Polishing apparatus

A unitary, composite apparatus for polishing and then washing a workpiece, said apparatus comprising:

• a center robot;
• a plurality of units disposed in a cluster arrangement around said center robot and including a loading unit for receipt of a workpiece to be polished, a polishing unit to polish the workpiece and form a polished workpiece, a washing unit to wash the polished workpiece and to form a washed and polished workpiece, and an unloading unit for receipt of the washed and polished workpiece;
• said center robot including at least one first transfer mechanism for transferring the workpiece to be polished between said loading unit and said polishing unit and for transferring the washed and polished workpiece between said washing unit and said unloading unit;
• and
• at least one second transfer mechanism, separate and discrete from said at least one first transfer mechanism, for transferring the polished workpiece between said polishing unit and said washing unit;
• whereby handling of clean workpieces, including the workpiece to be polished and the washed and polished workpiece, is conducted by said at least one first transfer mechanism and is maintained separate and discrete from handling of dirty workpieces, including said polished workpiece, that is conducted by said at least one second transfer mechanism.