SCM Minimax ME 28ET Automatic Edgebander with Pre-Milling - 1PH, 230V
- Price
- $ 25,575
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Estimated to ship August 2026*
Factory install included in price
No hidden fees or surcharges.
Made in Italy. Ships from the United States.
The ME 28ET adds a single diamond pre-mill head ahead of the glue station, correcting panel edge dimension and saw or router chipout before the edgebanding ever goes on. It's also the first machine in the Minimax ME lineup where SCM requires factory installation for warranty coverage, and that installation fee is already built into the price you see here.
At a Glance:
- Designed for 2 to 3 hours/day operation, the same duty rating as the ME 25E; the added pre-mill station makes this a longer, heavier machine
- Single diamond pre-mill unit standard: trims a precise, selectable amount off the panel edge before glue is applied
- Four pre-mill removal depth settings: 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm
- Runs PVC and ABS rolled edges from 0.4mm to 3mm, strip edges up to 5mm, and HPL (pre-mill disengaged for HPL runs)
- Profile scraping and buffing standard: edges come off the machine finished, no hand-work required
- 7 m/min (23 ft/min) feed speed; handles panels from 12mm to 50mm thick (16mm minimum when using profile scraping)
- Single-phase 230V, drawing 46A. Confirm with your electrician that your shop's service can support a dedicated circuit sized for this draw before ordering.
- 2,900 x 570mm worktable, larger than the ME 25E's 2,600 x 530mm
- Factory installation by an SCM-certified technician is mandatory for warranty coverage on this machine. That installation is included in the listed price, not sold separately.
- Freight included; ships from U.S. warehouse
- Qualifies for Section 179 deduction
The Details:
A panel enters the pre-mill station first, ahead of every other process on this machine. The single diamond cutter, backed by a dedicated chip breaker, trims a precise amount off the panel edge before it ever reaches the glue roller. A dedicated exhaust hood and air blower clear dust and chips from the edge before gluing, so the surface going into the glue station is clean and flat regardless of what the panel looked like coming off the saw or the CNC. Four removal settings are available: 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, or 2mm. Set the removal depth to match the thickness of the edge material you're applying, if you're running 0.5mm PVC, remove 0.5mm. That keeps the finished panel at exactly the size it was cut to, with no need to undersize the cut list to account for the banding.
Pre-milling earns its keep on problems that are otherwise invisible until the edge is already on. A scoring blade that's slightly out of alignment with the main blade on a panel saw leaves a small rabbet at the edge, which shows up as a visible gap or seam in the glue line once banding is applied. A dulling blade or router bit leaves chipping along the panel surface that's easy to miss until after the edge goes on and the defect is already sealed in. Panels cut to size and left sitting, over a weekend, for instance, can pick up enough moisture to bulge slightly at the edge, which telegraphs through as a visible glue line once banded. And a panel saw blade that's out of square cuts a slight taper that concentrates glue and pressure unevenly along the edge, again invisible until banding reveals it. The pre-mill head corrects all of these before gluing rather than making you rework or scrap the panel after.
There are real tradeoffs to running a pre-mill unit, worth knowing going in. The machine is longer, 13.5" (343mm) more than the ME 25E, to make room for the added station, so it needs more floor space and more infeed/outfeed clearance. It also costs more, both for the larger frame and for the pre-mill components themselves. The diamond cutter itself holds up well over time, and replacement cutters are inexpensive relative to the rest of the machine.
From there the panel moves through the same sequence as the ME 25E: EVA hot melt from the Teflon-coated glue pot is applied by a spreading roller, edge material feeds from a 730mm-diameter coil holder, and a copying device tracks the actual panel end through the cutting station for a consistent 90-degree trim. Top/bottom trimming runs a combined radius/flat cutter at 12,000 RPM with 2mm radius standard. Profile scraping removes the witness line at the edge-to-panel joint along with any machining marks from the trimming cutters, and two motorized brushes bring the edge to a polished finish. That scraping-and-buffing sequence is what eliminates a hand-finishing pass after the panel exits the machine, a separate job from what the pre-mill does. The pre-mill corrects the panel edge before gluing; scraping and buffing finish the applied edge material after gluing. Both matter, but they're solving different problems.
Factory Installation: SCM requires factory installation and training by a certified technician for warranty coverage on the ME 28ET, the first machine in the lineup where that isn't optional. The technician verifies alignment, makes necessary adjustments, and trains the operator on site. Installation does not cover running electrical service, floor or masonry work, or dust extraction lines; those need to be in place before the technician arrives. That installation is included in the price listed on this page, not billed as a separate line item.
Material Limits: The ME 28ET runs PVC and ABS in both rolled coil and strip form, and it's rated for HPL edges as well. HPL bonding requires a primer. Disengage the pre-mill unit when running HPL edge material, the diamond cutter is not recommended for that material. The machine can also apply solid wood strip edges up to 5mm, though it doesn't come standard with an automatic strip loading magazine, so wood strips don't feed as hands-off as PVC or ABS coil stock. Shops planning to run wood strips regularly should ask about the automatic strip loading device as a factory-order accessory. Like the ME 25E, the ME 28ET uses flat copying pads on the trimming unit, so it's not the right machine for high-gloss or acrylic panel surfaces; that requires the copy-wheel trimming units on the ME 35ET and above.
Compressed Air: The ME 28ET requires a continuous supply at 6.5 bar (approximately 95 PSI). The machine's built-in filter-regulator handles basic filtration, but moisture in the line is a known cause of pneumatic component failure. A refrigerated air dryer or quality desiccant filter upstream of the machine is strongly recommended. Confirm your compressor can maintain 6.5 bar continuously under load before the machine arrives.
Dust Extraction: The ME 28ET requires a minimum of 800 CFM, higher than the ME 25E's 590 CFM because of the added pre-mill station. There are three extraction outlets: an 80mm outlet at the pre-mill unit rated at roughly 213 CFM on its own, a 60mm outlet for glue pot fumes, and a 120mm outlet at the trimming station. All three should be connected, the pre-mill outlet in particular is doing real work, pulling dust and chips off the edge before it reaches the glue station.
Electrical: The single-phase version draws 230V at 46A, a significant jump from the ME 25E's 34A. This is a heavy enough load that it needs its own dedicated circuit. Confirm with your electrician that your shop's service can support a circuit sized for a 46A draw before scheduling delivery. If your shop already has 3-phase service, the 3-phase version of this machine draws roughly 27A and is worth a look.
Optional Accessories:
- Edge storage cabinet with heating: maintains 25-30°C, standard recommendation at this production level since cold storage reduces edge flexibility and glue adhesion
- 1mm radius tooling set: for thinner edge profiles (machine ships with 2mm radius tooling standard)
- 3mm radius tooling set: for thicker PVC edge profiles
- Panel edge heating device: mounts before the glue station, improves adhesion in cold shops
- Automatic strip loading device: factory-order accessory for shops running solid wood or strip-form edge material regularly, cannot be added after purchase
- Radius end cutting unit: factory-order accessory that adds corner rounding to the end cutting station in place of the standard unit, cannot be added after purchase
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the pre-mill unit actually do?
It trims a precise, selectable amount off the panel edge before glue is applied, in four depth settings: 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, or 2mm. Set the removal depth to match the thickness of the edge material you're running, if you're applying 1mm PVC, remove 1mm. That keeps the panel at its intended finished size with no need to undersize the cut list. It also corrects problems in the panel edge that are otherwise invisible until the band is already on.
What kinds of problems does pre-milling actually catch?
A few common ones, whether panels come off a panel saw or a CNC router. A scoring blade slightly out of alignment with the main blade leaves a small rabbet at the edge that shows up as a visible gap or seam in the glue line once banded. A dulling blade or router bit leaves surface chipping that's easy to miss until it's already sealed under the edge. Panels cut to size and left sitting for a few days can pick up enough moisture to bulge slightly at the edge, which telegraphs through the glue line after banding. And a saw blade that's slightly out of square cuts a taper that concentrates pressure and glue unevenly, leaving a visible seam on the tapered side. Pre-milling corrects all of these before the edge goes on, instead of you finding out after.
Are there downsides to running a pre-mill unit?
A couple worth knowing before you buy. The machine is longer, 13.5" (343mm) more than the ME 25E, to make room for the added station, so factor that into floor space and infeed/outfeed clearance. It also costs more, for the larger frame and the pre-mill components. The diamond cutter itself holds up well over time, and replacement cutters are inexpensive relative to the rest of the machine.
Is the pre-mill the same thing as the scraping and buffing units?
No, and it's a common mix-up. The pre-mill works on the bare panel edge before gluing, correcting dimension and cleaning up chipout. Scraping and buffing work on the applied edge material after gluing, removing the witness line at the joint and polishing the finish. Both run on this machine, but they're solving different problems at different points in the sequence.
What's the difference between the ME 25E and the ME 28ET?
The pre-mill unit is the core difference. The ME 25E does not have one; the ME 28ET does, standard, with the four depth settings described above. The ME 28ET is also a longer, heavier machine as a result, built to accommodate the added station, and it's the first machine in the lineup where SCM requires factory installation for warranty coverage. Worktable size is larger on the ME 28ET (2,900 x 570mm vs. 2,600 x 530mm), and single-phase electrical draw is higher (46A vs. 34A). Both machines share the same 2 to 3 hour daily duty rating, the same scraping-and-buffing finish sequence, and the same flat-copying-pad trimming unit, so neither is a better or worse choice in general, it comes down to whether your incoming panel cut quality and sizing tolerance require pre-mill correction.
Can the ME 28ET run HPL edges?
Yes, with the pre-mill unit disengaged. The diamond pre-mill cutter is not recommended for HPL material. HPL bonding also requires a primer. With the pre-mill off, the rest of the sequence, gluing, end cutting, trimming, scraping, and buffing, runs the same as it does on PVC or ABS edges.
Can the ME 28ET apply solid wood edge strips?
Yes, up to 5mm. The machine doesn't come standard with an automatic strip loading magazine, so wood strips don't feed as hands-off as PVC or ABS coil stock does. If wood strips will be a regular part of your production, ask about the automatic strip loading device, a factory-order accessory that can't be added after purchase.
Is there a version of the ME 28ET without the buffing unit?
SCM offers an RC variant that replaces the standard buffing unit with a glue scraping unit, which removes excess glue squeeze-out at the joint rather than polishing the edge. This is a factory-order configuration specified at the time of purchase and can't be changed after the machine ships.
Why does this machine require factory installation, when the ME 20 and ME 25E don't?
SCM sets the warranty requirement machine by machine, and the ME 28ET is the first step up where they mandate it. Edgebander setup involves more interdependent adjustments than it looks like on paper, what presents as a glue problem is sometimes a tracer wheel issue, what looks like a trimmer problem is sometimes a feed speed issue, and the added pre-mill station gives it one more system that has to be dialed in correctly relative to everything downstream of it. A certified technician verifies alignment, makes adjustments, and trains the operator on site. That installation is included in the price listed on this page.
Does installation cost extra?
No. Factory installation is mandatory for warranty coverage on this machine, and it's already included in the listed price, not billed as an add-on. It doesn't cover running electrical service, floor or masonry work, or dust extraction lines; those need to be in place before the technician arrives.
Do I need three-phase power for the ME 28ET?
No. This version runs on single-phase 230V at 46A. That's a substantial draw, noticeably higher than the ME 25E's 34A, so confirm with your electrician that your shop's service can support a dedicated circuit sized for it before the machine is scheduled for delivery. A 3-phase version is also available and draws roughly 27A if your shop already has 3-phase service.
Can the ME 28ET run high-gloss or acrylic panels?
No. The trimming unit uses flat copying pads that make sliding contact with the panel face, which can mar or haze high-gloss and acrylic surfaces. That capability starts with the ME 35ET, which uses rotating copy discs instead of pads.
How many hours a day can I run the ME 28ET?
It's rated for 2 to 3 hours of actual operation per day, the same duty rating as the ME 25E. Shops needing more daily runtime than that, in the 3 to 4 hour range, should look at the ME 35ET.
What glue does the ME 28ET use, and does the brand matter?
The ME 28ET uses EVA hot melt adhesive at an operating temperature of 190°C (374°F). Different EVA products vary in viscosity, processing temperature, and open time, and a mismatched glue produces bond failures and pot contamination. Jowat 288.60 is the standard recommendation for most applications. Jowat 280.30 is a translucent EVA recommended for light-colored substrates, white MDF, and melamine work where standard EVA's yellow-tan color would show at the glue joint.
What daily and weekly maintenance does the pre-mill unit need?
Weekly: vacuum dust and shavings from the unit and clean the brush with a suitably shaped vacuum attachment, and remove any glue residue with a non-harmful detergent. Also weekly: check the drive belt for tension and wear by running a stopping-time test; tension or replace the belt if it doesn't stop quickly. This is in addition to the standard daily glue pot and feed track maintenance covered below.
What if I need to compare the ME 28ET to other machines in the ME series?
View the ME Edgebander Comparison Chart to see how the ME 28ET stacks up against the ME 20, ME 25E, and ME 35ET by processing unit, daily duty rating, and electrical configuration.
Is the ME 28ET eligible for a Section 179 tax deduction?
Yes. The Minimax ME 28ET qualifies as a capital equipment purchase under Section 179, which allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment in the year it is placed in service rather than depreciating it over several years. For a machine at this price point, that deduction can meaningfully offset the net cost of purchase. The deduction limit and phase-out thresholds adjust annually, so the exact benefit depends on your total equipment purchases for the year and your tax situation. Consult your tax advisor on how Section 179 applies to your business. See how much you could save with our Section 179 calculator.
What daily maintenance does the rest of the ME 28ET require?
Daily: scrape the glue pot walls with a wooden stick to remove carbonized buildup. Never use metal tools on the pot interior; they damage the Teflon coating. Blow dust from electrical components periodically. Lubricate the feed track and other specified points per the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.
Features
- Single diamond pre-mill unit: trims a precise, selectable amount off the panel edge before gluing, in four settings (0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm); two-flute (Z2+2) diamond cutter arranged for a clean, compression-style cut; dedicated chip breaker prevents tearout at the panel surface
- Dedicated pre-mill exhaust: independent 80mm exhaust hood and air blower clear dust and chips from the edge before it reaches the glue station
- SCM-exclusive panel conveying track: consistent, controlled panel travel through all processing stations
- High-rigidity ribbed steel machine frame: dimensional stability and vibration resistance built into the base structure, sized to house the added pre-mill station
- Teflon-coated glue pot: fast heat-up, easy glue change and cleanup, automatic standby temperature during non-use; EVA hot melt only (190°C / 374°F operating temperature)
- Automatic edge loading system: feeds rolled coil stock with built-in shear device
- Copying-device end cutting unit: tracks the actual panel end for a consistent 90-degree front and rear trim
- Combined radius/flat trimming cutter: 2mm radius standard and flush-trim profiles at 12,000 RPM; Ø75mm Z4 cutters; copying pads replicate the panel surface for consistent cutter tracking
- Profile scraping unit: removes the witness line at the edge-to-panel joint along with machining marks left by the top/bottom trimmers
- Buffing unit: two motorized, tilted, vertically adjustable brushes clean and polish the finished edge
- Coil holder plate: 730mm diameter; accepts standard edge coil stock
- Safety enclosure: lockable main power switch, dedicated emergency pushbutton
Specs
Worktable dimensions: 114.12" x 22.44" (2,900 x 570mm)
Worktable height: 35.56" (904mm)
Edge thickness, rolled coil (PVC/ABS): 0.016" to 0.118" (0.4 to 3mm)
Edge thickness, strip (PVC/ABS/solid wood): Up to 0.197" (Up to 5mm)
Min./max. panel height: 0.47" to 1.97" (12 to 50mm); 0.63" (16mm) minimum when using profile scraping
Min. panel length / width: 7.5" x 4.31" (190 x 110mm)
Feed speed: 23 ft/min (7 m/min)
Pre-mill motor: 2.2 kW - 7,000 RPM | cutter Ø80mm H=56 Z2+2 (diamond, two-flute)
Pre-mill removal settings: 0.5mm / 1mm / 1.5mm / 2mm | maximum stock removal 55mm² cross-section per pass
Feed motor: 0.9 kW
Glue pot capacity: ~2 lbs (0.8 kg)
End cutting motor: 0.66 kW - 12,000 RPM | blade Ø90mm Z20
T/B trimming motors: 2 x 1.3 kW - 12,000 RPM | cutters Ø75mm Z4
Buffing motors: 2 x 0.3 kW - 2,800 RPM
Dust extraction: 800 CFM min | 3.15" (80mm) pre-mill outlet (~213 CFM) + 2.36" (60mm) glue pot outlet + 4.72" (120mm) trimming outlet
Pneumatic supply: 6.5 bar (95 PSI) required
Electrical: 230V - 60Hz - Single phase - 46A
Includes
- 2mm radius tooling set
- Standard toolkit for routine adjustment and maintenance
- Operator manual
- Factory installation and training, mandatory for warranty coverage, included in the listed price
Warranty
SCM warrants every machine free of defects in workmanship and materials for one (1) year from the date of customer acceptance. Belts, bearings, and common electrical parts carry a six-month warranty. Wearable items and components requiring maintenance in ordinary operation are excluded. Warranty coverage on the ME 28ET is contingent on factory installation by an SCM-certified technician, included in the price above.
Shipping
Please note: Items being shipped to extremely remote areas or areas with limited delivery access (such as islands only accessible by ferry) may incur additional shipping or freight fees. If your order requires any additional fees other than what is already included in the price, you will be contacted before those fees are applied and before your item ships. This is rare and will not apply to most orders.
*Machinery Availability Key
Availability statuses found above the product description reflect where a machine is in the supply chain at the time of listing. Use the key below to help determine the lead time for this machine.
In stock for immediate shipment: The machine is in OakTree Supply's warehouse and is ready to ship.
In stock as of [date] / Low stock as of [date]: The machine is in the manufacturer's U.S. warehouse and was available as of the last update we received. Estimated to ship in 3-5 business days. If low stock, please call us before ordering to confirm current availability.
Estimated to ship [date]: The machine is not yet in our warehouse or the manufacturer's warehouse. The date shown is an estimate based on current production and shipping timelines and may change due to manufacturing schedules, import processing, or freight transit.
Dates listed as "estimated" are not guaranteed and may change. OakTree Supply is not responsible for delays in transit to or from our facility.