Patent ID: 8336200

Claim:
A method for maintaining orientation of a manufactured part during a manufacturing process, the method comprising: feeding, using a feeder module, a carrier from at least one supply apparatus, the carrier comprising a flexible material, the carrier configured to support a plurality of manufactured parts, the carrier formed independent of the plurality of manufactured parts, the supply apparatus storing the carrier such that the carrier may be fed from the supply apparatus, the carrier comprising a plurality of indexing marks; feeding, using the feeder module, the carrier into a part forming module, the part forming module used by a manufacturing process to form a manufactured part, the manufactured part comprising at least a portion of a finished manufactured part, the carrier being disconnected from any portion of the manufactured part prior to being fed into the part forming module; and determining a position of the carrier in the part forming module in response to sensing the indexing marks on the carrier, wherein the part forming module forms a plurality of manufactured parts and one or more connectors extending between each manufactured part and the carrier such that an edge of each manufactured part to which the carrier is connected is held away from the carrier by the one or more connectors, a width of a portion of the connector formed onto the carrier being equal to or less than a width of the connector at a connection point to the carrier, the widths of the connector measured in a direction the carrier is being fed into the part forming module, the carrier being external to the manufactured parts, the carrier comprising the indexing marks prior to being fed into the part forming module, the one or more connectors formed onto the carrier as the carrier is fed into the part forming module such that raw material used to form the plurality of manufactured parts is used to form the one or more connectors extending from each manufacture part and onto the carrier, wherein the carrier is of sufficient length such that the plurality of manufactured parts may be formed and connected by the one or more connectors to the carrier in a plurality of part forming steps and wherein each manufactured part is connected to the carrier via the one or more connectors such that each manufactured part maintains orientation with respect to the portion of the carrier adjacent to where the manufactured part is connected and each manufactured part maintains the orientation during an operation subsequent to forming the manufactured part.