Process of using a fixed size rotary cutter to cut products of variable repeat lengths

An offline finishing process that makes use of a rotary cutter to sever a web into separate products having repeat lengths, the process comprising the steps of:

• transporting the web at a linear speed in a first direction, the web comprising products with each adjacent pair of products being separated by a waste portion;
• operating the rotary cutter to singulate the products from the web by forming butt cuts within the waste portion between each adjacent pair of products and transverse to the first direction, each of the butt cuts being produced with an individual straight knife mounted to a rotating knife cylinder of the rotary cutter, the rotational speed of the knife cylinder being adjusted so that each butt cut separates pairs of preceding and trailing products and each product has attached thereto at least a portion of the waste portion as a result of each butt cut being produced in the waste regions between adjacent pairs of products;
• causing the products to continue moving in the first direction;
• causing the products to move in a second direction transverse to the first direction;
• and then
• trimming the products to remove the waste portion of the products as the products continue moving in the second direction.