In 2026, AMD Machines quoted the conversion of a manual damper line into an automated one for a manufacturer in Mexico. The line already had six process machines. The quote added a tube feeder, three six-axis robots, orientation stations and an outlet conveyor around them, and changed the existing machines' clamping so robots, not operators, could load and unload every station. This case study walks through that quote: what was in it, what it cost in round numbers, why the design looks the way it does, and what the buyer is responsible for. The customer isn't named, and prices are shown as ranges.
This case study is based on the quote: it describes what was quoted, not results from a running machine. We're publishing it because buyers rarely see what it costs to automate a line they already own. For the full range of robot loading and unloading work we build, see our machine tending automation page.
A robot line conversion is the automation of an existing manual production line by adding robots, part feeding and automatic workholding around the process machines already on the floor, so robots move every part between machines instead of operators. The conversion AMD Machines quoted here kept six existing machines and automated everything between them.
What Is in This Robot Line Conversion?
The six existing machines, in process order, were the stamping machine, washing station, oil filler machine, damper tester, roll over and gas charging station. AMD Machines did not quote new process machines. It quoted the automation around them and the clamping changes inside them, and specified the equipment by brand:
| System | What AMD Machines quoted |
|---|---|
| Robots | Three Yaskawa GP25 six-axis robots, ceiling-mounted on reinforced welded steel structure |
| End-of-arm tooling | One end-of-arm tool per robot with two Schunk pneumatic grippers for part holding |
| Part feeding | Semiautomatic step feeder: steel profile and plate base, a step fixturized belt for part nesting, Baldor VM3542 synchronous AC motor, Dodge 20Q60H56 reducer and Siemens SINAMICS frequency drive |
| Feeder-to-stamping transfer | Two pneumatic cylinders to locate each tube in the stamping fixture and one driving a slide table; a pneumatic ejector that centers the stamped part for the first robot |
| Orientation | Three positioning stations, each holding two parts on a vertical axis, with one Keyence IV3 vision sensor detecting the loop position |
| Machine modifications | Automatic part clamping with SMC pneumatic grippers, replacing the current mechanical clamping on the existing machines |
| Outfeed | Plastic belt outlet conveyor |
| Controls | Siemens S7-1200 PLC with I/O modules, Siemens SIMATIC TP900 HMI in a control panel with dials, buttons and a multicolor light tower, Balluff IO-Link network block and sensor boxes, managed Ethernet switch, NEMA 1 main cabinet |
| Pneumatics | SMC air preparation (FRL) and a pneumatic valve manifold |
| Guarding and safety | Troax mesh perimeter guarding with one service door, Allen-Bradley 440C safety controller, Allen-Bradley 442G access box with handle, Keyence safety light curtains at the front, two emergency stops, safety relays, RFID reader for access control |
The design basis in the AMD Machines quote: a 36-second machine cycle, based on a simulation of the new layout; three 8-hour shifts a day, 22 working days a month; one operator; 24 VDC controls on a 60 Hz supply with an EtherNet/IP network; and a maximum usable space of about 12 × 20 ft (3,700 × 6,200 mm).
How Much Does It Cost to Convert a Manual Line to Robots?
The conversion AMD Machines quoted came to between $320,000 and $400,000, delivered (DAP) to the customer's plant in Mexico, with VAT not included. The quote priced it as a single line:
| Line | Price range |
|---|---|
| Three-robot cell with tube feeder, orientation stations, outlet conveyor, guarding, controls and clamping modifications to six existing machines; delivered DAP to the customer's plant | $320,000–$400,000 |
| Total, delivered (VAT not included) | $320,000–$400,000 |
For context, AMD Machines publishes these ranges on its machine tending page: "A typical single-machine CNC tending cell with a FANUC robot, conveyor staging, and basic gauging costs $150,000–$250,000. Multi-machine cells with rail systems and advanced gauging run $300,000–$500,000." This three-robot, six-machine conversion sits in the lower part of the multi-machine range.
AMD Machines quoted payment in four milestones: 40% with the purchase order, 30% at design approval, 20% at approval at AMD's facility and 10% at approval at the customer's facility. The quote was in US dollars and valid for 30 days.
Four things move the price of a line conversion more than anything else:
- How many robots the cycle needs. The AMD Machines quote used three robots across six machines, with a 36-second machine cycle taken from a simulation of the new layout. In general, a longer cycle can let fewer robots serve more machines.
- How much the existing machines must change. The AMD Machines quote adds automatic clamping to the existing machines; its materials list names clamping or positioning parts for the stamping, oil-filling, damper-test, roll-over and gas-charging machines. Machines that already have powered workholding and a clean signal handshake cost less to integrate.
- Whether part orientation matters. Orientation stations with vision add hardware, programming and validation. A symmetrical part that can be picked any way round skips them.
- How parts arrive. A step feeder that an operator loads in batches is simpler than bulk feeding; bin picking or bowl feeding costs more.
For budget ranges across other kinds of automation, see our guide to what automation costs.
Why Mount the Robots on the Ceiling?
In the AMD Machines quote, AMD's engineering team hangs the three Yaskawa GP25 robots from a reinforced welded steel structure above the line instead of standing them on the floor. The proposal gives the reason: to keep the cell flexible for operator intervention if a robot fails. Overhead mounting generally leaves the floor between machines free for people.
The AMD Machines quote gives a maximum usable space of about 12 × 20 ft (3,700 × 6,200 mm) for the new layout.
The AMD Machines proposal allowed for one shared structure or three separate ones. Each robot carries an end-of-arm tool with two Schunk pneumatic grippers. In general, a dual-gripper tool lets a robot unload and reload a machine in one visit.
Why Convert the Existing Machines to Automatic Clamping?
A machine built for an operator usually clamps by hand: a lever, a toggle or a mechanical lock the operator closes before pressing start. A robot isn't built to work those clamps. So the AMD Machines quote replaced the current mechanical clamping on the existing machines with automatic pneumatic clamping, using SMC grippers, "giving better performance for the robot displacements," in the proposal's words.
The modifications in the quote, machine by machine:
- Stamping machine: automatic tube positioning
- Oil filler machine: automatic tube clamping
- Damper tester, roll over and gas charging station: automatic part clamping
The quote's materials list names no clamping parts for the washing station. On any conversion, this step is where the existing machines decide the scope: each one needs a powered clamp, sensors to confirm the part is seated and clamped, and signals the PLC can read. Budget for it machine by machine.
Why Check Part Orientation with Vision?
Some steps on this line care which way the part faces. The part carries a loop, and its position decides how the robot must pick the part for oil charging, damper testing and roll-over. In the AMD Machines quote, AMD's engineering team adds three positioning stations inside the cell, each with a fixture that holds two parts on a vertical axis. One Keyence IV3 vision sensor detects the loop position and tells the robot how to pick the part for the next process.
Checking orientation before the orientation-sensitive steps, rather than relying on how the part left the previous machine, keeps a mis-oriented part from reaching the oil filler or the tester.
The 36-second machine cycle in the AMD Machines quote came from a simulation of the new layout in the available area. On a converted line, simulating robot reach and travel between fixed machines is the practical way to check how many robots the cycle needs.
How Does the Converted Line Run?
The AMD Machines quote described the sequence:
- Tubes are loaded onto the semiautomatic step feeder, which nests them on its fixturized belt.
- The feeder, coupled to the stamping machine, charges each tube into the stamping fixture; two pneumatic cylinders locate it and one drives a slide table.
- After stamping, a pneumatic actuator ejects the part and centers it for the first robot.
- The three robots carry parts between the machines: stamping, washing, oil filling, damper testing, roll-over and gas charging.
- Before the orientation-sensitive steps, a robot places the parts in a positioning station, where the vision sensor reads the loop position and tells the robot how to pick them.
- The modified machines clamp each part automatically for their process.
- Finished parts leave the cell on the plastic belt outlet conveyor.
The AMD Machines design basis assumes one operator; the HMI and the multicolor light tower show the line's status.
What Safety Does a Robot Line Conversion Need?
Three robots working above six machines need a closed cell. The AMD Machines quote surrounded the line with Troax mesh perimeter guarding and one service and maintenance door, with an Allen-Bradley 442G safety access box with handle; the quote also lists an RFID reader for access control. Keyence safety light curtains guard the front, where the operator works, and there are two emergency stops: one at the panel and one next to the operator. An Allen-Bradley 440C safety controller and safety relays run the safety circuit.
A converted line also inherits the safety of its old machines, so the guarding has to cover both the robots and the original machines' hazards. For a US plant, it's worth stating in your request for quote that you want the robot cell assessed to ANSI/RIA R15.06, the control panel built to UL 508A and the machine wired to NFPA 79, so that's priced in from the start.
What Does the Quote Include and Leave Out?
The AMD Machines quote included design, manufacturing and debugging, programming and manuals, priced DAP to the customer's plant; it states that installation there takes 24 to 48 hours once the equipment sits in its final operating position. Before shipping, the line was to be validated at AMD's plant: an empty test, then a production lot of 300 parts or whatever the customer required, against a checklist. The warranty ran 12 months on the parts AMD designed and built, with bought-out components covered by their suppliers' warranties.
The AMD Machines documentation package, two digital copies and one hard copy, listed:
- layout and mechanical assembly drawings and detail drawings of spare parts
- manuals for the purchased components and an operating manual
- a copy of the PLC program and pneumatic diagrams
- a maintenance program and a spare parts list
Under the AMD Machines quote, the buyer is responsible for:
- full drawings and 2D/3D files, plus 50 samples of each component, with the purchase order
- unloading the equipment and placing it
- bringing utilities to the equipment, connected
- VAT
- changes after the project starts, which are quoted separately, and any specific customer validation requirements, which may cost extra
How Long Does It Take to Convert a Line to Robots?
AMD Machines quoted a lead time of 18 to 20 weeks for this conversion, depending on its workload when the purchase order arrives; installation at the customer's plant was quoted at 24 to 48 hours. The machine tending page puts that in context: "A standard single-machine tending cell delivers in 16–20 weeks from purchase order; multi-machine and rail systems run 20–28 weeks". This six-machine conversion was quoted at or just below the short end of the multi-machine range.
For comparison, AMD Machines delivers simple machines in as little as 6 weeks and complex systems in 24–26 weeks, against 40–42 weeks typical for overseas builders. AMD builds in Querétaro, Mexico. See our custom automation lead times for what sets the schedule.
What Should You Send to Get a Line Conversion Quoted?
AMD Machines quotes a conversion from your line as it stands today. Send:
- a layout of the existing line with each machine's footprint, and the maximum space the automation may use
- each machine's make, model, how it clamps the part today and what signals it can exchange
- 3D models and drawings of the part at every stage, marking any feature that sets orientation
- your target cycle time, shifts and days per month, and how many operators you plan
- your plant voltage, frequency and network, and your preferred brands for PLC, safety, sensors and pneumatics
- sample parts: the AMD Machines terms in this quote ask for 50 of each component with the purchase order
Robot Line Conversion FAQ
How much does it cost to convert a manual line to robot loading?
The three-robot conversion of a six-machine line that AMD Machines quoted in 2026 came to $320,000–$400,000 delivered to the customer's plant in Mexico, with VAT not included. That covered the robots, a tube feeder, vision orientation stations, an outlet conveyor, guarding, controls and automatic clamping on the existing machines.
Can robots load machines you already own?
Usually, yes. In this AMD Machines quote the six process machines stay in place, and the quote replaces their mechanical clamping with automatic pneumatic clamping so the robots can load them. What decides the cost is how much each machine must change to clamp a part and report its status without an operator. For more on reworking existing equipment, see our guide to upgrading and retrofitting automation equipment.
Why give a robot two grippers?
A robot with a two-gripper tool can take the finished part out of a machine and put the next one in during the same visit. Each robot in the AMD Machines quote carried two Schunk pneumatic grippers; the quote does not state the handling sequence. For more on choosing tooling, see our guide to robot end effectors and grippers.
What happens to the line if a robot fails?
The AMD Machines quote ceiling-mounts the robots so operators can step in if a robot fails: the proposal gives that as the reason for the ceiling mounting. For a full single-cell view of robot loading, see our page on robotic machine tending cells.
If you're planning to automate a line you already run, send us your layout and part and AMD Machines will tell you what the conversion takes and what it costs.