Machine for hybrid cutting, preparing and finishing a slab with finished face down and related method

A machine for processing a stone or a stone-like slab having rough cut side edges and a finished face and bottom surface, comprising:

• a frame defining a slab processing area in which the slab to be processed extends along an X and Y coordinate axis;
• a work table positioned at the slab processing area, including vacuum pods on the work table on which the slab is positioned with the finished face down for cutting, routing and finishing, said slab being oriented with a mirror imaged slab cut layout that is based upon a slab cut layout on the finished face of the slab;
• a bridge supported for movement on the frame across the slab processing area;
• a carriage mounted on the bridge, said carriage configured for vertical movement along a Z coordinate axis and horizontal movement on the bridge to define movement of a lower end of the carriage along the X, Y and Z coordinate axes;
• a machine yoke rotatably mounted at the lower end of the carriage and configured for C-axis rotation, said machine yoke comprising opposing support arms;
• a machining head rotatably mounted between the support arms and configured for A-axis rotation, said machining head comprising a spindle configured to mount a circular saw blade, a finger bit or at least one finishing tool for respective cutting, routing or finishing on the slab when positioned upside down on the vacuum pods;
• at least one drive mechanism connected to the bridge, carriage, machine yoke and machining head;
• at least one laser projector configured to project a slab cut layout towards the work table;
• and
• a controller connected to the at least one drive mechanism and at least one laser projector and configured to,
• generate a digital slab cut layout file containing digital data representative of the cut layout on the finished face of the slab;
• mirror image the digital slab cut layout file to form the mirror imaged slab cut layout;
• project the mirror imaged slab cut layout towards the work table to aid in positioning the slab for mirror image cutting with the finished face down on the vacuum pods;
• control movement of the bridge, carriage, machine yoke and machining head when the spindle supports a circular saw blade to cut the side edges of the slab upside down by following the mirror imaged slab cut layout to form a slab corresponding substantially to the shape of a countertop;
• and
• without removing the cut slab from the vacuum pods and maintaining the finished face down,
• rout any sink holes and any radius curves on the finished slab using a finger bit that had been switched onto the spindle after removal of the circular saw blade, the routing path based upon the mirror imaged slab cut layout, and
• switch out the finger bit with at least one finishing tool to finish the slab by forming an edge profile on the inside of any sink holes and edging and polishing the sides of the finished slab.

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

• positioning the slab with the finished face down on vacuum pods positioned on a work table and oriented with a mirror imaged slab cut layout that is based upon a slab cut layout on the finished face of the slab;
• cutting with a circular saw blade mounted on a spindle the side edges of the slab upside down by following the mirror imaged slab cut layout to form a slab corresponding substantially to the shape of a countertop;
• and
• without removing the cut slab from the vacuum pods and maintaining the finished face down,
• routing any sink holes and any radius curves on the finished slab piece using a finger bit that had been switched onto the spindle after removal of the circular saw blade, the routing path based upon the mirror imaged slab cut layout, and
• finishing the slab by forming an edge profile on the inside of any sink holes and edging and polishing the sides of the finished slab.