The story of GED

From its humble beginning on a back porch in 1977, GED Integrated Solutions has moved to its current rank as the state-of-the-art contributor to the glass industry through the determination of its co-founders, Dick Dietrich and Edmund Leopold. Having staked their claim in the North American residential window industry, the two provided window and door fabricators with technologies that increased productivity, reduced insulating glass unit costs, and improved IG quality.

In 1977, during our first year of operation, GED introduced the first Horizontal Hot Melt IG Fabrication equipment, making possible the first high-volume IG Line. The equipment allowed a fabricator to produce over 2000 units per eight-hour shift. In 1987, GED brought to market the first Break-Out Monitors for sorting cut glass into movable slot sorting racks. This GED innovation opened the market for computer-controlled glass cutting, increasing control, and decreasing scrap. Soon afterward, the WinSystem 1 software platform completed the integration of the IG department ensuring better output and organization of production. Technological advances such as these caused PPG Industries, Inc. (now Vitro) to turn to GED as its manufacturing partner to bring you the revolutionary Intercept® IG Spacer System.

Through listening to our customers, new product innovations and continuous improvement initiatives, GED continues to lead the industry with insulating glass systems, software, and vinyl fabrication equipment.

Here are the highlights of our first 45 years of operations:

Year Item Comments
1977
Glass Equipment Development (“GED”) Founded
Co-founders Dick Dietrich and Edmund Leopold started the now industry leaders in glass fabrication, software, and window fabrication systems, located in Twinsburg, Ohio.
1977
Horizontal Hot Melt IG Fabrication Equipment
The first high-volume IG Line. The equipment allowed a fabricator to produce over 2000 units per eight-hour shift.
1981
First Linear Extruder using LinearSkip application
Folding/locking corner key patent (precursor to Intercept® Process)
1987
Break-Out Monitors
Provided for the sorting cut glass into movable slot sorting racks. This opened the market for computer-controlled glass cutting, increasing control, and decreasing scrap.
1991
Partnered With PPG (Now Vitro) to Develop the Intercept® Concept
Eliminated the need to produce box spacers. Saved time and materials.
1992
Intercept® (GEN 1.0)
Warm Edge Spacer that increased volume by 300%, reduced cost of spacer, and reduced labor significantly.
1994
WinIG® MES Platform
Coordinated the IGU production to reduce waste yet synchronize different machines and departments to lower costs and increase production.
1996
Intercept® GEN II
Reduced costs of machine and sales price to customer. New control system provided a significant increase in uptime reliability and ease of maintenance. New GUI Operator interface over past DOS versions.
1997
InterGrid
The first machine that roll formed, notched, and cut flat muntin bar to size.
2000
SmartExtruder™
Improved the precision of sealant and desiccant application resulting in higher IGU reliability as well as significant material savings. This machine also eliminated the use of pneumatically controlled compensators that were notorious for leaking seals and wear from the abrasive matrix materials. Gear pump technology provided high precision and reliability with reduced maintenance.
2002
LeanNet®
Complete family of process software solutions.
2004
Acquisition of Sampson Automation
Adding Sampson, a leading vinyl machinery manufacturer, gave GED a unique position of providing vinyl window manufacturers with all the equipment needed from IGU assembly to window fabrication.
2004
Intercept® ULTRA spacer material – Low Thermal Conductivity Stainless Steel
Enhanced thermal performance of Intercept® Spacer.
2005
Intercept® i-3 Spacer Fabrication Platform
One-piece flow, reducing changeover of spacer width to 30 seconds from 10 to 15 minutes, and reduced scrap for every change over.
2005
SmartExtruder™ i-3 Desiccant Dispensing System
Automatic nozzle change and height adjustment of nozzle position for various widths. Resulted in increased safety, increased repeatable quality, less labor and changeover time and labor savings.
2006
Window Frame Corner Fabrication – Intercept® Spacer System – Crimper
Improving spacer quality and unit reliability for Intercept® ULTRA IGUs.
2006
Intercept BlackLine® Spacer Material
Introduction of another variety of color (black) to Intercept® spacer materials.
2010
Intercept ThinPlate® Spacer Material
Another spacer material that reduced the cost on units that don’t require stainless steel.
2011
Automated Spacer Frame Fabrication / Quick Change
Allowed user to automatically alternate material types.
2011
ATLAS™ – Automated Tri-Lite Assembly System
Revolutionary glass fabrication system that produces triple pane IGUs in 20 second cycle times.
2014
RoboClean®
Robotic vinyl corner cleaning system—the first on the market.
2015
Intercept Corner+®
Improved reliability of spacer fourth corner.
2015
Intercept® 2.5 Warm-Edge Spacer Fabrication System
State-of-the-art design with improved setup, maintenance, and reliability over the GEN II system.
2016
Intercept® Spacer Frame Crimping Assembly
Improved realiability
2016
Intercept® 2.5 – Window Spacer Frame Punch Assembly
Quick change gas hole fabrication.
2017
Intercept® 2.5 Material Detection System
Automatically changes die setting for spacer material types.
2018
Moved to New Building in Glenwillow, Ohio
2018
RoboSeal™ ‒ Insulating Glass Unit Fluid Exchange Assembly and Method
Gas filling and fastening fourth corner robotic automation.
2019
GED acquires Elite Manufacturing Solutions
Adds contract machining capacity, manufacturing engineering support and operations leadership to an already robust platform.
2019
WinTrax™ Intelligent Logistics System
Tracks window assemblies through the production process to shipment.
2020
CleanCut™ 1700 Series Glass Cutting Table
Includes 1700 (for cutting) and 1700-D models (cutting and deletion). Boasts enhanced speed, updated technical features, and increased throughput while maintaining the options manufacturers want when selecting a glass production system.
2020
CMM 2.0™ Colonial Muntin Machine
The new generation of the tried-and-true Colonial Muntin Machine, the reinvented machine adds cutting edge technologies in hardware and software to an already tested muntin processing system that GED had revolutionized the industry with in the mid-90s.
2020
RoboFlow™ PT Automated Welding & Cleaning System
A pass-through system that takes cut vinyl from welding through cleaning with just one operator at faster cycle times.
2021
Representing Sparklike Products in North America
GED partners with Sparklike Oy to distribute the world’s first and only non-destructive IG gas analyzers to fenestration products manufacturers in North America.
2021
Acquisition Of Norfield
Allows both GED and Norfield to leverage their unique assets and common ideals to continue to serve manufacturers of windows and doors with broader capabilities.
2021
TruWeld™
Servo welder family ‒ fastest, most precise and the most flexible welder for frame and sash on the market.
2021
CleanCut™ 1800 Series
Includes 1800 (for cutting) and 1800-D models (cutting and deletion) and is the larger sibling of the 1700 Series.
2021
Intercept SureLock™ ‒ Tactile Spacer Frame Assembly and Locking Member
Improved locking of spacer fourth corner.
2021
Intercept LiteLock™ ‒ Extruder Tips
A new extruder tip and sealant bead application system that provides licensees of Intercept® insulating glass technology with extraordinary efficiency, performance, and quality improvements.