There is provided an aerosol-generating article including a heat source: an aerosol-forming substrate disposed in thermal communication with the heat source; and a heat-conducting component disposed around at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate, the heat-conducting component including an outer surface forming at least part of an outer surface of the aerosol-generating article, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the heat-conducting component includes a surface treatment and has an emissivity of less than about 0.6. A method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article is also provided.

The apparatus (10) for processing a continuous band of wrapping material (40) comprises a roller pair (20, 30) defining a roller gap (12) there between, wherein the rollers (20, 30) have matching convex and concave shapes, respectively. The invention is also directed to a corresponding method for treatment of wrapping material (40).

Provided are system, method, and device for automatically making cigarettes. According to embodiments, the method may include: rotating a cigarette tube loader barrel to load an empty cigarette tube; moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from a start position to one of one or more fill positions, wherein the one of the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from a tobacco feeder nozzle corresponding to a size of the empty cigarette tube; filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle; moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position; and rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload a filled cigarette.

A method for applying adhesive on a wrapping band of a smoking article includes moving the band along a feed direction, the band has a longitudinal direction of extension, opposing first and second surfaces, a first plurality of portions having a first thickness and a second plurality of portions having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, the portions of the first and second pluralities being disposed alternately along the direction of extension. A nozzle having a delivery end, and the band are moved towards/away from each other between a first position, where the delivery end and the second surface are at a first distance which is less than or equal to the second thickness, and a second position, where the delivery end and the second surface are at a second distance greater than the second thickness. An adhesive is delivered on the first surface through the nozzle.

A method of manufacturing a smoking article that contains, as members, at least a tobacco rod, a cooling segment, and a filter segment and in which a low-stiffness member L and a high-stiffness member H are adjacent to each other, the method includes (A) placing an adhesive on either surface of a tipping paper to form each portion of a high adhesive weight and a low adhesive weight per unit area after solidification, where the portion of a high adhesive weight is provided in a region for wrapping the member L; and (B) preparing a composite segment that contains at least the tobacco rod, the cooling segment, and the filter segment and wrapping the composite segment in the tipping paper.

The present invention provides a method for printing high opacity images or coatings using solvent based inks comprising hollow polymeric microspheres, wherein the inks do not contain titanium dioxide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified titanium dioxide as possibly carcinogenic to humans, The method of the present invention allows one to avoid the use of inks that rely on titanium oxide for high opacity, which has become of importance for articles that come into contact with one's mouth, for example, cigarette tipping papers.

A method and apparatus for forming a smoking article are provided and involve engaging a heat generation segment and a tobacco rod segment with the wrapping material in a longitudinally spaced-apart relation, the outer wrapping material having a heat-conductive strip engaged therewith, and the heat generation segment and/or the tobacco rod segment at least partially overlapping one end of the heat-conductive strip. Lateral ends of the wrapping material are wrapped at most partially about the heat generation and tobacco rod segments such that the heat generation and tobacco rod segments cooperate with the heat-conductive strip to define a longitudinally-extending cavity accessible between the respective lateral ends of the wrapping material and heat-conductive strip. Aerosol generation elements are deposited into the longitudinally-extending cavity (i.e., by gravity feed) between the lateral ends of the heat-conductive strip, and the cavity is closed by overlapping and sealing the lateral ends of the wrapping material.

There is provided an aerosol-generating article including a heat source; an aerosol-forming substrate disposed in thermal communication with the heat source; and a heat-conducting component disposed around at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate, the heat-conducting component including an outer surface forming at least part of an outer surface of the aerosol-generating article, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the heat-conducting component includes a surface coating and has an emissivity of less than about 0.6. A method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating article is also provided.

Apparatuses for dispensing and cutting smoking wrappers, such as tobacco wrappers and the like for use in smoking articles includes a dispensing roll for smoking wrappers and a cutting device useful for cutting the smoking wrappers. Methods for using the same are further provided.

An aerosol-generating article is provided, including: an aerosol-forming substrate; a combustible heat source; at least one layer of fibre-reinforced aerogel circumscribing at least a portion of a length of the combustible heat source; one or more airflow pathways configured such that air may be drawn along the one or more airflow pathways through the aerosol-generating article and for inhalation by a user; and one or more non-combustible, substantially air-impermeable, barriers disposed between the combustible heat source and the aerosol-forming substrate.