Method of winding up tampon material

A process for manufacturing tampon blanks for further processing into compressed, self-sustaining tampons, the process comprising the steps of:

• a) drawing a fibrous web from a fibrous web supply, through a sliver guide and across a carrier disposed on a turntable by grabbing a free end of the fibrous web supply with a gripper and drawing the gripper away from the fibrous web supply;
• b) severing the fibrous web from the fibrous web supply to form an elongate fibrous web having a first end held by the gripper and a second end, distal the first;
• c) elevating the carrier while the first end remains held by the gripper and the second end is restrained by the sliver guide wherein the carrier is disposed perpendicular to a central portion of the elongate fibrous web;
• d) advancing a winding mandrel across the central portion of the elongate fibrous web, wherein the winding mandrel has a slot arranged and configured to accept the elongate fibrous web therein;
• e) rotating the winding mandrel as the gripper releases the first end of the elongate fibrous web to form a tampon blank;
• and
• f) transferring the tampon blank to the carrier.