• Gantry Robot Manufacturer & Articulated Arm Integrator
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Company History

Sage Engineers have pioneered the designs of four generations of Gantry Robot and Robot Arm systems since the mid 1970’s. We have continually improved flexibility, reliability, speed, payload, and precision. Sage Automation has been an authorized FANUC Robotics Reseller since 1995. In that time Sage Automation Engineers and Programmers developed a strong line of communication with FANUC for maximum technical support coverage and problem-solving capabilities. Sage Automation can easily integrate almost any platform with the FANUC Control Units thanks to the FANUC certified training that our programmers and engineers have taken as well as real-world experience in previous jobs involving FANUC equipment.

A study of Sage history shows a focus on new product development and a commitment to service. A good portion of Sage Automation sales comes from repeat customers.

Few companies can lay claim to the individuals who have pioneered the products they sell. But then again, that’s what helps set Sage Automation apart in the robotics and automation industry. Sage’s engineering foundation was built by Don Cawley and his son Cliff Cawley, who spent their time inventing and re-inventing designs in industrial automation on a daily basis. A combined 90+ years of experience helps solve most any engineering problem customers threw at them. The Cawley design hallmark was almost always “less is more.” When approaching an automation or mechanical engineering problem, they always started with the least amount of mechanisms and then added as necessary instead of over-complicating things from the start.

Don’s father Cliff started his own machine shop in the 1940s which led to Don’s early interest in machining, automation, and later robotics. Building on his father’s knowledge and resources, Don founded his own machining company in 1964. While in business, he pioneered Gantry Robots and in 1981 had the word “Machine” in his company name changed to “Robotics.” Having already been highly successful, Don recruited his son Cliff at a young age to help him continue the growth he had started in the industry of automation and robotics.

Wanting to expand their operations even further, Don and Cliff sold off their old company to make a fresh start with a friend and business acquaintance of Don’s. In 1995, they partnered with Steve Ingraham, a highly successful machine shop owner/operator and entrepreneur who’s success has been built on technology and precision. Steve was able to dedicate a large percentage of his modern machine shop to the parts machining and fabrication of robots for the new company. To make matters even easier, the site chosen to start their new venture happened to be next door to the machine shop. Together, this new team established Sage Automation as a single corporation able to create a robot from concept to installation completely in-house. Application Engineers, Conceptual Designers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Software Engineers, Designers, Fabricators, Installers and Servicemen all reside under one roof to help bring the best possible equipment to the customer.

To build these systems and plan out entire integrated environments, Sage has to have the space and resources to work within. Some of the Sage resources are:

• Over 150 Employees at Three Facilities in Two States
• Nearly 160,000 Square Feet of Environmentally-Controlled Workspace
• Dedicated Machine Shop and Fabrication Arm
• Automation Technology Research and Development Team
• Full Complement of Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineers
• Complete and Total In-House Control from Concept to Installation

Have confidence in doing business with Sage Automation, not just for the quality of the work or the innovation in design, but for the sheer fact of the solid partnership your business will form with Sage.

• 300+ Successful and Unique Robotic System Installations
• 70% of Sales are Repeat Customers
• Sage Automation and I-Corp Inc. are both Debt-Free Corporations

1990s

Early Innovations

• Sage Automation developed two types of open gantry robots. One, with the classical moving Y beam and a new industry design using a fixed Y concept. These robots replaced many competitor’s open gantry robots in the rubber and publishing industries.

• Sage Automaton patents a compliant device for rigid profile rail bearings.

• Sage develops a full layer EOAT(End-Of-Arm Tooling) for the beverage industry.

• Sage creates a robot to handle 2000 degree PM tool bits for an oil and gas services company.

• Sage develops a round way wheel closed gantry robot with more travel life than profile rail robots.

• Sage develops EOAT’s and special conveyors to make palletizing and depalletizing possible in the food and beverage carton and converting industries. This machinery is expanded to make it possible for press to gluer, pallet to gluer, and buffer to gluer systems in the converting industry.

• Sage creates an EOAT that make it possible to extract rubber that has been palletized in shipping containers.

• Sage develops a high speed robot system that palletizes round tube product for hex bundling.

• Sage develops the first robot system for charring the inside of whiskey barrels.

• Sage develops a rubber bale wrapper using constant temperature elements to replace competitors less rugged systems.

• Sage develops high payload gantry robots to handle full length rolls of non-woven material. During this project high strength core chucks are created.

• Sage completes several projects in the rubber industry, from palletizing to process, from rubber bales to retread material and crumb rubber.

• Sage Automation develops the software and control schemes so that PLC controllers can be used to control servo driven robots. These advances lead to the replacement of antiquated PC controllers.

2000s

Refining Designs

• Sage Automation patents a high pressure rubber clamp. This clamp is used as an EOAT on robots to automatically palletize rubber bales.

• Sage Automation ships equipment internationally, to China, South Korea, Australia, Great Britain, and other countries.

• Sage refines the bale wrapper design to use 10% less film than competitive designs.

• Sage Automation builds servo controlled robots to replace air driven robots for the large fixture (showers and bathtubs) molding business.

• Sage Automation develops a robot system and special machinery to put rubber in protective sleeves, place divider sheets and finally layer pick for placement into the shipping containers.

• Sage refines designs and builds multiple systems for press to gluer operations.

• Sage develops a high speed palletizer for postal palletizing of film wrapped magazine bundles.

• Sage builds EOAT tools and integrates high load robots for high heat forge operations.

• Sage integrates Fanuc robots for high speed palletizing of carton product.

• Sage develops systems using Fanuc robots for high speed flat bag palletizing.

• Sage develops high speed gantry robots using non-lube tractor drives.

• Sage develops robots for the food industry using telescopic Z beams for low ceiling areas.

• Sage received numerous patents. Some examples are its high pressure EOAT rubber clamp, its vacuum hood for picking layers of product, and a high speed palletizer using servo controlled conveyor ejection.

2010s

Looking to the Future

• Sage develops large payload gantry robots for the pharmaceutical industry.

• Sage completes many upgrades of old robots no longer serviced by the original maker. These robots get new control systems, new gearing and rail systems. Sage upgraded open gantry robots as well as various types of closed gantry robots. These upgrades applied to conveyor systems as well.

• Sage develops easy to maintain Tire robots using closed loop servo systems for both the X axis friction drives as well as the Y/Z positive drives.

• Sage develops a custom plasma cutter with water table level adjustment.

• Sage creates a roll lift for heavy paper rolls. The vertical lift, with safety arrest features, replace an antiquated competitors design. Several are built for Mills around the world.

• Sage develops a plant wide automation system for handling heavy rolls of film. This system uses AGV’s, robots, shuttle cars, wrappers, pallet handling equipment, and special conveyors.

• Sage creates a conveyor system with a rail car for an explosion proof environment for a chemical plant’s drum filling line.

• Sage develops a roll handling system for plastic film where the rolls must be cocoon wrapped.

• Sage integrates many Fanuc robots for palletizing rubber bales and bagged plastic pellets.

• Sage Automation received a patent for its tine style adjustable bag EOAT.

• Sage further refines it’s tire robots for higher speeds and greater Y axis span capabilities.

• Sage Automation mainlines its 3D simulation skills and offers these services to qualified customers.