Abstract: A method of removing unwanted material from an article having a variable form can include scanning the article and determining, based on the scanning, a location of the unwanted material, determining tool paths of a cutting tool which will result in removal of the unwanted material, and displacing the cutting tool along the tool paths, thereby removing the unwanted material. A material removal system for removing unwanted material from an oilfield drill bit can include a rotary indexing device which rotates the drill bit about a longitudinal axis of the drill bit, a scanning device which scans an outer surface of the drill bit, and a controller which determines a geometry of the drill bit, based on at least one scan by the scanning device, determines a location of the unwanted material, and determines tool paths of a cutting tool for removal of the unwanted material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an invention in the field of automated assembly. The present invention particularly relates to a system and method to attach items such as decorative materials to desired objects. The present invention automatically picks up and places decorative materials such as crystals or rhinestones on a three-dimensional (3-D) surface of an object utilizing a multi-axis robot. A digital file of the object is created that would represent the surfaces of the object, and decorative materials are then placed on the digital object in a design or pattern. Upon loading the physical object in the machine, a computer program designed to process the designs calculates the position, color, and size, for each decorative element or rhinestone. The user then loads the required decorative materials into the system and runs the system.

Abstract: A method of removing unwanted material from an article having a variable form can include scanning the article and determining, based on the scanning, a location of the unwanted material, determining tool paths of a cutting tool which will result in removal of the unwanted material, and displacing the cutting tool along the tool paths, thereby removing the unwanted material. A material removal system for removing unwanted material from an oilfield drill bit can include a rotary indexing device which rotates the drill bit about a longitudinal axis of the drill bit, a scanning device which scans an outer surface of the drill bit, and a controller which determines a geometry of the drill bit, based on at least one scan by the scanning device, determines a location of the unwanted material, and determines tool paths of a cutting tool for removal of the unwanted material.