The Challenge
Switching Frame Styles Too Slow for Store-Specific Markets
High-volume production lines lacked flexibility to handle diverse frame styles quickly. The customer needed a system that could:
- Transition between seven different frame styles without long tooling swaps
- Maintain high throughput while supporting small-batch variety
- Automate glue application, material insertion, and press operations
- Enable fast setup changes to support market demand
MWES was chosen to deliver flexible automation that combined robotic vision with recipe-driven control to support style variation at high output rates.
The Solution
Vision-Guided Four-Robot Assembly Line with Recipe Changeovers
MWES engineered a multi-station system featuring:
- Four FANUC robots equipped with machine vision for dynamic material placement
- In-feed conveyors feeding blank frames to station one for glue and glass insertion
- Vision-based alignment of glass, paper mats, and back panels at each assembly station
- Pneumatic press station to fix assembly—then finished frames exit via outfeed
- HMI interface allowing operators to input frame style and change recipes instantly
MWES delivered a high-speed, vision-enabled robotic line that assembles varied styles of frames seamlessly—eliminating downtime for tooling changeovers.
The Results
900 Frames per 2 Hours with No Tooling Downtime
The implemented vision-guided system produced clear benefits:
- Delivered production of 900 assembled frames in two hours, including changeover time
- Enabled tool-free transitions between multiple frame styles on the fly
- Maintained high throughput without sacrificing quality or consistency
- Supported profitable entry into smaller volume, more varied style markets
By eliminating hard tooling changeovers and leveraging vision-guided robotics, MWES helped the customer significantly increase flexibility and throughput—all while reducing variability.
