The Procter Gamble Company

Rakesh Gummalla

Richard George Coe

James William Busch

Keith Joseph Stone

Mathias Johannes Hilpert

Mel Allende-Blanco

Kasey Marie Gust

Kerry Lloyd Weaver

Ayub Ibrahim Khan

Matthew Joseph Macura

Eva Grace Nellenbach

Matthew Howard Wasson

Richard Shane Mays

Processes for making micro-textured webs. The process comprises providing a precursor web; providing a pair of mated forming structures, including a first forming structure and a second forming structure, wherein at least the first forming structure comprises voids, and wherein at least the second forming structure comprises protrusions; and moving the web through a deformation zone of the mated forming structures, wherein the voids of the first forming structure engage with the protrusions of the second forming structure at an engagement position. Discrete three-dimensional elements are formed in the web as the protrusions on the second forming structure engage with the voids on the first mating structure. At least one protrusion has center-to-center spacings of less than about 800 microns with at least three of its adjacent protrusions.

Process for making a micro-textured web

Included are embodiments for predicting an expected life of a pliable material. Some embodiments of a method include modeling, by a computing device, the pliable material and simulating strain on the pliable material, wherein simulating strain on the pliable material includes creating a strain results file. Similarly, some embodiments of the method include identifying, from the strain results file, a point of strain energy density on the pliable material, accessing a life prediction curve associated with the pliable material to determine a material file, and creating a strain-material file by combining the strain results file and the material file. Still some embodiments of the method include executing software to predict the expected life of the pliable material and predicting the expected life of the pliable material.

Systems and methods for material life prediction

Included are systems and methods for modeling compliant parts. Some of the systems and/or methods include creating a 3-dimensional simulation of a product that includes an outer part and an inner part, determining a deformation characteristic of the product, and simulating an interaction of the inner part with the outer part. Similarly, in some of the systems and/or methods a characteristic of interaction may be measured from the interaction, a determination may be made regarding whether the characteristic of interaction meets a predetermined threshold. In some of the systems and/or methods, in response to determining that the characteristic of interaction meets the predetermined threshold, an output may be sent indicating product design acceptability. In response to determining that the characteristic of interaction does not meet the predetermined threshold, the 3-dimensional simulation may be iteratively altered until the characteristic of interaction meets the predetermined threshold.

Systems and methods for modeling compliant parts

Apparatus for making micro-textured webs. The apparatus comprises a pair of mated forming structures having a first forming structure, a second forming structure, and a deformation zone; wherein at least the first forming structure comprises voids, and wherein at least the second forming structure comprises protrusions wherein at least one protrusion has center-to-center spacings of less than about 800 microns with at least three of its adjacent protrusions. The voids of the first forming structure are engagable with the protrusions of the second forming structure at an engagement position to form a micro-textured web. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a pair of counter-rotating rollers wherein the first roller comprises grooves having a length, wherein the length of the grooves are oriented at an angle different from the machine direction.

Apparatus for making a micro-textured web

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Rakesh Gummalla