Apparatuses and methods for making absorbent articles

A method for assembling disposable diapers, each diaper comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising:

• a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the method comprising the steps of:
• advancing a first continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and defining a width in a cross direction;
• advancing a second continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and defining a width in a cross direction;
• applying a first adhesive continuously along the machine direction to the first surface of the first continuous substrate layer;
• advancing elastic strands in the machine direction in a stretched state;
• applying a second adhesive intermittently along the machine direction to at least one of the elastic strands, the first surface of the first continuous substrate layer, and the first surface of the second continuous substrate layer;
• bonding the elastic strands in the stretched state directly to the first surface of the first substrate layer and directly to the first surface of the second substrate layer to form an elastic laminate, the elastic laminate including first regions that include the first adhesive and not the second adhesive, and second regions including both the first adhesive and the second adhesive, the second regions intermittently spaced along the machine direction;
• cutting the elastic laminate along the machine direction to form a first continuous elastic laminate and a second continuous elastic laminate, each of the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate including first regions and second regions;
• separating the first continuous elastic laminate and the second elastic laminate in the cross direction;
• severing elastic strands into one or more discrete lengths in the first regions of the first continuous elastic laminate and the second elastic laminate, wherein ends of the severed elastic strands retract from the first regions to the second regions, and wherein severing the elastic strands further comprises cutting the first slits in the first continuous substrate layer in the first regions and cutting second slits in the second continuous substrate layer in the first regions, wherein the first slits are offset from the second slits in the machine direction;
• and
• bonding the first end regions of each chassis with first regions of first continuous elastic laminate, and bonding the second end regions of each chassis with first regions of the second continuous elastic laminate.