A system for manufacturing cigarettes is provided. The system can include an easily removable and/or replaceable metering device that use a cavity drum to dispense a filler material, a modular garniture format parts bank that can be removed and replaced as a single unit from the cigarette manufacturing machinery, and a cutter head having components operated with a single motor that turns a spline shaft.

A system for manufacturing cigarettes is provided. The system can include an easily removable and/or replaceable metering device that use a cavity drum to dispense a filler material, a modular garniture format parts bank that can be removed and replaced as a single unit from the cigarette manufacturing machinery, and a cutter head having components operated with a single motor that turns a spline shaft.

An assembly to facilitate removal of a susceptor heating element from an aerosol generating article includes a cutting tool comprising (i) a body defining a passageway through which the aerosol generating article may be passed, and (ii) a cutting element extending into the passageway. The cutting element comprises a cutting edge arranged to cut the aerosol generating article as the aerosol generating article passes through the passageway. The assembly may include a heating element removal tool comprising a tip configured to magnetically attract the susceptor heating element. Alternatively, the cutting element may comprise a magnet to attract the susceptor heating element as the aerosol generating article passes the cutting element as the aerosol generating article passes through the passageway.

Described herein are systems and method for forming cannabis pre-rolls. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a feed of cannabis plant material; (b) trimming the feed of cannabis plant material to form a feed of rollable cannabis plant material having successive first zones and second zones, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first zones in a plane transverse to a feed flow direction through a trimmer is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second zones in a plane transverse to the feed flow direction through the trimmer; and (c) compressing the feed of rollable cannabis plant material to form a feed of compressed rollable cannabis plant material.