Gage Expands Tech Center

Gage Products Co. has opened a $3 million innovation center at its headquarters in Ferndale, Mich. The 5,000-sq.-ft. center nearly doubles the company’s research and development space, which previously was housed in two separate buildings.

The expansion reflects growing demand for Gage’s recyclable purge solvents that are used to clean paint lines. The company says sales also are on the rise for its line of test fuels used by carmakers and suppliers during product development.

The new innovation center will contain more than 50 pieces of high-tech equipment, including a gas chromatograph and a combination gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Research will focus on reducing the amount of purge solvent needed and improving the recycling yield rate, which has been growing a few percentage points a year from about 50% to an average of 70% today. The company aims to reach 85% in coming years.

In addition, Gage says the expansion and new equipment will allow it to conduct fuel tests that it previously outsourced. This will cut costs and reduce turnaround times from as long as four days to one day or less, the company predicts.