Ultrasonic cutting machine with automated blade cleaning system

An ultrasonic cutting machine comprising:

• an ultrasonic cutting blade, wherein said cutting blade includes a first surface intersecting a second surface at a cutting edge;
• an ultrasound transducer;
• a waveguide acoustically coupling the ultrasound transducer with the ultrasonic cutting blade;
• a support structure for supporting a workpiece to be cut by said cutting blade;
• a positioning device connected to said cutting blade, said positioning device being capable of positioning the cutting blade along an x-axis, about the x-axis, along a y-axis, about the y-axis, along a z-axis and about the z-axis;
• a basin defining an internal volume and an opening into said internal volume, wherein said basin is configured to receive a solvent in said internal volume;
• and
• a cleaning surface positioned in said internal volume, said cleaning surface being an outermost surface area for physically agitating debris on the cutting blade, wherein said cleaning surface is fixed relative to said support structure;
• a lid positioned over the opening of the basin, thereby at least partially sealing the opening of the basin;
• a housing defining a volume;
• a piston within the housing to divide the volume of the housing into a piston chamber and a rod chamber;
• a rod extended from the piston though the rod chamber and connected to the lid by way of an arm disposed between the rod and the lid, wherein the rod is engaged with a track in the housing such that as the rod axially extends along a rod axis, the engagement with the track causes the rod to twist about the rod axis, thereby causing corresponding lifting of the lid from the basin and twisting of the lid away from the basin;
• a compressed air source in selective fluid communication with the piston chamber by way of a solenoid valve, wherein when the solenoid valve is opened, the compressed air source pressurizes the piston chamber, thereby moving the piston and urging the rod to axially extend outward from the housing along the rod axis;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the positioning device and to the solenoid valve, wherein the controller is configured to command said positioning device to move said cutting blade to cut said workpiece, to move said cutting blade to said basin, to open the solenoid value when the ultrasonic cutting blade is moved to the basin, and to orient said cutting blade at a first non-zero angle relative to a travel path such that said cutting edge of said cutting blade is aligned opposite to said travel path, and to move said cutting blade in said travel path while oriented at said first non-zero angle and while said cleaning surface physically agitates debris along said first surface and said cutting edge of said cutting blade.