A machine for producing disposable products anticipates when a current run of a product size is coming to an end, and therefore begins loading of material rolls intended for the next product size or code that will be run. An integrated production facility layout automatically orders and stocks raw material based on production plans, and commands a production machine to produce specific products of differing configurations, and automatically loads appropriately sized raw materials into the process.

A factory for manufacturing an absorbent article includes a building that includes an upper story and a lower story located below the upper story. The upper story and lower story include a floor, a wall provided along an entire periphery of the floor, an illumination device provided on a ceiling, and an air conditioner having an air outlet for discharging air, respectively. An opening is formed in the floor of the upper story. The upper story includes a paying-out device to which a material coil on which a nonwoven fabric is wound is attached and that pays out the nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric serves as at least one type among a plurality of types of materials. The lower story includes a processing section that processes the plurality of types including the nonwoven fabric that is transported from the upper story through the opening.

An unwinding assembly comprising first and second unwinding and handling units comprising respective robots having respective wrists movable under the control of at least one electronic control unit, wherein each of said unwinding and handling units comprises a respective unwinding device mounted on the wrist of the respective robot. The present invention also relates to an unwinding and handling unit capable of handling the reel carried by it with high freedom of movement, while maintaining small dimensions.

A production system of a water-absorbent core. The supplying component thereof is configured to convey the fluffy cotton to the starting end of the transmission component, and the plurality of outlets of the supplying component for conveying the mixture of the fluff pulp and the hot-melt fibers to the transmission component are all located in the middle portion of the transmission component, the feeding port for conveying the super absorbent polymer to the transmission component and the outlets are arranged alternately along the transmitting direction of the transmission component, and each feeding port is located between the two outlets; the vacuum adsorption device can cause the mixture to be absorbed on the transmission component; the hot air penetration device performs hot air penetration treatment on the laminate; and the ultrasonic cutting device of the slitting mechanism is configured to ultrasonically cut the laminate after the hot air penetration treatment.

Apparatus and methods are provided for folding discrete items such as diapers at high speeds. Discrete items are conveyed in a machine direction toward a pair of vacuum drums rotating in the machine direction and first carrying a top side of a leading edge of the discrete item away from the conveyor, and then carrying a bottom side of the leading edge with a second rotational vacuum drum back towards the conveyor. The diaper fold is created at a contact point with a folding finger which travels rotationally and straight in a fixed orientation about a pair of belts, into and out of contact with the diaper.

A device for applying segments of absorbent articles includes a cutting station for cutting a continuous web into segments and an applicator station for applying each segment on a respective absorbent article. A plurality of carrier units, each includes a pad for retaining and transferring a segment from the cutting station to the applicator station. The pad fully rotates about a main axis to transfer the segment from the cutting station to the applicator station and return to the cutting station and, from the cutting station to the applicator station, rotates at least 90 about its axis of rotation to orient the segment transverse to the feed direction of the absorbent article. A first movement member moves one or more first carrier units about the main axis and a second movement member moves one or more second carrier units separately from the first carrier units about the main axis.

A web handling system and method for controlling tension in a web of material is disclosed. For instance, the web handling system is particularly well suited for maintaining web tension within predefined setpoints during temporary interruptions in the process, such as during splicing operations. The web handling system includes an accumulator or festoon that accumulates amounts of the material as the material is being fed downstream. At least one guide roll within the festoon is coupled to a drive device, such as a motor. The system also includes at least one tension sensing device. The drive device accelerates or decelerates the guide roll based upon information obtained from the tension sensing device. In one embodiment, the system further includes an electronic gearing configuration between a roll of material being unwound and the guide roll within the festoon for better synchronization and further minimizing tension swings. The electronic gearing can include a diameter calculator for the roll of material being unwound based on speed feedback of a driven guide roll.

A sheet conveying device includes: a holding mechanism configured to hold suction members; and a driving device including a rotary shaft which is rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis and a connecting mechanism configured to connect the rotary shaft and suction members to each other; and a support mechanism configured to support the holding mechanism and the drive device. The connecting mechanism is connected to the suction members in a state where the suction members are movable in a radial direction of the circle about the first axis. The support mechanism supports the holding mechanism and the drive device such that the holding mechanism and the drive device are relatively movable from each other in a direction orthogonal to the first axis.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transporting a discrete element. A preferably rotatably driven vacuum commutation zone (or internal vacuum manifold), preferably internal to a preferably independently driven porous vacuum roll or drum is disclosed. The vacuum manifold applies vacuum through pores in the driven porous vacuum roll or puck in order to hold material against an external surface of the vacuum roll or puck. By independently controlling the vacuum commutation zone and the driven porous surface, unique motion profiles of the vacuum commutation zone relative to the driven porous surface can be provided. Micro vacuum commutation port structures are also disclosed.

It is aimed to provide a composite sheet manufacturing device and a composite sheet manufacturing method capable of maintaining high cutting performance of a cutter by suppressing the adhesion of an adhesive of an adhesive surface to the cutter. A first sheet (42) introduced to between a cutter roller (2) and an anvil roller (3) is cut into strips (42a) while these rollers (2, 3) are rotated relative to each other, adhesive surfaces (a) of the strips (42a) are adhered onto a second sheet (43) for compounding, and at least one of a cutter (12) of the cutter roller (2) and the anvil roller (3) is cooled by a refrigerant by a cooling unit (20, 21).