TAPE - Totally Automated Production Equipment 1. Can the T.A.P.E. System improve the quality of our insulated glass? Since the Besten Automatic Swiggle Applicator is a 6-axis servo driven gantry robot, application of Swiggle® Seal or Duraâ Seal is accurate, consistent and repeatable. 1. The applicator utilizes a gantry design with its X and Y-axes tracking along linear bearings that are mounted on machined surfaces. This ensures that application of the spacer on all four sides is straight. 2. The applicator assures that the spacer is perpendicular to the glass surface it's placed on. 3. Unlike hand application, spacer is never stretched when applied by the Applicator. Both the spacer reel and application head are servo driven in tandem to assure a quality feed without stretch. 4. Among several fine adjustments available to the operator of the Applicator are spacer placement, inset, and the start/stop point. All adjustments can be accessed through the machine's touch-screen operator panel. 5. Grid placement accuracy and quality is assured by ink-jet marks that are automatically applied during space placement. Besten's Applicator takes advantage of the servo control system to accurately place grid marks for accurate insertion of grids down-line. 2. Will The T.A.P.E. System improve the productivity of my glass operation? The T.A.P.E. System utilizes three (3) full time line operators and one (1) line manager to produce 1,000 residential Swiggleâ Seal or Duraâ Seal units per shift (average 2' x 3' IG). Comparatively, a manual Swiggleâ Seal or Duraâ Seal line configured to produce this type of volume would employ seven (7) line operators to achieve the same volume. A typical operation should expect to achieve between 37 and 42 completed units per man-hour using the T.A.P.E. System. To assist with productivity, color monitors are located at each of the manned stations. These monitors provide useful information to the operator and prompt him/her with to carry out the appropriate steps to maintain line speed. 3. How flexible is the system? What about re-makes? The Besten T.A.P.E. System was designed to meet the requirements of a typical glass room operation. The system can handle spacer sizes ranging from ¼" to 7/8". Moreover, it adjusts on the fly to different thickness glass as well as different sizes. The day's production can be run in a series of batches downloaded into the system either by floppy-disk or through a network connection. The T.A.P.E. System was designed to handle the majority of rectangular glass production. The line can handle units ranging in size from 14" x 20 to 78" x 96". A Besten designed Man-Machine-Interface (MMI) facilitates unit inspection during operation at each station on the line. Thus, defects or rejects can be spotted and dealt with quickly and efficiently. Each station is equipped with a communication station so that the operator can alert the MMI. Upon such an alert, the MMI automatically takes all of the information associated with that unit and creates a remake file. Remake files are easily accessed on the system monitor and can be run at any time. A rejected unit can be removed from the line without disrupting the flow of the line. 4. What about service and support? Besten offers pre-shipment training at its manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio to augment installation and start-up training provided at the customer's facility. Additionally, a quarterly service/maintenance program is recommended to provide further support through the first one to two years of operation. Besten's technicians are readily available by phone and a substantial inventory of parts and components are kept on hand at Besten to minimize downtime. Back to TAPE page