A guiding and maintenance machine for positioning filaments at a predetermined pitch during a calendering cycle that performs manufacture of plies using the filaments, the guidance and maintenance machine comprising a cylinder group that includes a group of guide rollers with an upper guide roller and a lower guide roller , each guide roller having a predetermined diameter and a longitudinal axis about which the respective guide roller rotates, each guide roller also having a plurality of circumferential grooves defined on a respective circumferential surface in correspondence with the number of filaments to be aligned during a guiding and maintenance process, the cylinder group also comprising an application roller having a predetermined diameter and a longitudinal axis about which the application roller rotates, the application roller having a plurality of circumferential grooves defined on a circumferential surface of the application roller in correspondence with the cumulative number of grooves of the guide rollers , characterized in that : the guidance and maintenance machine comprises at least one preparation comb provided in correspondence with each guide roller , each preparation comb comprising a support having a predetermined length between two opposite ends and a predetermined width between a front surface and a top surface from which a plurality of teeth extend, the teeth having a predetermined uniform height and being parallel to each other along the length of the support , the teeth of a preparation comb attributed to the upper guide roller being positioned at a predetermined pitch in correspondence with the grooves of the upper guide roller, and the teeth of a comb attributed to the lower guide roller being positioned at a predetermined pitch in correspondence with the grooves of the lower guide roller; and in that each guide roller is movable relative to the application roller between an open position, in which the filaments are introduced into the guide rollers, and a closed position, in which each guide roller approaches the application roller to capture the filaments between the respective grooves of the guide rollers and the grooves of the application roller ; so that the preparation combs accompany the filaments from a corresponding supply creel to the guide rollers at a predetermined pitch positioning outside the guide rollers . the guidance and maintenance machine comprises at least one preparation comb provided in correspondence with each guide roller , each preparation comb comprising a support having a predetermined length between two opposite ends and a predetermined width between a front surface and a top surface from which a plurality of teeth extend, the teeth having a predetermined uniform height and being parallel to each other along the length of the support , the teeth of a preparation comb attributed to the upper guide roller being positioned at a predetermined pitch in correspondence with the grooves of the upper guide roller, and the teeth of a comb attributed to the lower guide roller being positioned at a predetermined pitch in correspondence with the grooves of the lower guide roller; and in that each guide roller is movable relative to the application roller between an open position, in which the filaments are introduced into the guide rollers, and a closed position, in which each guide roller approaches the application roller to capture the filaments between the respective grooves of the guide rollers and the grooves of the application roller ; so that the preparation combs accompany the filaments from a corresponding supply creel to the guide rollers at a predetermined pitch positioning outside the guide rollers . <EOS>