Patent ID: 8813337

Claim:
A method of assembling multi-pane insulating glass units (IGUs) comprising: a) creating a manufacturing schedule for assembly of a plurality of insulating glass units from spacer frames and glass lites, said manufacturing schedule including both double pane insulating glass units and triple pane insulating glass units; b) providing conveyors for moving glass lites or panes along controlled travel paths to at least two different registration stations where lites are brought into registration with each other; and c) if the manufacturing schedule next designates assembly of a triple pane insulating glass unit, then: i) moving a first outer glass lite and a first spacer frame registered with the first outer glass lite on a conveyor to a first registration station as a unit and registering a middle lite with the first spacer frame and first outer glass lite to form an intermediate IGU layer; ii) moving the intermediate IGU layer to a different registration station other than the first registration station, and iii) at the different registration station moving a second, outer lite and second spacer frame into registration with the intermediate IGU layer to form the triple pane insulating glass unit; or d) if the manufacturing schedule next designates assembly of a double pane insulating glass unit, then moving a first outer glass lite and a first spacer frame registered with the first outer glass lite to a selected one of the two registration stations where a second outer lite is brought into registration with the first spacer frame to form a double pane insulating glass unit.