An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool that is mechanically coupled to an arm. The tool includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The apparatus includes an arm control module that actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck to receive a wheel weight. The apparatus includes a cutting apparatus for separating the wheel weight from a supply feed of wheel weight material. The apparatus includes a sensor that detects presence or absence of the wheel weight on the tool.

A blade changer unit includes a blade chuck for holding a cutting blade, a moving unit for moving the blade chuck, and a control unit for controlling moving unit. The blade chuck has a plurality of electrically conductive grippers for holding the cutting blade. The controller detects conduction between the grippers and a boss. The control unit includes a calculator for calculating the position of a central axis of the mount from coordinates where the conduction between the holder and the boss is detected when the moving unit is controlled to bring the grippers into contact with the mount at at least three points, and a mounting/dismounting controller for mounting and dismounting the cutting blade while the central axis of the blade chuck is aligned with the central axis of the mount calculated by the calculator.

This disclosure describes a micro-cutting machine for forming cuts in catheters, guidewires, and similar products. The micro-cutting machine can directly control the dimensions of the resultant beams being cut into these types of products, and can also capture images of each cut for feedback control and accuracy verification. The micro-cutting machine has two cutting blades each with cutting edges aligned with a vertical axis. Motors operate to move the cutting blades in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stock material being cut to form a pair of opposing grooves in the stock material with each cut.

A blade changer unit includes a blade chuck for holding a cutting blade, a moving unit for moving the blade chuck, and a control unit for controlling moving unit. The blade chuck has a plurality of electrically conductive grippers for holding the cutting blade. The controller detects conduction between the grippers and a boss. The control unit includes a calculator for calculating the position of a central axis of the mount from coordinates where the conduction between the holder and the boss is detected when the moving unit is controlled to bring the grippers into contact with the mount at at least three points, and a mounting/dismounting controller for mounting and dismounting the cutting blade while the central axis of the blade chuck is aligned with the central axis of the mount calculated by the calculator.

An apparatus includes a receiving module, a conversion module, first and second rollers, a motor, and a cutting head. The receiving module receives a desired weight value. The conversion module converts the desired weight value to a first length of wheel weight material based on a linear density of the wheel weight material. The first and second rollers engage first and second opposing sides of a continuous strip of the wheel weight material. The linear density of the wheel weight material is approximately constant along the continuous strip. The motor directly drives the first roller based on the first length. The cutting head is selectively actuated to cut the wheel weight material.

This disclosure describes a micro-cutting machine for forming cuts in catheters, guidewires, and similar products. The micro-cutting machine can directly control the dimensions of the resultant beams being cut into these types of products, and can also capture images of each cut for feedback control and accuracy verification. The micro-cutting machine has two cutting blades each with cutting edges aligned with a vertical axis. Motors operate to move the cutting blades in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stock material being cut to form a pair of opposing grooves in the stock material with each cut.

This disclosure describes a micro-cutting machine for forming cuts in catheters, guidewires, and similar products. The micro-cutting machine can directly control the dimensions of the resultant beams being cut into these types of products, and can also capture images of each cut for feedback control and accuracy verification. The micro-cutting machine has two cutting blades each with cutting edges aligned with a vertical axis. Motors operate to move the cutting blades in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stock material being cut to form a pair of opposing grooves in the stock material with each cut.

An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool and an arm control module. The tool is mechanically coupled to an arm and includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The arm control module actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck of a cutting apparatus to receive a piece of non-segmented wheel weight material. A blade of a cutting apparatus passes between the edge of the deck and the leading edge of the tool to cut the piece from the non-segmented wheel weight material.

A system comprising a plurality of apparatuses for cutting products, comprising: a base; a cutting head with at least one cutting element along the circumference of the cutting head for cutting products fed into the cutting head, the cutting head being rotatably fitted to the base; an impeller adapted for rotating concentrically within the cutting head to urge products fed into the cutting head towards the circumference of the cutting head by means of centrifugal force; a first drive mechanism for driving the rotation of the impeller at a first rotational speed setting the centrifugal force; and a second drive mechanism for driving the rotation of the cutting head at a second rotational speed, determined such with respect to the first rotational speed that the product is cut by the at least one cutting element at a predetermined cutting velocity; and a controller for controlling said apparatuses.

An apparatus includes a receiving module, a conversion module, first and second rollers, a motor, and a cutting head. The receiving module receives a desired weight value. The conversion module converts the desired weight value to a first length of wheel weight material based on a linear density of the wheel weight material. The first and second rollers engage first and second opposing sides of a continuous strip of the wheel weight material. The linear density of the wheel weight material is approximately constant along the continuous strip. The motor directly drives the first roller based on the first length. The cutting head is selectively actuated to cut the wheel weight material.