Patent ID: 7238309

Claim:
A method for orienting sections of a plasticized ceramic extrudate, comprising: applying a reference mark to a plasticized extrudate as the extrudate exits an extrusion die onto an extrudate support; contacting a surface of the extrudate with elastically deformable rollers having pivot axes aligned askew from an extrudate axis of movement along the extrudate support to correct corkscrew deformation of the extrudate exiting the extrusion die in response to a reference mark misalignment, said correcting being prior to the extrudate being cut to form a cut section of the extrudate and without deformation of an outer surface of the extrudate; cutting the extrudate to form the cut section of the extrudate; floatingly supporting the cut section of the extrudate on an air bearing; taking an optical reading of the reference mark on the cut section of the floatingly supported extrudate and correcting misalignment of the reference mark from a predetermined reference point; transferring the cut section of the extrudate laterally via frictional force to a dryer tray; and imaging an end of the cut section of the extrudate on the dryer tray and comparing the image with a target range for alignment.