Apparatuses and methods herein may be configured to utilize existing high speed assembly lines with dedicated packaging apparatuses to assemble various kinds of packages of absorbent articles. Absorbent articles advancing from an assembly line are diverted before reaching a dedicated packaging apparatus. The diverted absorbent articles are transported to a selectable packaging apparatus to be placed in containers containing desired quantities and/or types of absorbent articles to create select packages. Carriers are movably connected with a track, wherein a linear synchronous motor independently moves the carriers along the track. Diverted absorbent articles are transferred to a carrier in a receiving zone, and the diverted absorbent articles are moved along the track from the receiving zone to a drop off zone. The diverted absorbent articles are then transferred from the carrier in the drop off zone to a selectable packaging apparatus.

A method for making an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core comprising one or more channels, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a first endless moving surface comprising a plurality of molds, each mold comprising a non-porous insert therein, typically said insert having the inverse shape of said channel(s), wherein the molds are in fluid communication with an under-pressure source except for said insert; ii. feeding a first nonwoven web to said first endless moving surface and over one or more said molds; iii. depositing an absorbent material, comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymer particles, over at least a portion of said nonwoven web; iv. removing said absorbent material from areas of the nonwoven web corresponding to said insert; v. applying a second nonwoven web directly or indirectly over the absorbent material, or folding said first nonwoven web, such to sandwich said absorbent material between upper and lower layers of said nonwoven web(s); vi. joining said upper and lower layers together at least in the areas of the nonwoven web(s) corresponding to the insert to form an absorbent core having one or more channels substantially free of absorbent material; vii. optionally joining an acquisition distribution layer to said absorbent core, typically a skin facing surface of said upper layer; viii. optionally laminating said absorbent core and acquisition distribution layer between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet; wherein step vi. comprises the step of selectively applying a first pressure onto the absorbent core, preferably only, in a central portion thereof and a second pressure, preferably only, along peripheral longitudinal side edges thereof miming opposite and parallel to each other and being outboard of said central portion, said central portion corresponding at least to a region of the core comprising said channel(s), and wherein said first and second pressures are successively applied along a machine direction (MD).

A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, said method comprising guiding a first sheet material along a rotating member, wherein a surface of said rotating member is provided with a pattern with at least one suction zone and at least one non-suction zone; applying an absorbent material on said first sheet material on the rotating member; locally removing the absorbent material applied on at least one attachment portion of the first sheet material located above the at least one non-suction zone, such that at least one remaining portion of the first sheet material located above the at least one suction zone is covered with absorbent material and substantially no absorbent material is present on the at least one attachment portion; applying a second sheet material on top of the absorbent material on the first sheet material.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for making patterned apertured substrates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. During the manufacturing processes, a precursor substrate advances in a machine direction between a pattern roll and an anvil roll. The pattern roll rotates about an axis of rotation and includes a plurality of pattern surfaces, wherein the substrate is compressed between the anvil roll and the pattern surfaces of the pattern roll to form discrete bond regions in the substrate. The pattern surfaces on the pattern roll are formed on continuous threads extending circumferentially around the axis of rotation along helical paths parallel with each other. As such, the pattern surfaces press the substrate against the outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll in the different axial locations along the cross direction as the pattern roll rotates when forming the discrete bond regions.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m.sup.2.

A manufacturing method is provided. According to a first step (100), the method comprises providing a backsheet layer, a cover strip layer, and an absorbent core layer in order to manufacture an absorbent article comprising a pocket being accessible from the non-absorbent side of the absorbent article. Then, according to a second step (101), the method comprises cutting an opening into the backsheet layer. In this context, the cutting is speed-synchronized with respect to the provision of the backsheet layer in such a manner that the opening is placed at the same position for every absorbent article. Furthermore, according to a third step (102), the method comprises placing the cover strip layer between the backsheet layer and the absorbent core layer.

Nonwoven fabrics having a plurality of fibers that are bonded to each other to form a coherent web, wherein the fibers comprise a blend of a polylactic acid (PLA) and at least one secondary alkane sulfonate are provided. The nonwoven fabrics exhibit increased tensile strengths, elongation and toughness.

The present disclosure relates to a nonwoven substrate comprising a plurality of apertures that form a pattern and define a plurality of discrete non-aperture zones. Each of the plurality of discrete non-aperture zones has a periphery formed by a continuous line of apertures, with adjacent apertures being spaced apart by an edge-to-edge distance of no more than 3 mm, while each of the plurality of discrete non-aperture zones is substantially free of apertures within the periphery. Particularly, the area ratio of such plurality of discrete non-aperture zones over the nonwoven substrate ranges from 60% to 90%, and at least some of said plurality of discrete non-aperture zones have an area of 100 mm.sup.2 or more.

An apparatus for conveying and applying a discrete part to a substrate includes a plurality of transfer puck assemblies, a drive assembly, and a translation mechanism. The plurality of transfer puck assemblies is adapted to convey the discrete part to the substrate, and each transfer puck assembly includes at least one puck segment. The drive assembly is configured to rotate each transfer puck assembly about a drive axis. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the at least one puck segment in an axial direction as the plurality of transfer puck assemblies are being rotated about the drive axis to move the discrete part to a profiled configuration prior to application of the profiled discrete part to the substrate.

The invention provides a multilayer-structure absorbent core for a disposable absorbent article, and a method for preparing the absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core is compacted and formed by each layer; its surface presents a grid-shaped groove; the depth at the intersection point of the grid-shaped groove is bigger than that at the non-intersection point thereof. The invention adopts a new synchronous split-level process; that is, a linear grid-shaped trapezoid-shaped compaction mechanism, of which the height is smaller than that of a circular-platform structure, incompletely compacts the absorbent core and separates the absorbent core into numerous small convex spaces, while a circular-platform structure carries out the dot-shaped compaction for the absorbent core. Under the conditions that the liquid-absorption functions of a deflector layer and a reservoir layer are maintained, the movement of polymer water-absorption material is completely limited while the strength of a core body is enhanced. The invention adjusts the structure of the core body and a process of preparing it, thus facilitating the improved multilayer structure to have more liquid-absorption amount, faster liquid-absorption speed and increased strength.