Methods for forming absorbent articles and side seam bonds of absorbent articles are described. In one embodiment, a method of forming absorbent articles may comprise advancing webs, coupling absorbent cores to the webs intermittently to form open absorbent article chassis, folding the absorbent article chassis, forming a first side seam bond first bond pair between a first region of the webs and a second region of the webs with a first ultrasonic horn, forming a second side seam bond of the bond pair between the first region and the second region with a second ultrasonic horn, the first bond being associated with a first absorbent article chassis and the second side seam bond being associated with a second absorbent article chassis, and cutting the folded absorbent article chassis between the first bond and the second bond to separate the first absorbent article chassis from the second absorbent article chassis.

A rotary device for welding a continuous web comprises a rotary unit rotating about a respective axis and welding units for welding the web mounted, angularly spaced, on the rotary unit. A movement device varies a radial position of the welding units. First and second supporting elements supporting the web are disposed, respectively, upstream and downstream of respective ones of the welding units, to keep the web tensioned when the respective welding unit is at an operating position. The first and second supporting elements are supported by a load-bearing structure connected to the welding units in such a way that a radial movement of the welding units corresponds to a movement of the first and second supporting elements towards and away from the axis.

In order to prevent degradation of appearance, prevent a decrease in flexibility, and improve non-elasticity in a non-stretchable region in an elastic film stretchable structure, the invention is characterized by having an elastic film stretchable structure (20X) formed by stacking an elastic film (30) between a first sheet layer (20A) and a second sheet layer (20B), wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure (20X) includes a non-stretchable region (70) and a stretchable region (80) provided at least at one side of the non-stretchable region (70) in a stretching and contracting direction, the stretchable region (80) being stretchable in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer (20A) and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined via through holes (31) penetrating the elastic film (30) at the large number of sheet bond portions (40) arranged at intervals, and the non-stretchable region (70) does not have a section in which the elastic film (30) linearly continues along the stretching and contracting direction, due to presence of the through holes (31), even though the elastic film (30) continues in the stretching and contracting direction.

The present welding system includes: a transport device that transports a work in a state where a plurality of webs are overlaid on each other; an anvil roller that includes an anvil which intermittently makes contact with the first surface of the work being transported; an ultrasonic horn that is opposite the second surface of the work and that cooperates with the anvil to apply vibration energy to the work so as to intermittently weld the webs; a speed changing device that lowers the transport speed of the work supplied between the horn and the anvil when the welding is performed; and a pressing device that presses the first surface of the work to the anvil when the welding is performed.

A machine and method for making bags is described and includes a web traveling from an input section to a rotary drum, to an output section. The rotary drum includes at least one seal bar, having a first sealing zone, and an adjacent weakening zone. The weakening zone may be a heated perforator, includes a heating wire, or be disposed to create an auxiliary sealed area. The heating wire can have connected thereto, a source of power that is an adjustable voltage or magnitude, and/or pulsed, and/or a feedback loop. The heating wire ay be an NiCr wire and make intermittent contact with the web and be disposed in an insert. The weakening zone may create a line of weakness that is uniform or varies in intensity, is a separating zone, or includes a heat film, a toothed blade, a row of pins, a source of air, or a source of vacuum. The sealing zones ma include temperature zones, cartridge heaters, cooling air, or hated air, or a source of ultrasonic, microwave or radiative energy.

A method and apparatus for making bags or pouches is disclosed. An ultrasonic sealer may be used to form the seals. Sealing patterns may be used to provide a desired strength profile.

An apparatus for manufacturing an elastic composite structure is provided. The apparatus includes an anvil having a face with a first edge and a second edge separated in a cross-machine direction and a first contact surface extending out from the face, the first contact surface including a first notch. The first notch has an interior configured to receive a portion of an elastic thread and a portion of a web layer therein, and the first notch includes a first facing surface and a second facing surface defining at least a portion of the interior. Each of the first facing surface and the second facing surface are in a non-perpendicular orientation relative to the first contact surface and angled toward the first edge of the face.

One or more implementations of a multi-layer film include a first layer non-continuously bonded to a second pigmented layer. The multi-layer film includes an unexpected appearance differing from the appearance of the pigmented layer. In one or more embodiments, the multi-layer film includes a metallic appearance despite the pigmented layer being devoid of metallic pigment. The multi-layer film also includes areas that are visually distinct from areas of the film with the unexpected appearance. The visually-distinct areas comprise areas in which the first layer non-continuously is in intimate contact with the second pigmented layer. The visually-distinct areas have the appearance of the pigmented layer or another appearance. One or more implementations also include methods of making multi-layer films and bags with an unexpected appearance and visually-distinct areas.

A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web to form pouches. The pouch machine vertical sealer includes a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defines a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel. The vertical sealer further includes a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel. Each vertical sealer land assembly includes an impulse heater such that contact between the film web and each impulse heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along the length of the film web.

A system and method for controlling the speed of both a continuous web and a bonding apparatus is provided in order to effectuate stronger bonds in the web. The bonding system includes a velocity changing device for increasing and decreasing a velocity of the web in a machine direction, an anvil and a corresponding ultrasonic horn that interact to form ultrasonic bonds on the web, and an anvil actuator configured to control a movement of the anvil. A control system is also included in the bonding system for controlling operation of the anvil actuator the velocity changing device, with the control system programmed to decrease a moving velocity of the web from a feed velocity to a bonding velocity as the web passes between the anvil and the ultrasonic horn and control movement of the anvil to synchronize the movement of the anvil with the moving velocity of the web.