Apparatus for forming and applying a pleated core wrap

An apparatus comprising:

• a feeding mechanism configured to feed a continuous web of material in a machine direction;
• a pleating unit configured to form one or more folds in the continuous web of material, each of the one or more folds comprising a continuous fold running in the machine direction so as to form a continuous pleated web of material with a portion of the web of material overlapped in a cross-machine direction;
• a core-forming drum rotating in the machine direction and positioned downstream in the machine direction from the pleating unit to receive the continuous pleated web of material, the core-forming drum comprising at least one depression provided on an outer circumferential surface of the core forming drum, with the at least one depression including a floor having one or more inserts protruding radially outward therefrom;
• and
• a vacuum system configured to provide a vacuum to the at least one depression, the vacuum communicated through the floor to suction the continuous pleated web of material down into the at least one depression, with regions of the continuous pleated web of material separating upon being suctioned down into the at least one depression.