A disciplined path from first visit to lights-out.
Every retrofit runs the same gated method — so you always know what's done, what's next, and what you're approving.
We don't improvise automation. Whether we're tending your press brake, feeding your laser, deburring your parts, or inspecting them, the work follows one defined methodology of clearly-bounded phases, each with its own deliverables and a signoff gate before the next begins. It's how a retrofit stays predictable when it's being built around a machine that still has to make parts every day.
Four principles behind every project.
Gated, not guessed.
The project moves in phases, and each one ends at a signoff gate you control. Nothing proceeds until the previous stage is done and accepted, so surprises surface early — on paper — instead of late, on your floor.
Brand-agnostic and retrofit-first.
We build around the machines you already own, whatever the brand. We're not tied to one laser or one press-brake maker, so the cell is designed to fit your equipment and your mix — not to sell you someone else's box.
One team, end to end.
The people who assess your line design it, program it, and commission it. Mechanical, controls, robotics, vision, and AMR work all live under one roof, so accountability never gets handed off at a vendor boundary.
Safety and standards, built in.
Risk assessment and safety validation run from day one, not as a bolt-on at the end. Every cell is engineered to the relevant robot, machine, laser, and electrical standards and validated with documented evidence before you accept it.
Thirteen phases, five stages, one signoff at every step.
From the first phone call to years of production support, a DeGama project runs through thirteen defined phases (Phase 0 through Phase 12). They group into five stages. What changes between a laser job and a brake job is the content inside the phases — the framework itself never does.
Stage 1 — Understand & Design
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0
Pre-Engagement
We align on scope and gather what we need before committing engineering effort, so the first visit is productive.
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1
Discovery & On-Site Assessment
A full engineering survey of your machine, its control interface, your parts, your process, and your facility.
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2
Feasibility, Scope & Concept Design
A go/no-go feasibility call, an integration-path determination, and a concept layout of the cell.
Stage 2 — Propose & Engineer
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3
Proposal Development
A complete specification and a fixed-fee quote, with scope, schedule, and acceptance criteria defined up front.
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4
Detailed Engineering & Design
Build-ready mechanical, electrical, and controls design — drawings, bills of material, and software architecture.
Stage 3 — Procure & Build
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5
Procurement & Long-Lead Management
We order and actively manage every long-lead item, and coordinate any vendor-installed equipment such as storage towers.
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6
Off-Site Build & Programming
Your cell is built and substantially commissioned in our shop, using a simulated interface, so time on your floor is minimized.
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7
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)
You witness the cell run against an agreed protocol — including fault injection — before anything ships.
Stage 4 — Install & Accept
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8
Installation & Commissioning
We install, integrate to your machine, tune against real parts, and validate safety on site.
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9
Site Acceptance Test (SAT)
A formal acceptance run at production rate, with every function and safety device demonstrated and documented.
Stage 5 — Train, Ramp & Support
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10
Training & Knowledge Transfer
Operators, maintenance, and (optionally) your engineers are trained, and a full documentation package is handed over.
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11
Production Ramp & Stabilization
We stay on site through the first weeks until the cell holds its target uptime and throughput.
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12
Lifecycle Support & Optimization
Ongoing service, remote monitoring, and new-part programming for the life of the cell.
You approve every stage before it starts the next.
A signoff gate sits between the phases: a defined point where we show you the deliverables of the stage just completed and you decide whether to proceed. You approve the survey before we design. You approve the concept and budget before we engineer. You approve the fixed quote before we procure. You witness the factory test before we ship, and the site test before you take ownership. It means the project can't quietly drift — in scope, cost, or schedule — without a decision you made.
Three things decide whether a retrofit will work.
Most automation disappointments trace back to a question that wasn't answered honestly at the start. Our Phase 1 assessment exists to answer three of them before a proposal is ever written.
Can we command your machine?
Automation lives or dies on the interface. We confirm exactly how your press brake, laser, or line exposes control — an open protocol, a signal handshake, or a bare machine that needs one added — and classify the integration path before we price the work.
Can your facility take the cell?
Floor loading, overhead clearance for storage towers, power, assist gas, fume extraction, and safety envelope all get checked on site. The most common surprise is a building that has floor space but not height — so we measure, not assume.
Can your real parts be handled reliably?
We analyze your actual production parts and nests — not idealized drawings — to confirm they can be loaded, bent, denested, sorted, or inspected consistently. Where a part is a poor fit for automation, we say so, and design around it.
Built to the codes your safety team expects.
Every cell is designed and validated against the standards that govern robots, machinery, lasers, and industrial electrical work — including ANSI/RIA R15.06 and R15.08 for robots and mobile robots, ISO 12100 and ISO 13849 for machine safety and control reliability, NFPA 79 for industrial electrical systems, and ANSI Z136.1 and B11.21 where lasers are involved. Risk assessment begins in engineering and ends in a documented safety validation you receive at handover.
ANSI/RIA R15.06 · ANSI/A3 R15.08 · ISO 12100 · ISO 13849 · NFPA 79 · ANSI Z136.1 · ANSI B11.21
Documentation you can run the cell on.
At handover you get more than a working cell. You get the record behind it.
- As-built mechanical, electrical, and controls drawings
- Risk assessment and signed safety validation report
- Bills of material and a recommended spare-parts list
- PLC, robot, vision, and HMI programs under version control
- Operations, maintenance, and programming manuals
- Operator and maintenance training records
Tell us about the machine you want to automate.
Send us the laser, brake, or line you're running today, and we'll walk you through what a retrofit would look like — starting with an on-site assessment.
Request an assessment →