A method for rejecting defective absorbent products from a web converting manufacturing process, the method comprising the steps of: providing a communication network ; connecting a sensor with the communication network , the sensor including a sensor clock ; connecting a controller with the communication network , the controller including a controller clock ; synchronizing the sensor clock with the controller clock such that the reported time of the controller clock and the sensor clock can be correlated; advancing a substrate in a machine direction through a converting process at a first speed; virtually segmenting the substrate into a plurality of virtual products along the machine direction; virtually dividing the virtual products into a plurality of virtual segments along the machine direction; sequentially adding component parts to the substrate ; inspecting the substrate and component parts with the sensor ; communicating inspection parameters (Isn) from the sensor to the communication network ; assigning a timestamp (Tsn) to each inspection parameter (Isn), each timestamp (Tsn) based on the sensor clock ; receiving the inspection parameters (Isn) and corresponding timestamps (Tsn) from the communication network into the controller ; correlating each inspection parameter (Isn) with one virtual segment based on the timestamp (Tsn) of the inspection parameter and the first speed of the substrate ; identifying defects in virtual segments based on the inspection parameters (Isn); cutting the substrate with component parts added thereto into discrete absorbent articles ; rejecting absorbent articles that correspond with virtual products having virtual segments with identified defects; and packaging absorbent articles that correspond with virtual products having virtual segments with no identified defects. providing a communication network ; connecting a sensor with the communication network , the sensor including a sensor clock ; connecting a controller with the communication network , the controller including a controller clock ; synchronizing the sensor clock with the controller clock such that the reported time of the controller clock and the sensor clock can be correlated; advancing a substrate in a machine direction through a converting process at a first speed; virtually segmenting the substrate into a plurality of virtual products along the machine direction; virtually dividing the virtual products into a plurality of virtual segments along the machine direction; sequentially adding component parts to the substrate ; inspecting the substrate and component parts with the sensor ; communicating inspection parameters (Isn) from the sensor to the communication network ; assigning a timestamp (Tsn) to each inspection parameter (Isn), each timestamp (Tsn) based on the sensor clock ; receiving the inspection parameters (Isn) and corresponding timestamps (Tsn) from the communication network into the controller ; correlating each inspection parameter (Isn) with one virtual segment based on the timestamp (Tsn) of the inspection parameter and the first speed of the substrate ; identifying defects in virtual segments based on the inspection parameters (Isn); cutting the substrate with component parts added thereto into discrete absorbent articles ; rejecting absorbent articles that correspond with virtual products having virtual segments with identified defects; and packaging absorbent articles that correspond with virtual products having virtual segments with no identified defects. <EOS>