Method for manufacturing aerosol generating articles

A method for continuously manufacturing aerosol generating articles, the method comprising:

• (i) providing a continuous web or a continuous strip of an aerosol generating substrate;
• (ii) providing a continuous web of susceptor material;
• (iii) continuously cutting the continuous web of susceptor material to form a plurality of susceptor patches;
• (iv) consecutively applying the plurality of susceptor patches to a surface of the continuous web or the continuous strip of the aerosol generating substrate with a predefined and constant spacing between each successive susceptor patch;
• and
• (v) forming the continuous web or the continuous strip of the aerosol generating substrate and the plurality of susceptor patches into a continuous rod;
• wherein step (iii) is performed using a rotary cutting unit comprising a support drum supporting the continuous web of susceptor material around a periphery thereof and a cutting drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting elements around a periphery thereof, wherein the plurality of cutting elements cooperate with the support drum to shear cut the continuous web of susceptor material to form the plurality of susceptor patches, and permitting relative movement between the continuous web of susceptor material and the support drum for a predetermined period of time immediately after cutting the continuous web of susceptor material so that the continuous web of susceptor material remains stationary or travels at a reduced speed for the predetermined period of time.