An apparatus (100) for splicing a patterned web (108) is provided. The apparatus includes first and second unwind spindles (110, 114) engaging a new roll (112) of patterned web (108) and expiring roll (116) of patterned web, respectively, a first web indexing mechanism (104) capable of linearly translating the patterned web from the new roll (112) along its travel direction; a first clamp surface (129) that extends across the patterned web from the new roll; a second clamp surface (131) that extends across the patterned web from the expiring roll (116); and a cutting mechanism (132, 132) for severing the patterned web from the expiring roll (116). The apparatus further includes a second web indexing mechanism capable of linearly translating the patterned web from the expiring roll along its travel direction, wherein the first and second web indexing mechanisms are independently operable to align registration features of the patterned web on the new roll and expiring roll with each other. The first and second clamp surfaces can be brought together to create a registered splice of the patterned web between the new and expiring rolls.

Unwinder of a thin ply product wound on a roll, of the type with automatic switching of the unwinding roll with a spare roll, said unwinder comprisinga first roll-holder assembly equipped with a first unwinding rod for a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, and which has an axis of rotation transversal to the direction of movement of the ply unwound from the roll,a second roll-holder assembly equipped with a second unwinding rod for a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, said second rod being parallel to said first unwinding rod of the first roll-holder assembly, said second roll-holder assembly facing said first roll-holder assembly in an unwinding zone, wherein of said two roll-holder assemblies, one assembly holds the unwinding roll and the other assembly holds the spare roll to be switched,a ply splicing assembly placed above said first and second facing roll-holder assemblies,a ply accumulation unit to allow automatic switching between a roll being unwound in one said roll-holder assembly and a spare roll provided in the other roll-holder assembly,a transversal position correction system for the side edges of the plies on the rolls present in said roll-holder assemblies.