Method of positioning work piece and system therefor

A system for positioning a work piece on a wire saw that has a plurality of wire rows formed by at least one wire, wherein a work piece held by a work piece holding member is pressed against the wire rows at a predetermined reference angle and said work piece is cut into a plurality of wafers by the wire rows, the system comprising:

• a tilting mechanism that rocks said work piece holding member in a plane parallel to a plane containing said wire rows;
• a contact device which is secured to said work piece holding member and contacts the at least one wire when said work piece holding member is rocked in a first direction to a first position by said tilting mechanism, and contacts the at least one wire when said work piece holding member is rocked in a second direction to a second position by said tilting mechanism;
• and
• a controller that obtains a first rotational angle when the work piece holder is at the first position and a second rotational angle when the work piece holder is at the second position, the first and second rotational angles being obtained based on said predetermined reference angle, and controls the tilting mechanism to position said work piece holding member at said predetermined reference angle based on the first and second rotational angles thus obtained;
• wherein said first and second rotational angles are measured with respect to an initial position of the work piece holding member, the initial position being a position just prior to rocking in either of the first and second directions;
• and wherein voltage is applied to said at least one wire or said contact device so as to electrically sense contact or separation of said at least one wire and said contact device.