Method and apparatus for automated stripping of waste from a cut substrate

A separator for separating waste from product in a pre-cut substrate having one or more cut lines that are coincident with a boundary between product and waste, the separator comprising:

• an inlet feeder, feeds the pre-cut substrate into the separator along a plane that comprises a material path in a material feed direction;
• a separation wedge comprising a separation edge, wherein the separation wedge is disposed in a location below the material path and downstream of the inlet feeder along the material path, wherein the separation edge is positioned below the plane of the material path and wherein the separation edge is a leading edge of the separation wedge;
• a plurality of tools including at least a plurality of punch tools disposed above the plane of the material path, upstream of the separation wedge, each tool having a tool actuator, each punch tool having a punch tool actuator that positions the punch tool in an extended position in which a contact end of the punch tool is disposed below the separation wedge, and a retracted position in which the contact end of the punch tool is disposed above the plane of the material path;
• and
• a controller commands each punch tool actuator to position the corresponding punch tool contact end synchronized with a position of the pre-cut substrate relative thereto to separate the waste from the product at the separation wedge;
• a machine vision system detects a leading edge of the waste and a leading edge of the product;
• and
• wherein the separation wedge has an adjustable longitudinal position between a position wherein the separation wedge is relatively closer to the punch tools and a position wherein the separation wedge is relatively further from the punch tools, an adjustable distance relative to the plane of the material path, or a combination thereof, and the controller moves the separation wedge to facilitate separation of the product from the waste based upon the detected positions of the leading edge of the waste and the leading edge of the product.