Buying guide · Glass Handling and Automation Equipment · Updated August 2026
Glass Handling and Automation Equipment: The Buying Guide
Glass spends more time moving than it spends being machined. A sheet is picked from a rack, laid on a cutting table, broken out, sorted, tilted, washed, ground, drilled, tempered and then built into an insulating unit. Between every step something has to lift the glass and set it down again. Handling and automation equipment does that work, and it often decides how much a plant can produce.
This guide is for owners and plant engineers who are close to buying. It covers what the equipment does, how the types differ, the figures that matter on a datasheet, and what a quote should contain. Every machine named here is listed on GlassMachines.net and supplied factory-direct. No prices appear here. Request pricing from the manufacturer once you know the configuration you need.
What glass handling equipment does and where it sits on the line
Handling equipment does not change the glass. It changes where the glass is, how it is turned, and when it arrives. That sounds minor. It is not. A cutting table that waits for a forklift runs at a fraction of its rated output, and a coated sheet dragged over a dirty roller is scrap.
The chain runs like this. Raw sheets arrive on racks or on a lorry. A loader lays one sheet on the cutting table. A breakout or air-float table lets the parts be separated. A sorting or buffer system holds them until the next machine is free. Transfer tables and conveyors carry them into the washer, the edger, the drill and the furnace. Tilting tables turn the glass between vertical and horizontal as each machine demands.
Two entries show how far the idea goes. The Intelligent Glass Factory Line from STRON links raw-glass storage, cutting, edging, washing, tempering and insulating-glass assembly into one flow, scheduled by the STRON ERP + MES system. Billco Manufacturing, Inc. Automated Processing Line integrates handling, washing, cutting and downstream equipment into one workflow. Both are plant projects, and they are quoted that way.
- Before the loader: raw glass racks, shuttle stores and delivery lorries.
- Straight after the loader: the cutting table, the breakout table and remnant handling.
- Mid-line: washers, edgers, drills, printing lines and tempering furnaces.
- After the furnace: sorting, pairing, insulating glass assembly and packing.
- Off the line: crane bays, workshops and building sites, where lifters and mini cranes do the moving.
Types and configurations
Horizontal or vertical is the first split. Horizontal handling suits cutting, edging and drilling. Vertical handling saves floor space and suits sorting and insulating glass work. The Luoyang DISAI Mechanical Equipment Co., Ltd. Vertical Glass Sorting System is the vertical answer to buffering parts before the insulating glass line, with modes for pairing, sequencing and efficiency.
The second split is how the loader is carried. Officine Mistrello GL Loader / GL 6000 - ML 3210 runs on a floor-mounted rail. Officine Mistrello GLP Selector and Officine Mistrello GLH Selector work overhead and can unload glass straight from the lorry. HEGLA Portal Loading builds a bridge, full or half portal over the store and picks from any storage position. HEGLA Automatic Floor Loading skips the portal and picks straight from the rack, stationary or travelling.
The third split is how much work stays with the operator. Cimec Oy NVZ250-12-T4M-3Z20 Simple-Lift still needs a person on the handle, and Cimec Oy CFH130-19-MH is purely pneumatic with no electricity at all. Billco Manufacturing, Inc. Unstacker needs nobody: it selects its own vacuum cups by glass size with Smart Zone Technology. In between sit assisted devices such as ITECH Single and Double Suction Glass Lifter, which mounts on a hoist the plant already owns. At the far end, Cugher Glass Industrial Robotic Handling Systems uses robots of up to 6 axes in islands that can be reconfigured, and Neptun S.r.l. BravoLoad is fully automatic.
| Configuration | Where it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Floor rail loader | Low roof height | Uses floor space |
| Aerial loader or selector | Plants needing a clear floor | Needs roof structure |
| Portal loading | Large stores, several lines | Biggest footprint |
| Tipping table | Where orientation changes | Adds a cycle |
| Vertical sorting buffer | Before insulating glass | Narrower thickness range |
| Lifter on a crane | Low volume, mixed work | Needs an operator |
| Robotic island | Changing part mix | Needs programming and guarding |
How it works, step by step
An automatic loading cycle is simple once it is broken down. The detail differs between manufacturers. The order rarely does.
Sorting works the same way in reverse. Parts arrive in cutting order and leave in assembly order. Luoyang DISAI Mechanical Equipment Co., Ltd. Vertical Glass Sorting System scans the work order, applies the sorting rules, and feeds glass on continuously. Smart Glass Stock Management from STRON buffers with a shuttle that moves sheets between racks and tracks them in warehousing software.
- The store tells the control system what it holds and where. Size, thickness and coating sit against each rack position.
- The optimizer or the work order asks for a sheet, and the loader travels to that rack position.
- Vacuum cups touch down. Zoned systems switch on only the cups the sheet needs.
- The frame peels the sheet off the pack. Peeling matters, because a straight lift can pull the next lite with it.
- Sensors confirm the grip and read where the face of the pack now sits, so the next pick is faster.
- The sheet is tilted to horizontal. ITECH Motorised Tipping Rack makes that move with a self-braking geared motor.
- The sheet is squared against fixed stops, then belts or rollers carry it into the next machine.
The figures that decide the purchase
Maximum sheet size is set by your glass supply, not by ambition. If you buy half-size sheets there is no point paying for a jumbo machine. Minimum size matters just as much and is ignored more often. Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. CVB Automatic Glass Loader takes glass down to 130x80 mm, which is a different world from a jumbo portal.
Weight per pick follows from size and thickness, and the rating is a hard limit rather than a target. Cycle time must be read against the machine it feeds. Then come the services: installed power, air pressure and air consumption. Geometry closes the list. A loader that deposits at 950 mm cannot feed a machine whose infeed sits at 650 mm without another transfer.
| Figure | Range seen in this category |
|---|---|
| Maximum sheet size | 1.200x1.200 mm on the smallest CVB up to 6100 x 3300 mm on STRON stock management |
| Minimum sheet size | 130x80 mm on the CVB, L380mm x H180mm on the ITECH rack, 400 x 400 mm on Hiseng tables |
| Glass thickness | 3 to 8 mm on vertical sorting, 2 to 19 mm on STRON, 3 to 25 mm on Hiseng tables |
| Weight per pick | 250 kg on the ITECH rack, 1000 kg on Officine Mistrello loaders, 1200 kg on the BEFARD XM1200 |
| Speed and cycle | Up to 40 m/min on the ITECH rack, 30 to 50 s per load on STRON, 5 pieces per minute on DISAI sorting |
| Power and air | 3 kW on the ITECH rack, 2,3 to 4,5 kW and 150 to 245 Nl/min on the CVB |
| Working height | 650 mm on the ITECH rack, up to 950 mm deposit on the CVB |
Choosing by what you produce
The same plant rarely needs every type. Start from your product mix and the shortlist writes itself.
- Insulating glass units. You need pairing and turning more than lifting power. ITECH Rotating Angular Glass Rack turns sheets or units through 90 degrees at the end of any line, and ITECH Motorised Tipping Rack moves them between vertical and horizontal. HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH HOVAMAT IG-Lifter holds the first pane on a vacuum plate and the rear panes on a mechanical support, so the unit can be taken off before the spacer compound hardens.
- Tempered glass. The furnace sets the pace. Auto Loading & Unloading Machine from STRON handles 2 to 19 mm glass on a 30 to 50 s cycle, or 10 to 15 s on the high-speed series, with 1, 2 or 4 stations. Hiseng LST / ZXT / JCT / SCT Loading and Transfer Tables cover the alignment, rotation and transfer moves.
- Laminated glass. Remnants are the problem. HEGLA VSG-ReMaster stores remnant plates above the cutting line and replaces manual handling with an automatic lift and conveyor station. HEGLA ReMaster / Tandem-ReMaster does the same for float glass, and HEGLA SortJet aims at continuous flow to the insulating glass line.
- Shower doors and small parts. Minimum size and cycle rate decide it. Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. CVB Automatic Glass Loader pairs with horizontal grinders or drilling machines and runs 4 to 5 cycles per minute.
- Mirrors, appliance and automotive glass. Contact is the enemy. Cugher Glass Glass Handling and Transport Systems is designed for minimal contact surface, and offers a plexiglass cover and a pressurization kit with a HEPA filter.
- Solar modules. Cugher Glass Solar Panel Line Handling Stations centres the module on X and Y to plus or minus 0.1 mm and turns it plus or minus 90 degrees between long-edge-leading and short-edge-leading flow.
- Installation and site work. Befard Sp. z o.o. BEFARD XM1200 Mini Crawler Crane travels with a suspended load up to 1200 kg, lifts 1500 kg on support feet, and is 780 mm wide and under 1.75 m high so it passes through standard doorways. HOVA Maschinenbau GmbH HOVAMAT Vacuum Lifters for Hanging hook into a crane hook that is already there.
What a quote should include
Handling equipment goes into an existing building, next to existing machines, and most of the cost risk sits in that interface. Ask for every line below in writing.
Ask these questions as well. What is the exact minimum and maximum glass size, and does the minimum change with thickness? What is the rated weight per pick, and is it the same across the whole travel? What roof height and floor loading does the machine need? Which control system is used, and can it talk to your cutting optimizer or ERP?
- Factory-direct price for the exact configuration, with every option priced separately.
- Crating and export packing, and whether the machine ships in one piece or in sections.
- Freight to your port or door, with Incoterms stated.
- Unloading and rigging at your plant, which is often excluded and is rarely cheap.
- Mechanical installation, alignment to the machines either side, and the anchor or foundation requirement.
- Electrical and pneumatic connection, and who supplies cable, compressor and air line.
- Commissioning, including a run at your rated cycle with your glass.
- Operator and maintenance training, with days and language stated.
- A spare parts kit for the first period of running, listed item by item.
- Warranty terms, and any software licences the machine depends on.
Lead times, installation and running costs
Standard units such as tipping racks, transfer tables and lifters are built to a catalogue size and ship faster than process machines. Storage systems, portal loading and full lines are engineered to your building, so they take longer. Drawing approval is the stage that slips most often, and it is under your control. Send building dimensions, roof height, floor loading and existing machine heights with the enquiry.
Installation is a civil job as much as a mechanical one. Portal and rail systems need a flat, level floor and correct anchoring. Aerial systems need a roof structure that can carry them. Confirm both before you sign.
Running costs are modest next to a furnace, but not zero. Installed power here is mostly single figures of kilowatts: 3 kW on the ITECH Rotating Angular Glass Rack, 2,3 to 4,5 kW across the Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. CVB sizes. Compressed air is the cost most plants underestimate, and the Cimec Oy CFH130-19-MH draws 950 L/min under full load. Maintenance is mostly wear items. Budget for vacuum cups as a consumable, because a tired cup is the usual cause of a dropped sheet.
Mistakes buyers make
Five errors turn up again and again. All five are avoidable at the enquiry stage.
- Buying for maximum size and forgetting minimum size. A jumbo loader that cannot pick a 400 x 400 mm part means someone still lifts small work by hand.
- Matching the loader to the cutting table but not to the store. If it reaches only some rack positions, an operator has to re-rack glass to feed it.
- Ignoring roof height and floor condition. Aerial and portal systems fail on building limits more often than on technical ones. HEGLA Automatic Floor Loading exists partly because not every hall can carry a portal.
- Sizing the compressor for the machine and not for the plant. Air-hungry lifters on a loaded system cause slow cycles and dropped grips that look like machine faults.
- Treating the control interface as someone else's job. A system that cannot read your work orders becomes a manual machine with an expensive frame.
Machines on GlassMachines.net
The category covers 37 machines from 13 manufacturers. Eight show the range, grouped by the job they do.
- Loaders that feed the cutting line. Officine Mistrello GL Loader / GL 6000 - ML 3210 covers both formats in one family, taking PLF sheets up to 6000x3210 mm and DLF sheets up to 3600x2600 mm, from 3 mm to 19 mm including low-E. HEGLA Portal Loading picks any format from every storage position and can supply more than one cutting line.
- Tables and turning stations. ITECH Rotating Angular Glass Rack turns sheets or insulating units through 90 degrees at up to 40 m/min, with a 250 kg limit and PLC control. Hiseng LST / ZXT / JCT / SCT Loading and Transfer Tables give loading, alignment, transfer and lifting rotation in one family, up to 6000 x 3000 mm.
- Sorting and buffering. Luoyang DISAI Mechanical Equipment Co., Ltd. Vertical Glass Sorting System sorts, pairs and sequences 3 to 8 mm glass at an average of 5 pieces per minute, in seven bed sizes up to 6100x2800 mm. Smart Glass Stock Management from STRON buffers glass with a shuttle serving racks that hold 8000 kg each.
- Lifters and robots. Cimec Oy NVZ250-12-T4M-3Z20 Simple-Lift is a purely pneumatic 250 kg lifter with two speed lifting, 10 degree tilting and endless rotation. Cugher Glass Industrial Robotic Handling Systems takes the operator out of the cell, with vision systems that correct the pick every cycle.
Specs to compare, in one list
- Maximum sheet size
- It sets the frame, the rail length and the price class, and it must match the glass you actually buy.
- Minimum sheet size
- A machine that cannot pick your smallest part leaves that work with an operator, which cancels the saving.
- Glass thickness range
- Grip, peel and weight all change with thickness, and a range that stops at 8 mm rules out shower and structural work.
- Weight per pick
- It is a hard safety limit, so a sheet over the rating is not a slow cycle, it is a dropped load.
- Cycle time or pieces per minute
- Handling only pays back if it is faster than the machine it feeds.
- Installed power and air consumption
- Air is easy to miss, and several pneumatic units on one compressor will slow every cycle in the plant.
- Pick-up and deposit height
- If it does not match the next machine's infeed, you pay for another transfer you did not plan.
- Control system and data interface
- A system that cannot read work orders from your optimizer or ERP runs as a manual machine.
Questions buyers ask
How much does glass handling and automation equipment cost?
Price depends on size class, reach, automation level and how much building work the installation needs, so there is no useful list price. A hand-guided lifter and a portal system serving several cutting lines are different orders of investment. Send your glass sizes, weights, thicknesses and building dimensions, then request pricing.
What is the difference between a vacuum lifter and an automatic loader?
A vacuum lifter helps an operator carry glass. It takes the weight, but a person guides every move. An automatic loader such as Billco Manufacturing, Inc. Unstacker selects the sheet, chooses its own vacuum cups by glass size, peels the lite off the pack and transfers it with no one touching the glass. Lifters suit low volume and mixed work. Loaders suit a repeating line.
What size and thickness of glass can these machines handle?
Loaders and tables here run from around 400 x 400 mm up to jumbo sizes of 6000 x 3300 mm. Officine Mistrello loaders cover 3 to 19 mm including low-E, and Hiseng tables cover 3 to 25 mm. Sorting is narrower: Luoyang DISAI Mechanical Equipment Co., Ltd. Vertical Glass Sorting System runs 3 to 8 mm. Air-float sorting goes larger, up to 20000 x 3700 mm on the Air-Flotation Unloading Table.
Can one loader feed more than one cutting line?
Yes, and it is often the reason to choose a portal or aerial system. HEGLA Portal Loading is stated to supply one or more cutting lines from a single loading system, and Officine Mistrello GLP Selector serves cutting lines from overhead. The limit is cycle time. If both lines want a sheet at the same moment, one waits.
Do I need a robot, or will a dedicated handling machine do?
A dedicated machine is simpler, cheaper to maintain and faster on one repeating move. A robot earns its place when the part mix changes often, or when one cell has to make several different moves. Cugher Glass Industrial Robotic Handling Systems is built on that idea, with islands that can be reconfigured.
How do I stop coated and low-E glass being damaged during handling?
Reduce contact and control dust. Choose equipment rated for coated glass, such as the Officine Mistrello loaders that pick 3 to 19 mm including low-E. Cugher Glass Glass Handling and Transport Systems is designed for minimal contact surface, and offers a plexiglass cover and a HEPA pressurization kit. Keep rollers clean and treat cups as a consumable.
