Automated production station and related methods

A method of mass producing different products in an automated production station having a plurality of part-processing devices, comprising:

• a) identifying a first workpiece received in the production station;
• b) selecting control parameters associated with the first workpiece identified in (a);
• c) electronically synchronizing the part-processing devices based on the control parameters selected in (b) to perform coordinated operations on the first workpiece for producing a first product, the operations including mating the first workpiece with a respective second workpiece received in the production station for assembly of the first product;
• d) identifying a third workpiece received in the production station, the third workpiece shaped differently from the first workpiece;
• e) selecting control parameters associated with the third workpiece identified in (d);
• f) electronically synchronizing the part-processing devices based on the control parameters selected in (e) to perform coordinated operations on the third workpiece for producing a second product, the operations including mating the third workpiece with another respective second workpiece received in the production station for assembly of the second product, each second workpiece having a common shape different from that of the first and third workpieces;
• and
• g) repeating (a) to (c) to produce a plurality of the first products and repeating (d) to (f) to produce a plurality of the second products interchangeably with the first products in a continuous mass production process.