Abstract: To match the production of ZJ17 cigarette maker with that of downstream packer, via analyzing the main technical parameters and structure, the feeder in ZJ17 cigarette maker was improved as following: 1) installing a spreading roller to even out over-long cut tobacco and allow the feeder to be adaptable to tobacco of different sizes; 2)relocating the smoothing rail, needle roller and picker roller to create a higher initial velocity for tobacco winnowing; 3)redesigning the separator to improve the efficiency of sliver separating; 4)adding a fluidized bed to reduce cut tobacco breakage; 5)replacing the belt conveyor for recycling excess tobacco with a helical conveyor to avoid dust/tobacco leak and tobacco jam; 6)adopting a cylinder to lift suction chamber for eliminating the potential safety risks involved in manually operation. The results showed that the improved ZJ17 cigarette maker reached a speed of 8000 cig./minute with an efficiency of 96.7%, it matched the downstream packer very well; the problems, such as incomplete separation of slivers and the breakage of cut tobacco, were effectively solved, long strands increased by 2.3 percentage points per month, small strands and dust content reduced by 0.12 and 0.07 percentage points per month, respectively.