Position detection of a target sheet is facilitated without requiring a register mark. A connectable disposable wear article having a crotch portion M including a center in a front-back direction LD, a ventral side part F extending forward from the center in the front-back direction LD, and a dorsal side part B extending backward from the center in the front-back direction LD, connecting portions 83 to be detachably connected to an outer surface of the ventral side part F being provided on both side 0portions of the dorsal side part B, a target sheet 20 to which the connecting portions 83 are connected being provided on the outer surface of the ventral side part F, in which a whiteness of all corner portions 21 on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the target sheet 20 is 80% or more.

A method for in-line analysis of a composite product, wherein a hyperspectral sensor is used to acquire images of samples of target materials that are part of the composite product, in order to perform an in-line optical inspection at process speed.

The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for controlling the relative positions or phasing of advancing substrates and/or components in absorbent article converting lines. The systems and methods may utilize feedback from technologies, such as vision systems, sensors, remote input and output stations, and controllers with synchronized embedded clocks to accurately correlate component placement detections and placement control on an absorbent article converting process. The systems and methods may accurately apply the use of precision clock synchronization for both instrumentation and control system devices on a non-deterministic communications network. In turn, the clock synchronized control and instrumentation network may be used to control the substrate position. As such, the controller may be programmed to the relative positions of substrates and components along the converting line without having to account for undeterminable delays.

A method for inspecting absorbent articles is provided. The inspection is performed using an inspection algorithm generated with a convolutional neural network having convolutional neural network parameters. The convolutional neural network parameters are generated by a training algorithm. Based on the inspection, characteristics of the absorbent articles, such as defects, can be identified. Absorbent articles having identified characteristics can be rejected, or other actions can be taken.

A method for inspecting absorbent articles is provided. The inspection is performed using an inspection algorithm generated with a convolutional neural network having convolutional neural network parameters. The convolutional neural network parameters are generated by a training algorithm. Based on the inspection, characteristics of the absorbent articles, such as defects, can be identified. Absorbent articles having identified characteristics can be rejected, or other actions can be taken.

Absorbent articles comprising apertured regions and methods of manufacture and registration are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of registering webs comprises moving first and second webs in a machine direction, capturing a first image comprising a portion of the second web, filtering the captured first image to determine one or more regions of the captured first image having a light transmittance value greater than the transmittance threshold value, modifying the captured first image with a dilation morphological operation, determining a feature of interest, determining a first difference value comprising a difference in location between the feature of interest and a reference feature of the captured first image or the modified captured first image, adjusting a speed of the second web in the machine direction, and coupling the first web and the second web together.

Apparatus and methods are provided to minimize waste and improve quality and production in web processing operations. The apparatus and methods provide defect detection both before and after application of component patches to a traveling web to create a product. Web defect detection may be provided by way of at least one visual inspection station located upstream from the patch applicator. Patch defect detection may be accomplished by way of a visual inspection station located proximate the patch applicator. If defects are detected in either the traveling web or the component patch prior to patch application, patch application may be prevented until both a satisfactory web and patch are provided. If defects are detected after patch application, the resulting product may be culled. Furthermore, the apparatus may be provided with diagnostic software to warn against extant or imminent machine complications.

A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles including an absorbent pad with at least one discrete layer of superabsorbent polymer material includes a unit for forming and applying a succession of absorbent pads, which includes a drum for forming the pad, a duct for feeding a charge of superabsorbent polymer material to the drum and intermittent valve mounted along a stretch of the duct and driven by an actuator. A device detects the superabsorbent polymer material and sends a signal to a control and drive unit connected to the device indicating that the superabsorbent polymer material has been detected. The control and drive unit is configured to drive the actuator to bring the valve into phase with the rotation of the drum when the deviation of the signal from a reference signal exceeds a defined threshold value.

A method for inspecting absorbent articles is provided. The inspection is performed using an inspection algorithm generated with a convolutional neural network having convolutional neural network parameters. The convolutional neural network parameters are generated by a training algorithm. Based on the inspection, characteristics of the absorbent articles, such as defects, can be identified. Absorbent articles having identified characteristics can be rejected, or other actions can be taken.

A method for inspecting absorbent articles is provided. The inspection is performed using an inspection algorithm generated with a convolutional neural network having convolutional neural network parameters. The convolutional neural network parameters are generated by a training algorithm. Based on the inspection, characteristics of the absorbent articles, such as defects, can be identified. Absorbent articles having identified characteristics can be rejected, or other actions can be taken.