Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.

An apertured nonwoven substrate is disclosed. The apertured nonwoven substrate has a first area having a first caliper, a second area having a plurality of apertures, and wherein the second area has a second caliper. A ratio of the first caliper to the second caliper is at least about 1.35, as measured according to Caliper Test, and the first area has an airy index no less than about 270%, as measured according to Caliper Test.

A system having a first polymer source and a spin beam in fluid communication with the first polymer source is provided. The spin beam includes a spinneret assembly having filament nozzles configured and arranged to extrude a plurality of filaments of a first polymer. A gas distribution plate is disposed downstream of the spinneret assembly, and includes a plurality of gas distribution slots that are configured and arranged to receive two or more corresponding filament nozzles of the spinneret assembly therein. A stream of gas is introduced into the plurality of slots to draw and attenuate the filaments extruded by the plurality of filament nozzles. The drawn and attenuated filaments are collected on a collection surface disposed downstream of the gas distribution plate to form a nonwoven fabric. A solid additive, such as pulp fibers may be blended with the filaments prior to collecting the filaments on the collection surface.

An absorbent core including one or more nonwoven webs with superabsorbent fibers. The superabsorbent fibers may include one or more surfactants. The one or more nonwoven webs have an amount of extractables of less than 20 weight-%, and/or an amount of titratable soluble of less than 20%. The nonwoven webs have a capacity of at least 7 g/g. The absorbent core may be used in an absorbent article.

An AM/AV material, comprising a topsheet layer comprising fibers comprising a topsheet polymer composition, a backsheet layer comprising fibers comprising a backsheet polymer composition; and an absorbent core configured therebetween, wherein the fibers of at least one of the layers, e.g., the topsheet layer, comprise an AM/AV compound, and wherein the fibers of the topsheet layer demonstrate a rewet value less than 5 g after a first water application and/or a Staph aureus efficacy log reduction greater than 2.6, as measured in accordance with ISO 20743:2013.

A hydro-enlarged apertured non-woven web includes a plurality of fibers with a plurality of bond points, a first surface defining a planar top, and a second surface defining a planar bottom. The second surface is separated from the first surface by a first distance defining a loft. A plurality of apertures extending through the non-woven web. The plurality of apertures is formed by spraying a fluid against an unapertured precursor web, causing a plurality of pins disposed on a pinned roller to punch through the unapertured precursor web. The unapertured precursor web has a third surface defining a planar top and a fourth surface defining a planar bottom, where the third surface is separated from the fourth surface by a second distance defining a precursor loft. The loft is greater than the precursor loft by a loft increase within a range of 50-110%.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.

A method for producing a nonwoven element for hygiene articles is accomplished by the steps of: forming a fibrous web from a multi-ply nonwoven material with at least one carded staple fiber layer and a storage layer which is arranged on the staple fiber layer and which has cellulose fibers, wherein at least a portion of the staple fibers of the staple fiber layer are formed from a thermoplastic; applying liquid jets to the fibrous web, as a result of which the fibers of the multi-ply nonwoven material are intermingled and entangled, and the fibrous web is embossed with a surface structure; applying heat to the fibrous web, as a result of which the thermoplastic staple fibers at least partially fuse and the fibrous web is bonded to form a nonwoven web, and severing individual nonwoven elements from the nonwoven web.

A water repellent is applied to a spun lace nonwoven fabric in which a surface sheet comprises 100% by weight of cotton fibers, and a large number of openings that penetrate the obverse and reverse surfaces are formed in at least a portion that corresponds to an excretory opening. A heat-fusible fiber sheet is disposed adjacent to the absorber side surface of the surface sheet. A plurality of adhesive portions are formed between the surface sheet and the heat-fusible fiber sheet along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart in the widthwise direction of an incontinence pad. A compressed groove recessed from the outer surface of the surface sheet toward the absorber is formed close to the adhesive portions.

Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method can include providing a precursor web that includes a plurality of fibers and transferring the precursor web to a forming surface having a plurality of forming holes. The method can also include directing a plurality of pressurized fluid streams of entangling fluid in a direction towards the precursor web on the forming surface to move at least some of the fibers into the plurality of forming holes to create a fluid entangled web. The method can further include removing the fluid entangled web from the forming surface such that the at least some of the fibers moved into the plurality of forming holes provide a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes can have an anisotropy value greater than 1.0 as determined by the Node Analysis Test Method.