To meet current market requirements, systron has expanded their product portfolio developing the esX Seaming & Grinding Machine.

The systron esX is a high-speed seaming and grinding machine with diamond peripheral tools, which can be equipped with one or two processing spindles. It constantly follows the edge of each piece of glass ensuring preparation for reliable tempering. Machine development was started in mid-2017 because of various customer inquiries paired with the fact that the arrising process places different demands on the machine geometry than glass processing with CNC centers.

systron CEO Franz Schachner explains this step: “In order to meet the market requirements and match up to our own expectations, we wanted to develop a machine that is completely tailored to the grinding process. From what we can gather from our customer feedback, we have succeeded very well. Some customers, such as the Trösch Group or Glas Gasperlmair, are already using several systron seaming machines and are really very satisfied.”

Thanks to the simple and carefully designed construction, the esX is an exceptionally reliable and stable seaming & grinding machine. The technical parts such as motors, sensors or guide rails are placed in the dry zone. The grinding spindle is well insulated and therefore extremely water-resistant in the wet area. To ensure exact and constant height, length and thickness measurements, servo systems are used for measuring all aspects of the glass. The structure of the X-axis with the suction slide was also specially designed for low maintenance and long life expectancy.

The patented water cushion ensures tool cooling over the full circumference and prevents vibrations caused by the grinding process. It also follows the glass surface without mechanical contact allowing for optimal processing of coated & low-E glass.

The compact construction allows for quick and easy replacement of existing seaming machines. As an option, systron can provide an integrated water purification system for space saving and easy accessibility.

The esX is a “passive” edge following machine since there is no activation system such as sensors initiating a process. Due to the spindle’s floating bearing, it follows the edge passively, completely and constantly. Corner dubbing avoids sharp corners and is carried out fully automatically at full speed without loss of cycle time.

The esX is not only a high-speed seaming machine, but also a grinding machine. At the push of a button or fully automatically with data control, it can both arris and grind the glass in one process without changing tools. The same tool package can be used for glass thicknesses from 4 to 19mm. Insulating glass manufacturers typically use the grinding function for large IG units often requiring a ground edge due for better stability.

Depending on the area of application, the esX can be equipped with one or two processing spindles. The cycle time difference is about 4 seconds:

Seaming cycle time including handling:

• es1: 1m/1m/8mm in 21 seconds
• es2: 1m/1m/8mm in 17 seconds

With a minimum glass size of 350 x 200 mm and the 3 standard machine sizes 3525, 5027 and 6033, glass up to 6m length and 3.3m height can be processed, including shapes.

The systron seaming and grinding machine is typically placed in front of the tempering furnace or in line with an insulating glass unit. By using a systron tilting table, the fully automatic transport from the esX system to the tempering furnace is very easy to implement. Thomas Haan, Head of Sales at systron, emphasizes: “A single-head system is sufficient for many areas of application. I would recommend a seaming machine with 2 processing spindles for modern insulating glass lines with very short cycle times because the cycle time plays a crucial role here.”

“One of the present trends is the use of more safety glass or laminated safety glass. Accordingly, edge processing is becoming increasingly important. Another focus of the glass processors is automation. In modern production lines, our seaming machine is often loaded with a robot. This increases efficiency and quality by minimizing handling,” Haan is convinced.