Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for forming protrusions in a substrate by passing the substrate between recesses and a source of vibration energy. The protrusions may extend from the substrate in a direction transverse to the machine direction. The recesses may be formed via a plurality of inserts, some having one or more cavities defined in their outer surface. Absorbent articles may comprise such a substrate. The absorbent articles may have a central longitudinal axis, a central lateral axis, a substrate produced in a machine direction, a plurality of protrusions integrally formed in the substrate. The machine direction may be generally parallel to the longitudinal axis or to the lateral axis and a portion of the plurality of protrusions may extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis or to the lateral axis.

Abstract: A distributed analytics system to control an operation of a monitored system, and method of operation thereof, including an architect subsystem and an edge processing device. The edge subsystem includes an edge processing device associated with the monitored system. The architect subsystem is configured to deploy an analytic model to the edge processing device based on characteristics of the monitored system. The edge processing device is configured to receive the analytic model and independently perform predictive and prescriptive analytics on dynamic input data associated with the monitored system, provide control signals to the monitored system according to the predictive and prescriptive analytics, and provide information to the architect subsystem, including monitored system responses to the control signals. The architect subsystem is configured to modify the analytic model to improve system performance of the monitored system.

Abstract: A continuous asymmetric risk analysis system and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a definition of a risk event of a complex system based on a likelihood and consequence, and prevention and mitigation measures for the risk event, and receiving risk event data. The method also includes creating a model populated with the risk event data, and executing Monte Carlo simulations of the model to produce Monte Carlo results. The method also includes analyzing and aggregating the Monte Carlo results of the likelihood and consequences, and the prevention and mitigation measures for the risk event to create a nominal risk value of the risk event and asymmetric confidence intervals to produce a continuous gradient of outcomes. The method also includes organizing and presenting the outcomes for evaluation, and prescribing an action for the complex system based on a selected outcome.

Abstract: A generative artificial intelligence system and method of operating the same to control complex systems. In one embodiment, the method includes incorporating measures of merit into system requirements for a commercial operations system to provide aggregated system requirements and measures of merit, and receiving design parameters of the commercial operations system represented as stochastic variables. The method also includes executing first order physics-based engineering equations of the design parameters with the generative artificial intelligence system on the processor to produce a design for an operation of the commercial operations system to meet the aggregated system requirements and measures of merit in a single iteration improving computational efficiency and reducing power consumption of the processor operating the generative artificial intelligence system.

Abstract: A generative artificial intelligence system and method of operating the same to control complex systems. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving performance metrics for a threat system represented as stochastic variables. The method also includes executing first order physics-based engineering equations of the performance metrics with the generative artificial intelligence system on the processor to produce a threat analysis of the threat system to meet the performance metrics in a single iteration improving computational efficiency and reducing power consumption of the processor operating the generative artificial intelligence system.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing an initial mathematical system representation with a combination of terms including mathematical functions with independent variables dependent on an input signal. A first set of known data is input to the initial mathematical representation to generate a output data. The output data of the initial mathematical representation and a second set of known data, correlated to the first set of known data, is fed to a comparator to generate error signals representing differences between output data and correlated members of the second set of known data. A parameter of the combination of terms is iteratively varied to produce a refined mathematical representation of the system until a measure of the error signals is reduced to a value wherein the output data of the refined mathematical representation over a desired range is equivalent to the second set of known data.

Abstract: Methods and devices for bonding a plurality of substrates in a nip provided between an anvil and a bonding device may involve preheating a portion of a first substrate for a preheating duration to impart a preheated temperature, and then conveying the plurality of substrates to the nip to form a bond. The portion of the first substrate may reach the nip at a final temperature that is within 0° C. to 40° C. of the preheated temperature. A time-in-nip to create the bond may be less than 20 milliseconds. The preheating duration may be at least 200% longer than the time-in-nip. Laminate materials formed via such methods and devices may include unbonded areas in the nonwoven material that may have at least 5 fibers per square inch that are fused at fiber-to-fiber intersections caused by preheating the nonwoven material.

Abstract: A distributed analytics system to control an operation of a monitored system, and method of operation thereof, including an architect subsystem and an edge processing device. The edge subsystem includes an edge processing device associated with the monitored system. The architect subsystem is configured to deploy an analytic model to the edge processing device based on characteristics of the monitored system. The edge processing device is configured to receive the analytic model and independently perform predictive and prescriptive analytics on dynamic input data associated with the monitored system, provide control signals to the monitored system according to the predictive and prescriptive analytics, and provide information to the architect subsystem, including monitored system responses to the control signals. The architect subsystem is configured to modify the analytic model to improve system performance of the monitored system.

Abstract: Methods of forming a laminate may include conveying a first substrate through a first nip, where a first source of vibration energy may be used to alter a portion of the first substrate in the first nip to create an altered area. The method may include conveying the first substrate with the altered area and a second substrate into a second nip and using a second source of vibration energy to join the first substrate to the second substrate in the second nip.

Abstract: An aggregation layer subsystem, and method of operation thereof, for use with an architect subsystem and a plurality of edge processing devices in a distributed analytics system, wherein each edge processing device is adapted to monitor and control the operation of at least one monitored system according to a first analytic model, the aggregation layer subsystem comprising: a processor and memory, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, enables the aggregation layer subsystem to: receive a second analytic model from the architect subsystem, the second analytic model based on characteristics of at least one monitored system associated with at least one of the plurality of edge processing devices; receive monitored system information from each of the plurality of edge processing devices; and, provide control signals to the at least one monitored system, via one of the edge processing devices, according to the second analytic model in response to the monitored system information

Abstract: A method is presented for altering a portion of a substrate. The method includes providing a first device including an outer surface and a second device including a source of vibration energy. The method also includes forming a nip between the source of vibration energy and the outer surface. The method also includes conveying the substrate through the nip and intermittently altering the portion of the substrate in the nip to create a pattern of altered areas forming a shape. The altered areas have a pattern balance that includes one or more of: an average area of the substrate altered in the nip is within a threshold range across the portion of the substrate; and a simple area of integral areas within the altered areas is within a threshold range across the portion of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for operations and maintenance (O&M) systems for controlling the operation of a second system, wherein the second system includes a plurality of objects (i.e., components and/or subsystems). The O&M system comprises means for evaluating at least one of the plurality of objects using a first model to produce a first prediction of a characteristic of the object; evaluating at least one of the plurality of objects using a second model to produce a second prediction of the characteristic of the object, the second model being dissimilar to the first model; generating a final prediction of the characteristic of the object as a function of dynamic weightings of the first prediction and the second prediction; and, executing an operational or maintenance decision with respect to the second system as a function of the final prediction of the characteristic of the at least one of the plurality of objects.

Abstract: A method is presented of forming protrusions in a portion of a substrate. The method may include providing a first device comprising an outer surface; providing a second device including a source of vibration energy; forming a nip between the source of vibration energy and the outer surface; conveying the substrate through the nip; forming the protrusions in the portion of the substrate in the nip using the source of vibration energy; and inspecting one or more characteristics of the substrate using a vision system.

Abstract: A system for displaying a simulated room can comprise a projector, a wall structure element, a physical object, and a room customization station. The room customization station can view images of selectable products and allows a selection thereof to be displayed on the wall structure element or the physical object. The projector can display the selectable product(s) on the wall structure element or the physical object. The physical object can be adjustable in size for different selectable product sizes. The system can include a physical accessory placeable in the simulated room to facilitate visualization of how the physical accessory would appear in the simulated room with the selectable product. Further, the room customization station can prevent a portion of the images from being projected onto a physical feature in the simulated room and allow other portions of the images to be projected into a portion of the simulated room.

Abstract: A method of altering a portion of a substrate may include providing a first device and a second device with a nip therebetween. The second device may comprise a stationary or rotating source of vibration energy. When conveyed through the nip, the substrate may be exposed to the vibration energy and the portion thereof may be altered. Thermal energy may be applied to the portion of the substrate upstream of the nip to raise a temperature of the portion of the substrate to a temperature below a melting temperature thereof. A substrate spreader may contact the substrate upstream of the nip to mitigate fold over or wrinkles in the substrate. When the first device is a rotating anvil and the second device comprises a rotating source of vibration energy, the surface velocities thereof may be variable and may be the same or different.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating a system state. The method includes making a first measurement and a second measurement of a value of a characteristic of a state of a system. The method includes constructing first filter measurement and time estimates after the second measurement coinciding with the first measurement including corresponding covariance matrices describing an accuracy of the first filter measurement and time estimates. The method includes constructing second filter measurement and time estimates coinciding with the second measurement including corresponding covariance matrices describing an accuracy of the second filter measurement and time estimates. The method includes constructing a smoothing estimate from the first and second filter measurement estimates.

Abstract: An aggregation layer subsystem, and method of operation thereof, for use with an architect subsystem and a plurality of edge processing devices in a distributed analytics system, wherein each edge processing device is adapted to monitor and control the operation of at least one monitored system according to a first analytic model, the aggregation layer subsystem comprising: a processor and memory, the memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, enables the aggregation layer subsystem to: receive a second analytic model from the architect subsystem, the second analytic model based on characteristics of at least one monitored system associated with at least one of the plurality of edge processing devices; receive monitored system information from each of the plurality of edge processing devices; and, provide control signals to the at least one monitored system, via one of the edge processing devices, according to the second analytic model in response to the monitored system information

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing portions of absorbent articles may include or facilitate conveying a substrate through a nip formed between a first device and a second device, transmitting vibrational energy from the second device toward the first device via the nip to alter the substrate, and cooling the second device by transferring thermal energy from the second device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing portions of absorbent articles may include or facilitate conveying a substrate through a nip formed between a first device and a second device, transmitting vibrational energy from the second device toward the first device via the nip to alter the substrate, and cooling the second device by transferring thermal energy from the second device.