Method and system for splicing nose wire in a facemask manufacturing process

Abstract

A method and associated system are provided for splicing a reserve nose wire to a running nose wire in a facemask production line, wherein the running nose wire is supplied continuously from a supply roll. Prior to depletion of the running nose wire, the supply roll is moved from an operating location to an intermediate location that is further from the production line while continuing to supply the running nose wire from the supply roll. The supply roll is then moved from the intermediate location back towards the production line while decelerating the supply roll to a stop, thereby creating an accumulation of the running wire functionally between the supply roll and the production line. With the supply roll at a stop, the running nose wire is continuously supplied from the accumulation and a leading end of a reserve roll of nose wire is spliced to the running nose wire at a location upstream of the accumulation where the running nose wire is at a standstill. The running nose wire is then cut at a location upstream of the splice such that the reserve nose wire and reserve roll become a new running nose wire and new supply roll in the production line.