Machine for bevel (“miter”) cutting a slab with finished face down for making a farm sink and related method

A slab processing machine, comprising:

• a work table;
• a frame having guide rails;
• a bridge mounted for movement on the guide rails over the work table along an X and Y coordinate axis;
• a carriage mounted on the bridge and configured for vertical movement along a Z coordinate axis;
• a machining head supported by a lower end of the carriage;
• at least one drive mechanism connected to the bridge, carriage and machining head and configured to drive the machining head over the work table in an X, Y, Z coordinate axis and rotate the machining head for C-axis rotation and A-axis rotation, said machining head configured to mount a circular saw blade for respective cutting of a stone slab positioned on the work table with a finished face of the slab down on vacuum pods;
• a controller connected to the machining head and the at least one drive mechanism, said controller configured to operate the machining head to rotate the machining head on the A-axis and bevel cut in the slab a sink hole for a farm sink while the slab is positioned upside down with the finished face down on the vacuum pods;
• and
• a laser projector connected to said controller, wherein said controller is configured to project a first slab cut layout from the laser projector onto the work table to aid in positioning the slab upside down with the finished face down on the vacuum pods positioned on the work table, wherein the slab is oriented finished face down based upon a first mirror imaged slab cut layout that is projected from the laser projector.

A method of operating a slab processing machine having a work table, a machining head, at least one drive mechanism connected thereto, and a controller connected to the at least one drive mechanism, the method comprising:

• positioning a stone slab upside down on vacuum pods on the work table with a finished face of the slab down on the vacuum pods;
• mounting a circular saw blade within the machining head;
• controlling the at least one drive mechanism to drive the machining head over the work table in an X, Y, Z coordinate axis and rotate the machining head for C-axis rotation and A-axis rotation;
• rotating the machining head on the A-axis into a predetermined bevel angle;
• and
• bevel cutting in the slab a sink hole for a farm sink while the slab is positioned upside down with the finished face down on the vacuum pods, wherein the controller operates the machining head to bevel cut pieces from the slab that are configured in geometry to be adhered at an inside bevel cut edge of the sink hole and to respective bevel cut edges of each other, forming the sides of the farm sink.