An apparatus for making an absorbent structure for an absorbent article, comprising a supporting sheet and thereon an absorbent layer with a longitudinal dimension and transverse dimension and a height dimension, said absorbent layer comprising an absorbent material with therein one or more channels that are free of absorbent material, said apparatus having: a) a feeder for feeding said absorbent material to a first moving endless surface; b) a transfer means for transferring a supporting sheet to a second moving endless surface; c) the first moving endless surface, having one or more absorbent layer-forming reservoir(s) with a longitudinal dimension and average length, a perpendicular transverse dimension and average width, and, perpendicular to both, a depth dimension and average depth, and a void volume for receiving said absorbent material therein, said reservoir(s) comprising one or more longitudinally extending raised strips, each having an average width W of at least 5% of the average width of the reservoir, and an average length L of at least 5% and at the most 80% of the average longitudinal dimension of the reservoir; said reservoir(s) being for transferring said absorbent material to said second moving endless surface adjacent and in proximity thereto: d) the second moving endless surface, having an outer shell that has one or more air permeable or partially air permeable receptacle(s) for receiving said supporting sheet thereon or therein, and said receptacle(s) having one or more longitudinally extending mating strips, having each an average width W' being from 0.5 x W to 1.2 x W, and each having an average length L' being from 0.8 x L to 1.2 x L, whereby said outer shell is preferably connected to one or more vacuum systems for facilitating retention of said supporting sheet and said absorbent material thereon, and whereby, in a meeting point, said first moving endless surface and said second moving endless surface are adjacent and in close proximity of one another during transfer of said absorbent material from said first to said second moving endless surface; and whereby each mating strip is mating with a raised strip, during transfer of said absorbent material. a) a feeder for feeding said absorbent material to a first moving endless surface; b) a transfer means for transferring a supporting sheet to a second moving endless surface; c) the first moving endless surface, having one or more absorbent layer-forming reservoir(s) with a longitudinal dimension and average length, a perpendicular transverse dimension and average width, and, perpendicular to both, a depth dimension and average depth, and a void volume for receiving said absorbent material therein, said reservoir(s) comprising one or more longitudinally extending raised strips, each having an average width W of at least 5% of the average width of the reservoir, and an average length L of at least 5% and at the most 80% of the average longitudinal dimension of the reservoir; said reservoir(s) being for transferring said absorbent material to said second moving endless surface adjacent and in proximity thereto: d) the second moving endless surface, having an outer shell that has one or more air permeable or partially air permeable receptacle(s) for receiving said supporting sheet thereon or therein, and said receptacle(s) having one or more longitudinally extending mating strips, having each an average width W' being from 0.5 x W to 1.2 x W, and each having an average length L' being from 0.8 x L to 1.2 x L,