Apparatus and method for forming air-laid absorbent cores

A method of forming air-laid absorbent cores, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming first and second core elements by air-laying of air-entrained fibrous material to moulds on a first and second mat-forming wheel, each of said mat-forming wheels having a at least one mould along its peripheral surface, wherein each mould on the first and second mat-forming wheels has a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• the method further comprising:
• applying a web of casing material to the peripheral surface of the first mat-forming wheel before air-laying of a mixture of air-entrained fibrous material and discrete particles in the mould,
• transferring said web of casing material to the periphery of the second mat-forming wheel after having passed the nip between the first and second mat-forming wheel, whereby the first core element is transferred together with the web onto the periphery of the second mat-forming wheel,
• controlling the time at which the leading edge of a mould on one of the mat-forming wheels passes the nip in relation to when the leading edge of a mould on the other mat-forming wheel passes the nip in dependence of the desired relative position of the first and second core elements on the peripheral surface of the second mat-forming wheel, and
• transferring the core elements from the second mat-forming wheel to other components in a production line for the manufacturing of sanitary absorbent articles.