Abstract: Apparatus for producing low ignition propensity (“LIP”) smoking articles provides independent control of the belt drive transport speed and the cutting head rotational speed in dependence on the relative position of the cutting head blades to the position of the continuous tobacco column on the tape drive, by detecting the presence of synchronizing marks disposed on the outer surface of the tobacco column LIP paper wrapper, thereby controlling cutting of the continuous column to provide registration of the LIP paper's LP bands to their designated location within the finished article's tobacco column.