GED’s Intercept SureLock™ improves speed, quality, and handling of IG units
Glenwillow, Ohio – September 13, 2021 | Since 1992, GED Integrated Solutions (GED) has offered the Intercept® “Warm-Edge” spacer systems for manufacturing insulating glass units (IGUs). Over the, almost, 30 years, GED has introduced features that continually improved spacer technology, allowing window manufacturers to optimize and improve their capacity, quality, and costs. GED has done it again, with the introduction of Intercept SureLock™.
The Intercept SureLock™ offering provides three key benefits for window manufacturers:
- Positive, secure lock when folding spacers making handling easier and quicker
- Extreme rigidity for manufacture large spacers allowing for better placement
- Automation-ready for future spacer system options – more to come on this in the future
“Intercept Corner+, which was introduced in 2015. This was a game changer. It made a good spacer system better by moving the spacer connection away from the fourth corner thus improving quality,” says Bill Briese, R&D / Engineering Manager at GED. “We call Intercept SureLock™ Corner++. It takes the design of a great system and makes it better.”
Advantages of Intercept SureLock™
- Positive one-way locking tab assembly, making it easier and faster to insert the ‘tab’ and fold spacers.
- Stiffer tab design also provides a more rigid spacer for larger IGUs – wide spacers (>3/4”) are prone to the tab buckling during the swage process. The stiffening ridge on the Intercept SureLock™ tab prevents the buckling.
- Dynamic gas hole based on spacer size, the hole starts out as an 8-32 and after it’s flared into the Intercept SureLock™ shape it is a 10-32. Advantage is that for narrow spacer widths you can keep the smaller 3mm gas fill lance but not be forced into using it for the wider spacers which would use a 4mm lance. There is a substantial gas filling time penalty using the smaller diameter gas fill lance.
- Natural “funnel” lead in for gas filling, the natural shape of Intercept SureLock™ has a funnel inward towards the center of the IG, this is ideal for inserting the gas fill lance in that the shape of the opening lends itself to the gas fill lance not catching or snagging on the spacer as it is entered into the IG cavity.
- Nearly flat screw head when assembled with Scrivet™ eliminating any chance of gaps or air bubbles in the sealant.
- Software allows you to determine the minimum spacer size which will be processed as Intercept SureLock™ for your specific process.
Intercept SureLock™ will be offered on the Intercept 2.5 system, in the fourth quarter of 2021, and on the Intercept i-3 soon thereafter. The system can also be added to existing Intercept 2.5 at customers’ locations as a field mod (K500-M25I-0005). The i-3 field modification kit will be introduced in early 2022. For more information, please contact GED at 330-963-5401 or www.gedusa.com.