A method for fabricating a refastenable absorbent garment comprises moving
a continuous absorbent garment subassembly in a machine direction, wherein
the continuous absorbent garment subassembly comprises a continuous front
body panel web, a continuous rear body panel web and a plurality of
discrete crotch portions spaced along the machine direction and connecting
the continuous front and rear body panel webs. The crotch portions are
folded in a cross direction with one of the continuous front and rear body
panel webs folded over the other of the continuous front and rear body
panel webs in the cross direction. The method further comprises
successively cutting the continuous front and rear body panels of the
continuous absorbent garment subassembly in the cross direction and
thereby forming a plurality of discrete absorbent garment subassemblies,
each of which comprises a front body panel and a rear body panel, wherein
the front and rear body panels are connected with the crotch portion. Each
of the front and rear body panels have opposite side edges, wherein the
side edges form the leading and trailing edges of the discrete absorbent
garment subassemblies in the machine direction. The method further
includes successively rotating each of the discrete absorbent garment
subassemblies such that the side edges are spaced apart in the cross
direction. The method further comprises attaching a fastener member to at
least one of the front and rear body panels on each of the discrete
absorbent garment subassemblies. An apparatus for fabricating a
refastenable absorbent garment includes a product rotator, at least one
vacuum conveyor positioned downstream of the product rotator and a
fastener applicator positioned downstream of the at least one vacuum
conveyor.
