Automated film pickup and placement method for insulating glass units

A method of automatically mounting a sheet from a cutting table onto a spacer frame of an insulating glass unit begins with identifying a position and orientation of a specified sheet on the cutting table and moving a robotic sheet pickup apparatus to a corresponding position to that identified for the sheet. An edge of the specified sheet is lifted off of the table, beginning with mechanical suction that brings a corner of the sheet to within proximity of a primary vacuum suction of the pickup apparatus. In particular, the pickup apparatus may have a substantially planar platen with a set of channels coupled to a vacuum source. Once the sheet is fully picked up by vacuum suction, the sheet is laid upon a top surface of a tilt table, which can be simply the platen inverted. The table (or platen) is tilted to bring a corner of the sheet to abut against physical fences. Once the position and orientation of the sheet is so known, the sheet is oriented to correspond to a frame, and attached thereto.