Dome-shaped shoulder pad discs are placed in face-to-face overlying relationship and loaded in segmented carriers of a surface conveyor system. Each carrier moves its shoulder pad discs to a first station where the material is cut between the segments of the carrier and formed into a leading stack of shoulder pads, a following stack of shoulder pads, and an intermediate stack of waste material. The carrier is moved to a second station where the intermediate stack of waste material is pushed downwardly between the segments of the carrier and ejected. The leading segment of the carrier is moved to a third station where the leading stack of shoulder pads is picked from the leading segment of the carrier and moved to a stacker, and then the following segment of the carrier is moved to the third station where its stack of shoulder pads is picked from the following segment of the carrier and moved to the stacker. The stacker forms the shoulder pads in a vertical stack.