Importance

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Abstract

The system constructed according to the present invention operates by properly positioning a base compact disc (CD) onto a cutting table and then cutting the CD to a preprogrammed shape. Base CDs are stacked on an elevator system. The CDs include one side on which data is recorded, and another side on which the CD label is printed. A robotic arm with a vacuum gripper then picks-up a CD from the stack and moves the CD to a cutting table. While the arm moves the CD, a machine vision system takes a picture of the CD label and compares the picture to an image of the label stored in data. An image mapping program then determines the rotational orientation of the CD by comparing the picture and data image. Once the orientation of the disc is known, the robot arm rotates the disc a calculated amount so that it can then be placed on the cutting table in a proper normalized orientation. The CD is held in place on the cutting table by a vacuum chucking system. A routing tool then plunges through the CD and cuts an edge of a desired shape. Once cutting is complete, a second robotic arm with vacuum grippers picks up the shaped CD and associated single scrap piece. The shaped CD portion is placed on a vertical mandrel and the scrap piece is discarded in a bulk bin. The completed system is intended to have four (4) independent machine vision systems and routing stations so that four CDs can be shaped at the same time.

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First Claim