Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing a joined resealable absorbent article

A method of assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of:

• advancing a substrate in a machine direction, the substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate further comprising a first outer region separated from a second outer region in a cross direction by a central region, wherein the first outer region and the second outer region are continuous in the machine direction, wherein the central region is discontinuous in the machine direction, wherein the first outer region comprises a first portion of the first surface, and wherein the second outer region comprises a second portion of the first surface;
• folding the central region around a folding axis by about 180 degrees to position the second portion of the first surface into a facing relationship with the first portion of the first surface;
• cutting the first outer region and the second outer region in the cross direction to define a first cut edge of the first outer region and a second cut edge of the second outer region;
• forming a first fold line in the first outer region, wherein the first fold line extends in the cross direction;
• forming a second fold line in the first outer region, wherein the second fold line extends in the cross direction to define a first segment of the first outer region extending between the first cut edge and the second fold line and to define a second segment extending between the first fold line and the second fold line, wherein the first segment of the first outer region comprises a third portion of the first surface and a first portion of the second surface, and wherein the second segment comprises a fourth portion of the first surface;
• positioning the third portion of the first surface into a facing relationship with the fourth portion of the first surface;
• unfolding the first outer region along the first fold line to position the first portion of the second surface into a facing relationship with the second portion of the first surface adjacent the second cut edge;
• and
• refastenably connecting the first portion of the second surface with the second portion of the first surface adjacent the second cut edge.