Methods and systems for preventing wrinkles in a web passing through an accumulator. The accumulator comprises a plurality of rollers including at least one roller having an axis of revolution movable toward and away from the axis of revolution of another roller to release and store varying amounts of the web. At least one of the rollers has a nominally flat outer surface and at least one of the rollers has a profiled outer surface.

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 comprising—a 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.

A converting line has a unwind machine with a load station assembly and a vertical movement assembly. The load station assembly rotatably supports a roll as the web is unwound during a first portion of an unwind cycle. The vertical movement assembly rotatably supports the roll during movement between lowered and raised positions during a second portion of the unwind cycle. A lower brake assembly controls rotation of the roll in the load station assembly, and an upper brake assembly controls rotation of the roll with the roll in the vertical movement assembly. With the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly, the converting line control generates signals for the lower brake assembly to control an unwind rotation rate of the roll. With the roll rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly, the control generates signals for the upper brake assembly to control the unwind rotation rate.

The invention concerns a splicing facility for splicing material webs. The splicing facility comprises a first dispensing device for dispensing a finite first material web from a first material web roll, a second dispensing device for dispensing a finite second material web from a second material web roll, a third dispensing device for dispensing a third material web, a first splicing device for splicing together the finite first material web and the finite second material web to an endless material web and a second splicing device for splicing together the third material web and the finite first material web or the finite second material web to the endless material web. The first splicing device and the second splicing device are arranged at different heights.

Apparatus suitable for guaranteeing a quick and automatic change of materials wound on reels, said apparatus consisting mainly of a reel-alternating mechanism combined with a mechanism for cutting and reconnecting the reeled material.

Apparatus suitable for guaranteeing a quick and automatic change of materials wound on reels, said apparatus consisting mainly of a reel-alternating mechanism combined with a mechanism for cutting and reconnecting the reeled material.

The invention concerns a splicing facility for splicing material webs. The splicing facility comprises a first dispensing device for dispensing a finite first material web from a first material web roll, a second dispensing device for dispensing a finite second material web from a second material web roll, a third dispensing device for dispensing a third material web, a first splicing device for splicing together the finite first material web and the finite second material web to an endless material web and a second splicing device for splicing together the third material web and the finite first material web or the finite second material web to the endless material web. The first splicing device and the second splicing device are arranged at different heights.

A converting line has a unwind machine with a load station assembly and a vertical movement assembly. The load station assembly rotatably supports a roll as the web is unwound during a first portion of an unwind cycle. The vertical movement assembly rotatably supports the roll during movement between lowered and raised positions during a second portion of the unwind cycle. A lower brake assembly controls rotation of the roll in the load station assembly, and an upper brake assembly controls rotation of the roll with the roll in the vertical movement assembly. With the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly, the converting line control generates signals for the lower brake assembly to control an unwind rotation rate of the roll. With the roll rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly, the control generates signals for the upper brake assembly to control the unwind rotation rate.

A method is presented for providing a continuous web to an absorbent article manufacturing line. The method includes conveying a first roll of material through a splice box. The method also includes providing a second roll of the material extending into the splice box. The method also includes sensing upcoming expiration of the first roll of material. The method also includes using a first and second vacuum to hold a respective first portion of the first roll and a second portion of the second roll against first and second components of a thermal welding apparatus. The method also includes forming a thermal weld at the splice location between the first and second portions. The method also includes cutting the first roll of material upstream of the thermal weld. The method also includes conveying the second roll of material through the splice box without stoppage of the absorbent article manufacturing line.

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.