Patent ID: 7629551

Claim:
A method of recycling a plurality of exhaust tubes used in manufacturing optical fiber, comprising the steps of: determining, using image processing, which of said plurality of exhaust tubes are reusable; transporting, using a first mechanized transport means, reusable exhaust tubes to a cutting station; cutting, at a prescribed angle, one edge of each of said reusable exhaust tubes received at said cutting station such that identified contaminates and discoloration that cannot be cleaned are removed from said edge of each of said reusable exhaust tubes, wherein a position for said cutting of said one edge of each of said reusable exhaust tubes to remove said identified contaminates and discoloration is determined via said image processing; transporting, using a second mechanized transport means, said reusable exhaust tubes to a cleaning station; and automatically cleaning said reusable exhaust tubes received at said cleaning station.