 reduce labor costs?
- How does the FX-8 overcome throughput bottlenecks?
- How does the FX-8 minimize product waste?
- How does the FX-8 prevent sticky clumping and downstream issues?
- How does the FX-8 improve safety and cleanliness?
- FAQs
Who is the FX-8 designer for?
The FX-8 Flower Infusion Machine represents a fundamental shift in how cannabis processors approach infused flower production. Understanding whether the FX-8 fits your operation requires honest assessment of your production goals, current challenges, and growth trajectory. While many processors first encounter automation through a cartridge filling machine, scaling infused flower production introduces a different set of challenges that require purpose-built infusion technology rather than adapted filling equipment.
Mid-to-High Volume Infused Product Manufacturers
The FX-8 is engineered for operations producing or planning to produce significant volumes of infused flower products. If your operation processes less than 50 lbs of infused flower weekly, manual methods or smaller batch systems might suffice. However, operations processing 50+ lbs weekly find the FX-8's 8-lb capacity per 5-minute cycle directly addresses their throughput requirements.
Infused pre-rolls accounted for 44.4% of the pre-roll market and generated $1.75 billion in sales in the first half of 2024. Brands capturing meaningful share in this category need production capacity that matches market demand, not artisanal batch sizes that create bottlenecks when sales accelerate.
Brands Producing Premium Infused Products
Not all infused products are created equal. Brands targeting premium segments—live resin-infused pre-rolls, strain-specific infusions, specialty moonrocks, or snowcaps—require equipment that preserves product integrity rather than just coating flower with concentrate.
The FX-8's precision atomization technology creates a fine mist that infuses flower thoroughly without creating sticky clumps or uneven distribution. This mirrors the same engineering philosophy behind a high-end cartridge filling machine, where precise metering and controlled flow determine final product quality. For premium products, consistency, terpene preservation, and visual appeal directly justify higher pricing.
Operations Scaling from Manual to Automated Infusion
Many cannabis processors begin infused production with manual methods, bulk-infusing pre-rolls with distillate and rolling in kief, or tumbling flower with concentrate in bins. These approaches work at small scale but reveal limitations quickly.
Manual infusion can cost approximately $5 per joint in labor alone. When you're producing hundreds or thousands of infused units daily, those labor costs compound into six-figure annual expenses that automation eliminates.
The FX-8 targets operations at the inflection point where manual processes have proven the market exists, but scaling further requires industrial-grade equipment. Processors currently filling 500-1,000 infused pre-rolls daily through manual methods find the FX-8 transforms economics and opens capacity for growth.
Multi-Product Diversification Strategies
Smart cannabis brands don't rely on a single product category. The FX-8 serves operations that want flexibility across infused product types:
Infused Ground Flower for Pre-Rolls: Process 8 lbs of ground flower per 5-minute cycle, creating homogeneous material for high-volume pre-roll filling operations.
Premium Infused Buds: Infuse whole buds for specialty products like moonrocks (flower coated with concentrate and kief) or snowcaps (partially coated premium buds).
Strain-Specific Infusions: Match live resin or sauce to corresponding flower genetics for enhanced entourage effects and premium positioning.
Diverse Concentrate Types: Handle distillate, live resin, live rosin (wet infusions) and kief, THCa diamonds (dry infusions) with the same equipment.
This versatility means one system supports multiple SKUs and revenue streams rather than requiring separate equipment for each product type.
MSOs and Multi-Facility Operations
Multi-state operators face unique challenges: maintaining product consistency across facilities, training efficiency with standardized systems, and equipment that meets varying state regulatory requirements.
The FX-8's USA manufacturing, GMP-compliant materials (316L stainless steel, pharmaceutical-grade components), and modular design make it suitable for operations standardizing equipment across multiple locations. When every facility uses identical systems, operators transfer seamlessly between locations, maintenance becomes predictable, and product quality remains uniform regardless of where it's produced.
How does the FX-8 eliminate inconsistency in infusion?
Manual infusion methods create inherent variability. Hand-infusing pre-rolls is inconsistent—some joints get too much concentrate, while others get too little. Over-infused products burn poorly, while under-infused ones don't deliver expected effects. Customers notice these flaws, and their trust declines.
Tumbling flower with concentrate in bins creates similar issues. Mixing flower and concentrates is a difficult, messy procedure that's hard to get right. Kitchen mixers or hand mixing will not homogenize the two substances, resulting in hot spots where concentrate pools and under-infused sections within the same batch.
The FX-8 Solution: Precision Atomization
The FX-8's advanced spray mechanism atomizes distillate, live resin, and live rosin into a fine, consistent mist, ensuring even, efficient coating across both whole buds and ground flower. This precision delivery maximizes infusion consistency, preserves terpene profiles, and reduces product waste.
The engineered inner drum features directional helical fins that lift, tumble, and roll flower in controlled, three-dimensional motion. This spiral geometry continuously moves material from the bottom of the drum to the top, eliminating dead zones, preventing clumping, and ensuring all flower passes through the atomized spray path.
The result: every batch achieves the same potency distribution, burn characteristics, and consumer experience. Consistency isn't an aspiration—it's engineered into the process.
How much can the FX-8 reduce labor costs?
Manual finishing dominates many facilities and scales poorly. When output doubles, labor doubles. This mirrors the inefficiencies seen in hand-filling before automation with a cartridge filling machine became standard practice.
The economics become unsustainable quickly. At $5 per joint in labor costs, producing 1,000 infused pre-rolls daily costs $5,000 in labor alone…$1.3 million annually. When demand doubles, labor costs double. Manual processes scale linearly: more output requires proportionally more workers.
The FX-8 Solution: Single-Operator Throughput
The FX-8 processes 8 lbs of flower per 5-minute cycle with one operator. For operations producing infused pre-rolls, this translates to dramatically reduced per-unit labor costs.
Consider the transformation: a manual team of 6-8 workers hand-infusing pre-rolls gets replaced by one operator running the FX-8. Labor cost per unit drops from $5 to approximately $0.50, a 90% reduction that flows directly to margin improvement.
Beyond direct labor savings, automation reduces the challenges of hiring, training, turnover, and supervision. Scaling with manual labor means hiring, training, and managing more workers, which increases costs and error rates. Automated systems eliminate manual bottlenecks by processing thousands of units per hour with minimal operator oversight.
How does the FX-8 overcome throughput bottlenecks?
Infused pre-rolls grew 22% year-over-year in the U.S., with the category now representing nearly half of all pre-roll sales. Brands relying on manual or semi-automated methods struggle to scale and keep pace with competitors who embrace full automation.
Production capacity determines whether you can accept large retail orders, support multi-location dispensary chains, or expand into new markets. Manual infusion methods cap throughput regardless of market demand. You simply cannot hire and train workers fast enough to match growth opportunities.
The FX-8 Solution: Industrial-Scale Capacity
Processing 8 lbs in 5 minutes means the FX-8 delivers genuine industrial throughput. Over an 8-hour shift, a single FX-8 can process 96 cycles—768 lbs of infused flower. For pre-roll production, this represents tens of thousands of units from one machine, one operator.
This capacity creates strategic advantages:
Accept Large Orders: Retail chains ordering 10,000+ infused pre-rolls weekly become accessible rather than overwhelming.
Multi-Shift Operations: Run the FX-8 across multiple shifts to multiply output without multiplying equipment investment.
Rapid Product Launches: Test new SKUs and scale successful products quickly without equipment constraints.
Market Expansion: Support multi-state growth with equipment that delivers consistent capacity wherever installed.
The throughput difference between manual methods and the FX-8 isn't incremental—it's transformational. Brands discover that production capacity shifts from limiting factor to competitive advantage.
How does the FX-8 minimize product waste?
Manual infusion wastes concentrate through spillage, uneven application, and material stuck to processing equipment. When you're adding sticky oil or concentrate to infuse raw cannabis material, it creates several difficulties in handling, equipment clogging, and maintaining consistent ratios batch to batch.
External infusion—painting distillate on pre-rolls and rolling in kief—looks appealing but wastes material. It's hard to find consistency in the application of oil and kief, and there's something to be said about the amount of cannabis concentrate that gets lost in the process.
Even 2-3% waste compounds dramatically. If distillate costs $10 per gram and you process 100 lbs weekly with 2.5% waste, that's $113,000 in annual waste from concentrate alone.
The FX-8 Solution: Minimal Material Loss
The FX-8's advanced atomization technology delivers a controlled fine mist that absorbs into flower rather than sticking to surfaces. This minimizes residual loss, reducing waste while preserving product integrity.
The true-batch bag system further reduces waste and cross-contamination. Specialty round-bottom drum liners vacuum-formed to fit the rotating drum securely contain product and keep every batch mess-free. A magnetic ring locks the bag in place for quick, easy setup.
Even with sticky, challenging concentrates, the system maintains workflow speed, ensures consistent coverage, and enables fast batch changeovers. Operators can skip drum cleaning entirely—simply swap in a new bag and keep production moving.
This design reduces waste from typical 2-3% with manual methods to under 0.5% with the FX-8. The savings directly improve margin on every batch processed.
How does the FX-8 prevent sticky clumping and downstream issues?
Traditional infusion methods—whether tumbling in bins or mixing by hand—frequently create sticky clumps that gum up downstream equipment. Make sure you are not using too much oil and sabotaging your own process—the flowability of flower through pre-roll filling machines depends heavily on how well infusion was executed.
Clumped flower won't feed properly into filling equipment, causing jams, inconsistent weights, and production delays. What started as an attempt to create premium infused products becomes a maintenance nightmare affecting the entire production line.
Temperature control failures compound the problem. In general, infusion can be a messy, sticky process. When distillate or oil becomes too warm, it flows excessively and creates clumping as flower particles bind together.
The FX-8 Solution: Temperature-Controlled Environment
The FX-8 operates in a temperature-controlled environment with a jacketed wetted section that provides advanced thermal management for the 3.5L tank, hose, and valve. This ensures precise temperature control throughout the infusion process, preserving terpenes and product integrity while maintaining optimal concentrate viscosity.
By infusing at controlled temperatures rather than relying on excessive heat, the FX-8 prevents the over-saturation and stickiness that plague manual methods. Flower exits the system thoroughly infused but flowable—ready for pre-roll filling equipment without causing jams or processing issues.
The temperature control also preserves terpene profiles that justify premium pricing. Live resin and rosin infusions maintain their distinctive aroma and flavor characteristics because the FX-8 doesn't overheat delicate volatile compounds during processing.
How does the FX-8 improve safety and cleanliness?
Manual infusion exposes operators to cannabinoid-rich aerosols and leaves concentrate residue on surfaces, clothing, and skin. Traditional manual methods are labor-intensive and create messy work environments that raise safety and compliance concerns.
Some manual tumbling systems create airborne concentrate particles that workers inhale. Beyond the immediate exposure risk, contaminated work environments require extensive cleaning, create cross-contamination hazards, and complicate compliance with occupational safety regulations.
The FX-8 Solution: Enclosed, Filtered System
The FX-8 is engineered with operator safety as a top priority. Its vacuum-assisted, MERV-13 filtered system captures all atomized cannabinoids, preventing airborne exposure and keeping the workspace clean.
This advanced containment eliminates the need for respirators, Tyvek suits, or other protective gear, allowing operators to work safely and comfortably while maintaining high production efficiency. With no external moving components, all infusion occurs safely inside the internal rotating drum, further reducing risk and localizing the process.
The true-batch bag system contributes to cleanliness as well. Because operators swap bags between batches rather than cleaning the drum, there's no daily scraping of dried concentrate from equipment interiors—a time-consuming and messy task that manual systems require.
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The FX-8 isn't for every cannabis operation. Small-batch artisanal producers processing a few pounds weekly or brands testing infused products for the first time might not justify industrial-scale equipment.
However, for mid-to-high volume manufacturers producing premium infused products, operations scaling from manual to automated processes, brands diversifying across multiple infused product types, or MSOs standardizing equipment across facilities, the FX-8 solves fundamental problems that manual methods cannot. Learn how the FX-8 transforms infused product economics and capabilities. Contact Detroit Dispensing Solutions to discuss your production needs.
Frequently asked questions
Mid-to-high volume processors (50+ lbs/week infused flower), premium brands, operations scaling from manual, multi-product lines, and MSOs needing consistency across facilities.
When exceeding 50–100 lbs weekly or facing bottlenecks from manual methods—its 8-lb/5-minute cycle supports industrial scaling.
Precision atomization and temperature control preserve terpenes and deliver even coating for superior flavor, potency, and appeal.
Replaces 6–8 manual workers with one operator; labor drops from ~$5 to ~$0.50 per unit—a 90% reduction.
Up to 768 lbs in an 8-hour shift (96 cycles), enabling tens of thousands of infused pre-rolls or buds.
Yes—advanced mist and batch liners cut waste to <0.5% (vs. 2–3% manual), saving significant margins at scale.
Yes—handles distillate, live resin, rosin (wet) plus kief, THCa (dry) for versatile products like moonrocks and infused pre-rolls.
Enclosed vacuum filtration (MERV-13) captures aerosols—no respirators or suits needed, cleaner and safer workspace.
Yes—GMP-compliant, modular, and USA-made for standardized quality, training, and maintenance across locations.
Infused pre-rolls hold ~66% in California and 43–48% nationally (with billions in sales and strong growth)—automation like the FX-8 is essential to meet demand without manual limitations.