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Systems and methods for guiding one or more web components in connection with a web converting manufacturing process such as that used for manufacturing disposable absorbent garments. Some of the disclosed embodiments include relating inspection data, such as product (or process) attribute data, to

Systems and methods for guiding one or more web components in connection with a web converting manufacturing process such as that used for manufacturing disposable absorbent garments. Some of the disclosed embodiments include relating inspection data, such as product (or process) attribute data, to data from other manufacturing-related systems. Also disclosed are systems and methods for linking product (or process) attribute data obtained during the manufacturing process with one or more data sources including raw material data, process setting data, product quality data, and/or productivity data. Also disclosed are systems and methods for identifying manufacturing set point changes and automatically implementing such changes and automated web steering changes based on data from one or more inspection systems.

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What is claimed is: 1. A web guiding system for use in connection with a continuous production line producing a composite web from first and second web components, said first web component being supplied on a first feed system and said second web component being supplied on a second feed system, sa

What is claimed is: 1. A web guiding system for use in connection with a continuous production line producing a composite web from first and second web components, said first web component being supplied on a first feed system and said second web component being supplied on a second feed system, said composite web being supplied to a third feed system after a forming process, the system comprising: a communication network; a first web guide for selectively adjusting a position of the first web component on the first feed system prior to the forming process; a vision inspection system periodically capturing an image of the composite web and detecting in the captured image a placement of the first web component relative to the second web component, said vision inspection system providing to the communication network an inspection parameter indicative of said detected placement; an information exchange system obtaining via the communication network a plurality of inspection parameters, each associated with one of a plurality of captured images of the composite web, said information exchange system determining a mathematical characteristic of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters and providing the mathematical characteristic; and a drive system associated with the first web guide, said drive system being responsive to the provided mathematical characteristic for selectively causing the first web guide to adjust the position of the first web component on the first feed system. 2. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a second web guide for selectively adjusting a position of the second web component on the second feed system prior to the forming process, and wherein the drive system is associated with the second web guide, said drive system being responsive to the provided mathematical characteristic for selectively causing the second web guide to adjust the position of the second web component on the second feed system. 3. A system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a logic filter for determining whether the first web guide only should be selectively adjusted, whether the second web guide only should be selectively adjusted or whether both the first and second web guides should be simultaneously selectively adjusted and wherein the drive system is responsive to the logic filter to implement the determination of the logic filter. 4. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first web guide is configured for adjusting the position of the first web component relative to a first reference point. 5. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second web guide is configured for adjusting the position of the second web component relative to the first reference point. 6. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second web guide is configured for adjusting the position of the second web component relative to a second reference point. 7. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second web guide is configured for adjusting the position of the second web component relative to an amount of adjustment to the position of the first web component. 8. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein: the first web guide further comprises a first edge detector for detecting a position of an edge of the first web component, said first web guide guiding the first web component on the first feed system as a function of the detected position of the edge of the first web component; and the second web guide further comprises a second edge detector for detecting a position of an edge of the second web component, said second web guide guiding the second web component on the second feed system as a function of the detected position of the edge of the second web component. 9. A system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the information exchange system triggers a cleaning function associated with the first edge detector as a function of the determined mathematical characteristic. 10. A system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the information exchange system triggers a cleaning function associated with the second edge detector as a function of the determined mathematical characteristic. 11. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first web component comprises a first fastener component and the second web component comprises a second fastener component, said first and second fastener components being joined together by the forming process to form a fastener, and wherein the vision inspection system is configured for detecting a relative placement of the first and second fastener components. 12. A system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the vision inspection system comprises a first camera and a second camera and the image captured by the vision inspection system comprises a composite image created from a first image captured using the first camera and a second image captured using the second camera. 13. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the vision inspection system is configured such that the inspection parameter comprises a numerical value being indicative of a relative placement of the first and second fastener components. 14. A web guiding system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the drive system compares the mathematical characteristic to a target, said drive system causing the first web guide to adjust the position of the first web component on the first feed system as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 15. A system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the vision inspection system is configured such that the detected placement comprises a relative placement of the first and second web components and the inspection parameter comprises a numerical value indicative of said relative placement and the target comprises an acceptability value. 16. A system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the drive system selectively adjusts the third feed system as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 17. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the drive system selectively adjusts the third feed system as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 18. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the information exchange system is configured such that the determined mathematical characteristic comprises at least one of an average of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters and a standard deviation of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters. 19. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the drive system causes the first web guide to selectively adjust the web as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 20. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a monitoring subsystem which monitors a parameter of the composite web, which compares the monitored parameter to a preset range and which provides an indication when the monitored parameter is outside the preset range. 21. A system as set forth in claim 20 wherein the indication is an alarm or a command to effect a shutdown of the web guiding system. 22. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inspection system detects the relative placement of first and second components and of second and third components and wherein the information exchange system infers the relative placement of the first and third components from the relative placement of first and second components and from the relative placement of second and third components and wherein the information exchange system uses the inferred relative placement of the first and third components for guiding the first or third components. 23. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the continuous production product line produces the composite web along a path, wherein the drive system causes the first web guide to adjust the position of the web at a particular point along the path, wherein the vision inspection system captures an image at a particular point along the path which is downstream from the particular point along the path at which the drive system adjusts the position of the feed system and wherein the drive system adjusts the position of the feed system in response to the captured image. 24. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the continuous production product line produces the composite web along a path and wherein the produced composite web is provided to a downstream process. 25. A system as set forth in claim 24 wherein the drive system causes the first web guide to adjust the position of the web at a particular point along the path, wherein the vision inspection system captures an image relating to a parameter of the downstream process system and wherein the drive system adjusts the position of the feed system in response to the captured image. 26. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the continuous production product line produces the composite web along a path, wherein the drive system causes the first web guide to adjust the position of the web at a particular point along the path, wherein the vision inspection system captures an image at a particular point along the path which is upstream of the particular point along the path at which the drive system adjusts the position of the feed system and wherein the drive system adjusts the position of the feed system in response to the captured image. 27. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive system selectively adjusts the position of the feed system as a function of a predictive information correlated to the mathematical characteristic and the target. 28. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the drive system selectively adjusts the first web guide by reference to a reference point comprising one or more of the following: a fixed point; a reference point associated with the first web component being guided and/or a reference point associated with the second web component being guided. 29. A web guiding method, suitable for use in connection with a production line producing a composite web formed from a first web component combined with a second web component, said first web component being supplied on a first feed system and said second web component being supplied on a second feed system, said composite web being supplied on a third feed system after a composition process for combining said first and second web components, the method comprising: controlling with a first web guide a position of the first web component on the first feed system to maintain said first web component substantially at a desired position on the first feed system; controlling with a second web guide a position of the second web component on the second feed system to maintain said second web component substantially at a desired position on the second feed system; capturing an image of the composite web formed from the first and second web components; detecting in the captured image a placement of the first web component relative to the second web component; providing an inspection parameter indicative of said detected relative placement; obtaining a plurality of inspection parameters, each associated with one of a plurality of captured images of the composite web; determining a mathematical characteristic of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters; comparing the determined mathematical characteristic to a target; and selectively adjusting a position of the first web guide as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 30. A method as set forth in claim 29 further comprising selectively adjusting a position of the second web guide as a function of a difference between the mathematical characteristic and the target. 31. A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein determining the mathematical characteristic comprises determining an average of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters. 32. A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein determining the mathematical characteristic comprises determining a standard deviation of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters. 33. A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein the composition process joins the first and second web components in an overlapping relationship, and wherein detecting in the captured image the placement of the first web component relative to the second web component comprises detecting an amount of overlap between the first web component and the second web component and wherein the inspection parameter indicates said amount of overlap. 34. A method as set forth in claim 29 further comprising initiating a cleaning function associated with the first web guide as a function of the determined mathematical characteristic. 35. A method as set forth in claim 29 further comprising initiating a cleaning function associated with the second web guide as a function of the determined mathematical characteristic. 36. A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein the first and second components are combined by a joining process resulting in an overlapping relationship between the first and second components, and wherein detecting in the captured image the placement of the first web component relative to the second web component comprises detecting an amount of overlap between the first web component and the second web component and wherein the inspection parameter indicates said amount of overlap. 37. A method as set forth in claim 36 wherein the mathematical characteristic comprises an assessment of variability of the obtained plurality of inspection parameters and wherein comparing the mathematical characteristic to the target comprises comparing the assessment of variability to an acceptability value associated with the amount of overlap such that if the assessment of variability is greater than the acceptability value the drive set point is not adjusted. 38. A method as set forth in claim 29 further comprising selectively determining whether the first web component only should be selectively adjusted, whether the second web component only should be selectively adjusted or whether both the first and second web components should be simultaneously selectively adjusted and implementing the selective determination.