System for processing a slab having a top polished face and related method

A system of processing a stone or a stone-like slab having a top polished face and bottom surface, comprising:

• an imaging device configured to receive and display a digital image of the top polished face of the slab, the slab having opposing short sides and opposing long sides, at least two reference markers on at least one long side and at least one reference marker on at least one short side, each reference marker comprising a top marker on the top polished face and bottom marker on the bottom surface aligned with each other in a line normal to the top polished face and bottom surface;
• and
• a controller connected to the imaging device and configured to,
• overlay a slab cut layout on the digital image of the top polished face,
• generate a Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file containing digital data representative of the top polished face and its slab cut layout referenced to the top markers,
• mirror image the DXF file, and
• project the mirror imaged locations of the top markers to facilitate alignment of the bottom markers with the respective projected marker locations when the slab is upside down for cutting in a slab cutting position.

A method of processing a stone or a stone-like slab having side edges and a top polished face and bottom surface, comprising:

• adhering a plurality of reference markers over at least one side edge of the slab and onto the top polished face and bottom surface, each of the plurality of adhered reference markers comprising an adhesive strip having a first end formed as a top marker that is adhered to the top polished face and a second end formed as a bottom marker that is adhered to the bottom surface, wherein the top and bottom markers are aligned with each other in a line normal to the top polished face and bottom surface;
• overlaying a slab cut layout on the top polished face and generating a digital slab layout file therefrom containing digital data representative of the top polished face and its slab cut layout referenced to the adhered top markers;
• mirror imaging the digital slab layout file and projecting the mirror imaged locations of the top markers when the slab is to be positioned in an upside down slab cutting position;
• and
• aligning the bottom markers with the respective projected marker locations for upside down cutting of the slab.