Tampon press

A method for shaping an absorbent tampon blank into a shaped tampon pledget, comprising the steps of:

• introducing a tampon blank having an outer surface and a front portion and a back portion into a press, comprising a central cavity arranged and configured to accommodate the absorbent tampon blank, the central cavity having a main longitudinal axis passing through the press;
• a plurality of penetrating dies, each penetrating die (i) having a first, straight portion, parallel to the main longitudinal axis and a second, curved portion with respect to the main longitudinal axis that creates a concave profile on the said pressing face, and (ii) having a pressing face on at least a fragment of its side facing the central cavity, and the plurality of penetrating dies being arranged radially around the said main longitudinal axis;
• at least one cam to actuate the plurality of penetrating dies, wherein:
• a plurality of the said penetrating dies are divided longitudinally, creating a group of composite penetrating dies, said composite penetrating dies having two parts, a front part and a back part, and all the front parts of the composite penetrating dies constitute the front group and all the back parts of the composite penetrating dies constitute the back group and the front group and back group are actuated independently,
• at least one first penetrating die of the plurality of the said penetrating dies having a pressing face with a first shaped longitudinal profile, and
• at least one second penetrating die of the plurality of the said penetrating dies having a pressing face with a second shaped longitudinal profile,
• actuating the composite penetrating die front parts to compress the tampon blank front portion with the pressing faces of the composite penetrating dies front parts, and
• actuating the composite penetrating die back parts to compress the tampon blank back portion with the pressing faces of the composite penetrating die back parts to form the compressed, shaped tampon pledget,
• partially disengaging the composite penetrating die back parts to release the compressed, shaped tampon pledget back portion from the pressing faces of the composite penetrating die back parts,
• partially disengaging the composite penetrating die front parts,
• ejecting the compressed, shaped tampon pledget from the press to a carrier device, and
• fully disengaging the composite penetrating die front and back parts.