System and method for manufacturing optical display element

A system for manufacturing an optical display element, which manufactures a plurality of optical display elements distinguished from each other depending on a direction in which an optical film is laminated on a predetermined plane of a rectangular panel, both planes of the panel being laminated by an optical film, the system comprising:

• a panel supply unit supplying the panel;
• a panel transport unit transporting the supplied panel;
• a first laminating unit laminating the optical film onto a first plane of the panel in a direction parallel to a panel transport direction;
• and
• a second laminating unit laminating the optical film onto a second plane of the panel so that an absorption axis direction of the optical film is orthogonal to an absorption axis direction of the optical film laminated onto the first plane of the panel,
• wherein one of a longitudinal direction of an initial long edge and a longitudinal direction of an initial short edge of the panel supplied by the panel supply unit is selected as a panel supply direction, which is parallel to the transport direction of the panel and one of the longitudinal direction of a long edge and the longitudinal direction of a short edge of the panel is selected as a first laminating direction in which the optical film is laminated onto the first plane of the panel and the selections are predetermined as a process condition, and
• the system includes a first pivot unit, pivoting the panel to reverse positional relationship of the initial long edge and the initial short edge of the panel when the panel supply direction is orthogonal to the first laminating direction so that the first laminating unit laminates the optical film onto the first plane of the panel with the first laminating direction parallel to the panel transport direction, and not pivoting the panel when the panel supply direction is parallel to the first laminating direction.