Apparatus and method for making a smoking article

An apparatus for making a smoking article having a rod of smokeable material and a cylindrically wrapped layer of tipping paper, the apparatus comprising:

• a holder for holding the tipping paper;
• an embossing unit configured to emboss tipping paper drawn from the holder, the embossing unit comprising first and second embossing rollers arranged to form an embossed pattern on the sheet material as it is passed between the rollers, the first embossing roller having a non-embossing portion;
• a controller which determines an embossing position of the tipping paper such that a print pattern on the sheet material and the embossed pattern are in register;
• a positioning unit which positions the sheet material in the embossing position when the non-embossing portion of the first embossing roller faces the second roller, and
• an assembling station for assembling the smoking article, configured to receive embossed tipping paper from the embossing unit and to assemble the smoking article,
• wherein assembling the smoking article comprising joining a filter rod to the rod of smokeable material by wrapping the filter rod at least partially with the embossed tipping paper;
• and
• wherein the embossing unit comprises embossing rollers fitted in place of pulling rollers of a conventional machine.