Abstract: A technique for adhering individual patches of substrate material to spaced-apart regions of a moving web layer comprises a transporting mechanism for moving the web layer and a supplying mechanism for providing a selected substrate material. An applicating mechanism deposits a selected coating of hotmelt adhesive onto the substrate material, and a regulating mechanism automatically maintains a selected cross-directional registry between the substrate material and the deposited coating of adhesive. The coated substrate is cooled, and a directing mechanism engages the coated substrate to feed it to a separating mechanism at a selected rate. The separating mechanism segments the coated substrate into individual patches. A phasing mechanism provides a selected spatial segregation between the individual patches, and an assemblying mechanism adhesively secures the segregated patches onto selected spaced regions of the moving web layer.