Patent ID: 8628277

Claim:
A cutting apparatus for cutting plate-shaped workpieces, the cutting apparatus comprising: a workpiece supplying member including a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of plate-shaped workpieces therein, and the slots being structured and arranged in a manner such that the workpieces are vertically oriented and edge portions thereof are inserted in the slots; a positioning mechanism having a central axis, the positioning mechanism comprising a plurality of side faces surrounding the central axis, and a plurality of recesses defined in the respective side faces for receiving workpieces therein; a transportation robot configured for unloading a workpiece from the workpiece supplying member, transporting the workpiece from the workpiece supplying member to the positioning mechanism, and loading the workpiece on the positioning mechanism, the positioning mechanism being rotatable about the central axis such that one of the side faces can be selectively oriented to face the transportation robot so as to load the workpiece transported by the transportation robot in the corresponding recess; and an annular cutting blade configured for cutting a workpiece loaded on the positioning mechanism, the positioning mechanism being rotatable about the central axis such that one workpiece loaded thereon can be selectively oriented to face the cutting blade.