Abstract: An example method of initiating a maintenance action on a component includes monitoring an electrical current required to maintain a steady state position. The method then initiates a maintenance action on the component based on the monitored current.

Abstract: An example method of initiating a maintenance action on a component includes monitoring an electrical current required to maintain a steady state position. The method then initiates a maintenance action on the component based on the monitored current.

Abstract: A system and process for unwinding materials in forming absorbent articles is described. The system includes an unwind device in association with a festoon. The festoon is for accumulating a determined length of material. The amount of material contained in the festoon is increased or decreased depending upon the rate at which a roll of material is unwound in relation to the rate at which the first material is fed into a downstream process. In order to minimize the capacity of the festoon and in order to minimize tension swings in the festoon, the festoon includes a plurality of drive devices associated with selected guide rolls contained in the festoon. The drive devices can accelerate and/or decelerate the guide rolls in response to rate increases or decreases occurring at the unwind device in relation to the downstream process speed. In one embodiment, each of the guide rolls is controlled independently of the remaining guide rolls in the festoon.

Abstract: A splicing device is disclosed for splicing a first material to a second material in order to continuously feed the materials into a processing line. The apparatus includes a first roll letoff for unwinding a material into a processing line and a second roll letoff for holding a new material that is to replace the first material. The apparatus includes at least one sensor that indicates the position of one of the materials in the cross machine direction. A controller is used to compare the position of one material to the position of another material. If the materials are out of alignment in the cross machine direction, a shifting device shifts one of the materials until the materials are in alignment. The shifting device, for instance, may shift the splicing assembly itself while one of the materials is anchored to the splicing assembly.

Abstract: A system and process for unwinding materials in forming absorbent articles is described. The system includes an unwind device in association with a festoon. The festoon is for accumulating a determined length of material. The amount of material contained in the festoon is increased or decreased depending upon the rate at which a roll of material is unwound in relation to the rate at which the first material is fed into a downstream process. In order to minimize the capacity of the festoon and in order to minimize tension swings in the festoon, the festoon includes a plurality of drive devices associated with selected guide rolls contained in the festoon. The drive devices can accelerate and/or decelerate the guide rolls in response to rate increases or decreases occurring at the unwind device in relation to the downstream process speed. In one embodiment, each of the guide rolls is controlled independently of the remaining guide rolls in the festoon.