The San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has announced the startup of a new nonwovens equipment line supplied by S&S Specialty Systems (www.ssspecialtysystems.com) for production of interfolded tissue products. The new equipment allows the LightHouse to expand its converting services for the military, with much of the equipment output shipping overseas to U.S. military stations including Iraq and Afghanistan. It will also supply other government customers, including FEMA, with products that can be used following hurricanes, weather emergencies and disasters.

“Our services for the military include a number of products that are folded into small packets that service men and women can easily carry on their person,” says LightHouse executive director Anita Aaron. “This new production line...has a unique ability to make compact tissue products including toilet packets with efficient, cost-effective output.”

One toilet package is supplied with each MRE (meals ready to eat) kit. Military MRE kits are also stocked for by government emergency agencies and are used by FEMA.

Each package contains 24 single-ply sheets, conveniently folded to a package approximately 1.094 in. wide by 2.25 in. long and individually kraft-paper sleeved. The dimension of each sheet when open is 4.375 in. by 4.5 in.

A 52.5 in. wide two-ply parent roll is slit into twelve individual lanes and then turned 90 degrees into the converting head. Each lane is aligned one above the other and combined into 24 single-ply layers. The ribbon of material is progressively C-folded over a former plate and ironed out. It then gets one-half folded over a second former plate to the 1.094 in. dimension and then ironed out.

The next step is to cut the ribbon to the 4.5 in. length and then fold it in half to the 2.25 in. long dimension. Each individual package is then wrapped in a kraft sleeve stock that is hot-melt glued at the seam. The machine is capable of producing 1,000 packages/min., or 24,000 single-ply sheets/min.

The production line is operated primarily by visually impaired and blind LightHouse staff members. Design considerations during the planning and construction stages in Wisconsin were tailored to the needs of LightHouse operators. Training was also part of the machine phase-in process, with some of the operations people traveling to Wisconsin for machine trials.

According to Patrick St. Germain of S&S Specialty Systems, “We worked closely with the LightHouse to produce a touchscreen controlled, custom line that accommodates their needs for these small tissue packets.”

The San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a 16-year history as a trusted supplier to the U.S. military. “We are committed to continuing our partnership as a military supplier, being able to accept new contracts and grow our services without disruption,” says Aaron. “With this addition to our capabilities, we have made an investment in our future.”

“S&S and the LightHouse have worked together before on manufacturing systems,” says Tom Gazdik, S&S marketing director. “We have some unique insights into their needs, and we were able to offer new equipment efficiencies to make these small, but important packets. Our design developments, to make small packets that unfold into full-size tissue wipes, were also very timely.” The company's recently introduced production lines can support converting for Z-TAH FOLDS™ disposable products including tissues, wipes, and napkins. The latest Cheetah line demonstrates a modular technology that is customized to convert interfolded products, such as wet, dry and saturated wipes.