Buying guide · Glass Edging and Polishing Machines · Updated August 2026
Glass Edging and Polishing Machines: The Buying Guide
A glass edging machine grinds and polishes the edge left by the cutting table. A raw cut edge is sharp, chipped and weak. Grinding takes the damage off, squares the edge and gives the glass the finish the job asks for, from a plain seam to a mirror bevel.
This guide explains the machine types, the figures that decide the choice, and what a quote should contain. Every number comes from the machine data published on GlassMachines.net. No manufacturer here publishes a price, so request pricing for the profile and thickness range you need.
What an edging machine does and where it sits on the line
The edger sits after cutting and breakout. The pieces come off the breakout table with a sharp, damaged edge. The edger removes that damage and puts on the profile the order calls for. From there the glass goes to washing, drilling, tempering, laminating or the insulating glass line.
The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. AR/RI Series describes the job plainly: grinding removes the sharp edges left by cutting, so the glass is safe to handle for further processing or installation. On coloured glass it can also reduce the risk of thermal shock.
Edge work also protects the machines downstream. The ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine states that deseamed glass reduces wear on other machinery components by up to 70 percent. A chipped edge is also where a break starts in a tempering furnace, so edge quality decides your furnace yield.
- Before the edger: cutting, breakout, offcut removal
- At the edger: seaming, arrising, flat edge, pencil edge, miter or bevel
- After the edger: washing, drilling, tempering, laminating, insulating glass assembly
Types and configurations
The first split is the edge profile. A seaming machine only takes the sharpness off. A straight-line edger grinds a flat edge with an arris on each side. A pencil edge or OG edge is a rounded profile. A miter puts the edge at an angle for a corner joint. A bevel is a wide, polished, angled face on the show side.
The second split is horizontal against vertical. Horizontal machines lay the glass flat on a conveyor with support pads, as on the Lattuada North America TL Series. Vertical machines stand the glass up, which saves floor space and suits insulating glass and shower door work. The ANHUI MORNSUN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. Vertical Glass Edging Line with Turning Table uses four vertical edging machines and three turning tables to grind all four sides from one control cabinet.
The third split is how many edges you do at once. A straight-line edger does one edge per pass. A double edger does two, as in the ANHUI MORNSUN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. Glass Double Edging Machine Line, where two machines and a transmission table form a line that can be laid out straight, L-shaped or U-shaped. A four-side machine such as the Horizontal Four-Side Edging Machine grinds all four edges in one pass.
The fourth split is wet against dry. Almost every machine here uses water and a recirculating tank. The ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine works dry and takes water out of the process.
- Seaming and arrising: Hiseng HSBM Glass Seaming Machine, Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. SME Series
- Straight-line flat edge: Lattuada North America AL M Series, Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers
- Pencil and OG edge: Lattuada North America AL T Series
- Variable angle and miter: Lattuada North America TL AV Series, Lattuada North America TLR AV Series, ANHUI MORNSUN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. Vertical Glass Mitering Machine 0-45 Degree
- Bevel: Lattuada North America GAMMA Series, Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. BS Series, Zafferani Glas Bevel MAC, Zafferani Glas Bevel VAR 7
- Corners and shapes: Lattuada North America DELTA Series, Tesir Makine SN 100 CNC Edging & Polishing Machine
- Lines: Full-Auto Four-Side Edging Line, Automatic Cut-and-Grind Line
How it works, step by step
First the glass is loaded onto the conveyor and squared. A pressure belt or a chain track clamps it against the pads. On the Zafferani Glas Bevel MAC the glass runs left to right on a lubricated steel-pad chain with an anti-oil rubber coating.
Second the glass is driven past a fixed row of spindles. The machine does not move. The glass does. Feed speed and wheel count together set the finish.
Third the wheels work in order. Coarse diamond wheels take the bulk of the stock off. Finer diamond wheels follow. Resin and felt polishing wheels come last, using liquid cerium oxide on machines built to polish, such as the Lattuada North America GAMMA Series and the Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. FPS Series.
Fourth the arris wheels knock the two corners off at an angle. On a beveller the wheels are tilted instead, from 3 to 45 degrees on the Zafferani Glas Bevel VAR 7 and the Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. BS Series.
Fifth, water carries the swarf away, through a tank, pump and filter outside the machine. Wheels wear as they work, so they need adjusting. The Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers adjust both diamond and polishing wheels automatically, and Lattuada machines carry digital ammeters with polishing-wheel wear detection.
The figures that decide the purchase
Read wheel count and feed speed together. More wheels means each wheel removes less stock, so you can run faster for the same finish. The Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers show this: Rock 8 has 8 wheels and 21 kW, Rock 11 has 11 wheels and 25 kW, and both run 0,5 to 5 m/min on 3 to 40 mm glass.
Read thickness together with conveyor load. Thick glass is heavy glass. Lattuada AL series machines carry 400 kg on the conveyor at 200 kg per metre. The TLR series carries 1,100 kg at 350 kg per metre. The Lattuada North America TLS AV Series carries up to 1,500 kg and works to 100 mm.
| Figure | Range across the machines listed | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Edge profile | Seam, arris, flat edge, pencil, OG, miter, bevel | It decides the machine class, not just the options |
| Wheel count | 5 to 14 on the machines that state it | More wheels means a faster feed for the same finish |
| Glass thickness | 2 to 8 mm at the thin end, up to 3 to 100 mm on the heaviest machines | Both ends matter, and thin glass is the harder limit |
| Forward speed | 0,4 to 5 m/min on grinding and bevelling, 12 to 40 m/min on seaming | Seaming and grinding are different orders of speed |
| Minimum glass size | 40x40 mm as an option, 50x50 to 110x110 mm standard, strip height from H35 mm | Small parts and narrow strips stop many machines |
| Maximum glass size | 1.000x1.000 mm on a corner grinder up to 2500 x 3000 mm and 3000 x 2700 mm | Set by the machine, not just the conveyor |
| Conveyor load | 400 kg at 200 kg per metre, up to 1,500 kg at 350 kg per metre | Heavy glass needs reinforced guides and pads |
| Installed power | 6 kW on a compact edger up to 33 kW on a 14-wheel miter machine | Scales with wheel count more than with size |
| Machine length and weight | 2.200 mm and 350 kg up to 10.390 mm and about 5.100 kg | Sets the floor plan and the foundation |
Choosing by what you produce
Insulating glass units. The edge is hidden, so a seam or an arris is enough, and speed is what you buy. The Hiseng HSBM Glass Seaming Machine runs four edges at up to 8 panes per minute with a transmission speed of 12 to 40 m/min. The ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine works both edges at once at up to 30 m/min, dry. A small shop can start with the Jinan Rongqi Intelligent Technology Co.,Ltd. Glass Edge Belt Sanding & Grinding Machine, a manual belt machine for glass up to 2000x1200mm.
Tempered glass. The furnace punishes chips, so the whole perimeter has to be ground clean. The Lattuada North America TL Series is recommended in its catalog for large-scale production of tempered glass, with reinforced guides and higher pads that bear more weight than the AL series.
Shower doors and frameless doors. You need a polished edge and often a miter. The ANHUI MORNSUN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. Vertical Glass Edging Line with Turning Table is aimed at shower doors and insulating glass, and the ANHUI MORNSUN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. Vertical Glass Mitering Machine 0-45 Degree cuts mitered joints on 3 to 25 mm glass.
Mirrors, furniture and interiors. This is bevel work. The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. BS Series bevels from 3 to 45 degrees with cerium-oxide polishing, and the Zafferani Glas Bevel MAC covers 3 to 20 mm glass with bevel height up to 45 mm.
Table tops, stairs and structural glass. Weight is the limit. The Lattuada North America TLS AV Series processes thicknesses to 100 mm and carries up to 1,500 kg on the conveyor. The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. FPS Series reaches 3/55 mm on the FPS-50 and FPS-50M.
Appliance, automotive and photovoltaic glass. The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. BFT Series covers 2 to 8 mm on the BFT Mini, which the catalog lists for automotive and photovoltaic glass, white goods and bathroom fittings.
Shapes, corners and small parts. The Tesir Makine SN 100 CNC Edging & Polishing Machine grinds and polishes shaped and flat glass from 170x170mm up to 2200x1400mm. The Lattuada North America DELTA Series handles radius corners from 10 to 150 mm and cant corners to 200 mm.
Coated glass. The Tesir Makine SV 1000 uses special rollers that process laminated glass without scratches and coated Low-E glass without drawing.
What a quote should include
Ask for the quote broken out line by line, and ask for the edge profile to be named, not described loosely. Request pricing from each manufacturer against the same list.
- Factory-direct machine price for the exact model code and wheel count
- The edge profile the machine produces, and whether polishing is included
- Diamond and polishing wheels supplied with the machine, listed by grit and position
- Water tank, pump, filter and, on polishing machines, the cerium oxide mixer
- Options priced separately: miter angle, dubbing device, automatic wheel adjustment, tool magazine
- Export crating and freight, with the incoterm, packing dimensions and weights
- Installation, the water and drainage connection and the electrical hook-up
- Commissioning and an acceptance test on your own glass, at your thickness
- Operator and maintenance training
- A spare parts list covering wheels, pads, belts and bearings
- Warranty length and how long spare parts stay available
- Supply voltage and frequency, and the compressed air requirement
Lead times, installation and running costs
Most machines in this class are catalog models rather than one-off builds, so lead times are shorter than for a furnace. Ask for a written shipping date and for the wheel set that ships with the machine.
Plan the length, not the width. Machine lengths run from 2.200 mm on a Lattuada DELTA M3 corner grinder up to 10.390 mm on the TLS AV Series, and the ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine is stated at 7.7 metres. Add infeed and outfeed space at both ends. Weights run from 350 kg up to about 5.100 kg, so check the floor.
Utilities are modest. Installed power runs from 6 kW on the compact Schiatti FPS-M4 up to 33 kW on the Neptun Rock 14-45. Compressed air runs from 7 to 250 Nl/min. Water tank capacity runs from 125 to 477 litres, and that water needs filtering and settling.
The real running cost is wheels. Diamond wheels, polishing wheels and cerium oxide are consumed continuously, and a worn wheel shows up as a poor finish before it shows up as a breakdown. Machines that watch wear pay for themselves here.
Mistakes buyers make
Five errors show up again and again.
- Confusing seaming with edging. A seamer takes the sharpness off. It does not give you a polished flat edge. Name the profile in the order.
- Buying too few wheels. A machine with fewer wheels has to run slower for the same finish. Compare wheels and metres per minute together.
- Ignoring the minimum glass size. Many machines stop at 50x50 mm or 110x110 mm, and narrow strip work needs a low pad height such as the H35 mm option on the Lattuada TL and TLR ranges.
- Ignoring the conveyor load rating. A machine rated at 200 kg per metre will not carry the same sheet as one rated at 350 kg per metre.
- Forgetting the water. Every wet machine needs a tank of 125 to 477 litres, a pump, a filter, floor drainage and somewhere for the sludge to go. If that is a problem, look at dry deseaming.
Machines on GlassMachines.net
Straight-line edgers for the flat edge. The Lattuada North America AL M Series is the mid-thickness workhorse, in four models from 12.5 to 17 kW, running 0.5 to 4 m/min on 3 to 25 mm glass. The Lattuada North America TLR Series is the heavy step up, at 3 to 55 mm and up to 30 kW, carrying 1,100 kg on the conveyor. The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. FPS Series runs from the compact FPS-M4 at 6 kW up to the FPS-50M at 20 kW. The Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers offer 8 or 11 wheels for the flat edge and 10 or 14 wheels for wide chamfers to 54 mm.
Bevelling. The Lattuada North America GAMMA Series covers bevel inclination of 3 to 45 degrees and bevel width to 50 mm on 3 to 25 mm glass, with a minimum part of 110x110 mm and an option down to 40x40 mm.
Seaming and high-speed edge work. The Hiseng HSBM Glass Seaming Machine handles four edges on 4 to 12 mm glass in three bed sizes to 2500 x 3000 mm, at up to 8 panes per minute and 20 kW. The ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine is 7.7 metres long and works both edges at once at 5 to 30 m/min on 3 to 25 mm glass, without water.
Shapes. The Tesir Makine SN 100 CNC Edging & Polishing Machine grinds and polishes shaped and flat glass at 0.5 to 5 m/min on 3 to 19 mm, with a three-tool holder that machines 12 mm glass in three stages without a tool change.
Specs to compare, in one list
- Edge profile produced
- A seamer, an edger and a beveller are different machines, not settings.
- Wheel count
- It sets how fast you can feed and still get the finish you sold.
- Glass thickness range
- The thin end is the harder limit, and the thick end decides the machine class.
- Forward speed
- Grinding runs at metres per minute, seaming at tens of metres per minute.
- Minimum glass size and pad height
- Small parts and narrow strips are refused by most standard conveyors.
- Conveyor load rating
- Thick glass is heavy, and a light conveyor cannot carry a heavy sheet safely.
- Bevel or miter angle range
- It decides which decorative and joinery work you can quote.
- Machine length and weight
- These machines are long rather than wide, and the floor plan has to allow for it.
Questions buyers ask
What is the difference between seaming, arrising and edging?
Seaming only removes the sharpness from a cut edge. Arrising takes the two corners off at an angle, usually 45 degrees. Edging grinds the whole edge flat and square, and can then polish it. The Hiseng HSBM Glass Seaming Machine is built for the first job at up to 8 panes per minute. A straight-line machine such as the Lattuada North America AL M Series is built for the flat edge with arris.
How many wheels does a glass edging machine need?
It depends on the finish and the feed speed you want. The Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers show the trade clearly: 8 wheels on the Rock 8, 11 on the Rock 11, and 10 or 14 on the wide-chamfer models. Zafferani offers 5 or 7 wheels on the Bevel MAC. More wheels spread the work, so each removes less and the glass moves faster. Fewer wheels costs less and takes less floor space.
What glass thickness can a straight-line edger handle?
Common ranges here are 3 to 20 mm, 3 to 25 mm and 3 to 40 mm. Heavier machines go further: the Lattuada North America TLR Series covers 3 to 55 mm and the Lattuada North America TLS AV Series reaches 100 mm. At the thin end, the Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. BFT Series covers 2 to 8 mm on the BFT Mini. Check the thin end as carefully as the thick end.
Can one machine grind the flat edge and cut a miter?
Yes, on a variable-angle machine. The Lattuada North America TL AV Series and Lattuada North America TLR AV Series work from 0 to 45 degrees, with 0 to 60 degrees as an option. The Schiatti Angelo S.r.l. FPS Series adds a 0 to 45 degree variable bevel angle on the FPS-50M. On the Neptun S.r.l. Rock Straight-Line Edgers, the 10 and 14 wheel models handle a wide chamfer up to 54 mm with a variable angle.
Do I have to polish the edge before tempering?
Not usually. Tempered glass needs a clean, ground edge with no chips, because a chip is where a break starts in the quench. A polished edge is for glass where the edge is on show, such as shower doors, shelves and table tops. The ITECH APUS Vertical Dry Deseaming Machine is aimed at insulating glass, tempered and Low-E production, and states that deseamed glass reduces wear on other components by up to 70 percent.
How much space and power does an edging machine need?
These machines are long rather than wide. Lengths run from 2.200 mm on the Lattuada North America DELTA Series corner grinder up to 10.390 mm on the TLS AV Series, and you need infeed and outfeed space at each end. Installed power runs from 6 kW on the smallest Schiatti FPS model to 33 kW on the largest Neptun machine. You also need water, drainage and compressed air of 7 to 250 Nl/min.
