A method and apparatus for manufacturing absorbent tampons with reduced fiberfluff includes a needlepunching unit. The method includes providing acontinuousnonwoven fibrous web； separating individual nonwoven web sections from thecontinuous nonwoven fibrous web； forming distinct side edges of eachindividualnonwoven web section； rolling the nonwoven web section to form a substantiallycylindrical tampon blank； and compressing the substantially cylindrical tamponblankto form the absorbent tampon. The distinct side edges of each individualnonwovenweb section are formed by needlepunching proximate the longitudinal side edgesofeach individual nonwoven web section, folding both longitudinal side edgesinwardlyto form distinct side edges of the individual nonwoven web section, andneedlepunching the folded longitudinal side edges to stabilize the distinctside edgesof the individual nonwoven web section.
