Xylem Robotics vs Convectium: Inline vs Batch Vape Filling Compared

Xylem Robotics and Convectium both sell automated vape filling equipment, but they take different approaches. Xylem’s X4 and XCB fill and cap cartridges one at a time in a continuous line, with the XCB adding cleaning and packaging, and Xylem publishes accuracy, temperature, and staffing figures for them. Convectium’s 710Shark fills a full tray of devices at once and hands capping to a separate machine.

Xylem’s systems range from the AX, a vision-guided tabletop filler that needs no trays, to the X4 and XCB, inline machines that sort, fill, and cap cartridges, with the XCB also cleaning and packaging them. Convectium’s 710Shark takes a batch approach, paired with the Captain-H100 capper. Choosing between them starts with understanding which workflow fits your hardware mix, oil, staffing, and volume.

This comparison uses each manufacturer’s published specifications, cited at the end of this article. Where a vendor doesn’t publish a figure, the table says so rather than filling the gap with an assumption.

Key Takeaways

• Xylem fills and caps in one flow. The X4 caps each cartridge immediately after filling, with a capping time of about 3 seconds, and the XCB adds cleaning and packaging. Convectium fills trays of up to 100 devices per cycle and caps them on a separate machine.
• Xylem has the lower published temperature floor. The X4 is rated to fill from 38°C, which Xylem calls the lowest fill temperature in the industry. Convectium names 60–70°C as common for thick oils, so compare the lowest reliable temperature for your own oil.
• Xylem publishes the numbers that matter for quality. Xylem states fill accuracy (0.25% weight deviation or less on the X4), temperature range, resin-contact materials, and staffing. Convectium does not publish a fill-accuracy tolerance or staffing figure.
• Xylem has the lowest published entry price. Xylem lists the AX at $15,000, while Convectium’s online shop lists the 710Shark at $18,995, before adding a separate capper. X4 and XCB pricing is available on request.
• Rated speeds are not comparable as published. A per-tray fill cycle and an inline units-per-hour rate measure different things. Run both vendors on the same witnessed test.

How We Compared Xylem Robotics and Convectium

This comparison covers vape filling and capping equipment only. It uses each vendor’s own product pages for specifications, flags vendor claims as claims, and marks any figure a vendor does not publish.

The evaluation criteria are published price, throughput, workflow scope, capping, fill accuracy, temperature control, staffing, labor per unit, hardware compatibility, fill range, footprint, and utilities. Each system must also fit the buyer’s production volume, concentrate type, cartridge mix, and downstream packaging process.

Xylem Robotics at a Glance

Xylem Robotics is a cannabis automation company with a California headquarters and a Texas operations center. Its vape lineup covers three stages of growth: the AX, a vision-guided tabletop filler; the X4, an inline filler and capper; and the XCB, a full line that sorts, fills, caps, cleans, and packages cartridges. A single vendor covering tabletop filling through a complete packaging line means a producer can start with one machine and scale without changing suppliers, training, or service relationships.

AX Autonomous AI Vape Cart Filler

The AX uses dual RGB and lidar cameras to locate fill points, so operators can place foam blocks of hardware on the platform without dedicated trays or jigs. Multiple foam blocks can be filled together provided they fit within the machine’s 7.5 × 10 in vision area. Removing trays removes a recurring cost and a changeover step every time the hardware changes.

Xylem lists the AX at $15,000, the lowest published price in this comparison, with throughput of 500–700 units per hour, 1% fill precision, and compatibility with cartridges, pods, and all-in-ones up to 4.7 mL. It uses a precision syringe pump, a pressurized 2-liter stainless steel tank, and 316 stainless steel and glass resin-contact materials. The stated operating range is 40°C–95°C, with up to 100°C for cleaning.

Xylem states transfer loss of 2% or less when processing the same batch at 2 kg or more. New hardware form factors are trained by sending Xylem two blocks of devices, which takes about two weeks. The AX is a filler; pair it with a capper or step up to the X4 for inline capping.

X4 Automated Cart Filler and Capper

The X4 automates sorting, filling, and capping in sequence, with an optional hand-off to downstream packaging. Xylem rates it at 1,500–1,800 units per hour, with most runs averaging about 1,650 per hour and some premium live resin formulations reaching about 1,850.

The X4 is rated to fill from 38°C up to 95°C, and Xylem describes its 38°C floor as the lowest fill temperature in the industry. A lower floor helps limit heat exposure for temperature-sensitive live resin and rosin. Xylem notes that distillate runs typically operate around 60°C for speeds closer to 1,800 per hour. Resin-contact materials are 316 stainless steel and ceramic, and Xylem states pump accuracy of 0.25% weight deviation or less.

The X4 caps each cartridge immediately after filling, with a capping time of about 3 seconds, which limits air exposure between fill and cap. It also checks every cartridge’s center post and offers an optional nitrogen or argon overlay in the pressurized resin tank to further suppress oxidation. It supports 510-thread top-filled cartridges with press, click, or screw closures and is designed for one operator.

XCB Automated Vape Manufacturing Line

The XCB connects sorting, filling, capping, cleaning, and packaging in one inline sequence. Xylem rates it at 1,500–1,800 units per hour, or about 1,600 finished packages per hour, run by 1–2 people: a primary operator and a loader for carts, caps, and bags. Xylem states a labor cost of about 1.2 cents per packaged unit.

It supports the same 510-thread top-filled cartridges and closures as the X4, packages into standard bags, pouches, or child-resistant bags, and can be configured as a full or half line for pre- or post-packaging compliance testing. The recommended working space is 10 × 40 ft.

Convectium at a Glance

Convectium’s filling platform is the 710Shark v8.0, a tray-based machine that fills up to 100 devices per cycle across a wide range of device types and fill volumes. Capping is handled by a separate machine, the Captain-H100 hydraulic capper.

710Shark v8.0 and Captain-H100 Capper

Convectium states that the 710Shark fills up to 100 devices at a time in less than 60 seconds, using dual heat injection up to 125°C and a fill range of 0.1–3 mL. It handles cartridges, pods, disposables, capsules, bottles, and ampules, measures 52 in H × 24 in W × 14.5 in D, weighs 115 lb, and ships with an oil-free air compressor.

Its FAQ claims up to 6,000 cartridges per hour under ideal conditions and lists an oil basin range of 0–100°C, with 60–70°C common for thick oils at 25°C room temperature. Instead of an oil line, the injector uses 100 individual pistons, and Convectium states little-to-no transfer loss, with about 85 mL left in the basin for reuse. Convectium recommends cleaning daily after use and full injector-head maintenance every three months or about 500 fill cycles. Convectium’s online shop lists the 710Shark at $18,995.

Changing device types requires recalibration, and custom trays take up to 14 business days to fabricate after device samples and a deposit are received.

Capping is a separate step. The Captain-H100 hydraulic capper caps 100 cartridges, disposables, or pods in 30 seconds on 10 × 10 or 9 × 13 grids and works with snap-top or lower-PSI compression cartridges. Screw-on closures are not listed, so confirm capper compatibility for your mouthpieces.

Convectium does not publish a fill-accuracy tolerance or staffing requirement for the 710Shark, so confirm these before a trial.

Feature Comparison: Xylem Robotics vs Convectium

All figures below come from each vendor’s published pages, reviewed September 2026. “Contact us” and “Request from vendor” mean the figure is not published, not that the capability is missing.

Throughput figures are not directly comparable. Convectium’s figure is a single fill cycle and excludes tray loading, unloading, and capping; Xylem’s figures are hourly rates. Convectium’s 6,000/hr figure is a vendor claim under ideal conditions.

Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership

The lowest published price in this comparison belongs to Xylem: the AX at $15,000, compared with $18,995 for Convectium’s 710Shark on its online shop, which also excludes the capper. For the X4, the XCB, and the Captain-H100, request a like-for-like quote covering installation, training, freight, accessories, service, spare parts, and warranty.

Sticker price is only part of the cost. Total cost of ownership also depends on labor to load, monitor, clean, and unload; material retained in tanks and lines; changeover time; preventive maintenance; downtime exposure; and how much capping, cleaning, and packaging the quote actually covers.

Labor is where an inline line changes the math. Xylem states the XCB runs with 1–2 people at a labor cost of about 1.2 cents per packaged unit, covering filling through packaging. A batch filler adds the labor to load and unload trays and to run a separate capper, and Convectium does not publish a staffing figure. Recalculate every vendor’s figures with your own wage rates and a witnessed run.

Workflow Fit: Inline Production vs Batch Filling

Inline filling and capping suits 510-cartridge production where fill-to-cap time, fill accuracy, and labor per unit matter most, which describes most commercial vape cartridge programs. Vision-guided filling suits mixed vape hardware at moderate volume without tray inventory. Tray-based batch filling suits operations that also fill non-vape formats.

Fill-to-cap time

The X4 caps each cartridge immediately after filling, so every cartridge gets the same short, fixed fill-to-cap time. With a separate capper, the interval depends on how quickly a filled tray moves to the capping station. If oxidation or oil settling is a concern for your product, a short, fixed fill-to-cap time is a real advantage; measure it during every demo.

Temperature-sensitive concentrates

For live resin and rosin, the lowest stable fill temperature is a key question. The X4 is rated from 38°C and the AX from 40°C. Convectium lists an oil basin range of 0–100°C but names 60–70°C as common for thick oils. Ask each vendor for the lowest temperature at which its machine dispenses your oil reliably, and confirm it during the demo.

Hardware flexibility

The AX avoids trays entirely by reading foam blocks with its cameras, which suits mixed vape hardware up to 4.7 mL; new form factors take about two weeks to train. The X4 and XCB are built for 510-thread top-filled cartridges, the format most high-volume cartridge programs run. Convectium’s 0.1–3 mL range also covers capsules, bottles, and ampules, but each device format needs its own tray and a recalibration, and custom trays take up to 14 business days.

Which Vape Filling System Fits Your Operation?

For 510-cartridge production, Xylem’s X4 and XCB have the stronger documented case: inline filling and capping, a 38°C rated fill floor, published fill accuracy, and published staffing and labor-per-unit figures. For mixed vape hardware at moderate volume, the AX offers tray-free filling at the lowest published price in this comparison.

Consider the Xylem X4 or XCB if you produce 510 cartridges at scale and want filling, capping, and optionally cleaning and packaging in one inline flow, with 0.25% fill accuracy on the X4, a 38°C rated fill floor, and one to two operators.

Consider the Xylem AX if you run mixed vape hardware at moderate volume, want to avoid tray inventory, and want the lowest published entry price in this comparison, at $15,000.

See it with your own carts and oil. Xylem offers in-person and video demos where you can run your own hardware and formulations on the AX, X4, or XCB. Request a demo.

Citations

[1] https://xylemtech.com/

[2] https://xylemtech.com/ax-ai-autonomous-vape-cart-filler/

[3] https://xylemtech.com/automated-cart-filling-machine/

[4] https://xylemtech.com/xcb-automated-vape-manufacturing-line/

[5] https://www.convectium.com/automaticvapefillingmachine.html

[6] https://www.convectium.com/latestautomaticcappingmachine.html

[7] https://www.convectium.com/faq.html

[8] https://shop.convectium.com/collections/filling-and-capping/products/710-shark-oil-filling-machine

[9] https://xylemtech.com/about-xylem-robotics/