Patent ID: 8127423

Claim:
A method of hemming nested panels, said method comprising the steps of: providing a single hemming workstation including a turntable adapted to simultaneously mount at least two anvils thereon at a first anvil mounting position and a second anvil mounting position; mounting an anvil on said first anvil mounting position of said turntable using an anvil load robot; mounting a clamping spider and an engaged set of nested panels on said anvil at said first anvil mounting position using a clamping spider load robot; rotating said turntable to present said anvil and said mounted clamping spider and nested panels to a plurality of roller hemming robots; performing hemming operations on said nested panels using said roller hemming robots; and while performing said hemming operations, performing at least one of (a) unloading a clamping spider and an engaged hemmed nested panel assembly from an anvil mounted on said second anvil mounting position of said turntable using said clamping spider load robot, (b) unloading an anvil from said second anvil mounting position using said anvil load robot, (c) mounting an anvil on said second anvil mounting position using said anvil load robot, and (d) mounting a clamping spider and an engaged set of nested panels onto an anvil disposed at said second anvil mounting position using said clamping spider load robot.