Natick, MA, September 13, 2004-Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ - CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, vision sensors and industrial ID readers, today announced the availability of code quality metrics on In-Sight® ID readers and vision sensors. These new verification capabilities include IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group) Standard 9132 for Data Matrix codes and Cognex® supplemental metrics for code readability. In many direct part mark identification (DPMI) applications, verification is used at the marking station to identify missing or inconsistent code features that may affect readability down the line. This is a critical step in applications where the downstream manufacturing process can be interrupted if a code is unreadable.
"A good quality mark is an important first step to successful part tracking, but it doesn't guarantee that a code will be read. The reader must also tolerate degradations to the mark that occur during the manufacturing process, as well as variations in part type and presentation," said Justin Testa, Senior VP of ID Products for Cognex. "Cognex readers address both needs with IAQG and supplemental verification metrics to assure mark quality, and with IDMax®, our breakthrough Data Matrix code reading software, to ensure customers will achieve the highest possible read rates." In DPMI applications, the goal of IAQG verification is to be sure that marking equipment is producing the best dot-formed code possible.
The goal of reading is to decode and report results as quickly as possible, irrespective of how poor the mark might appear in the image. IAQG defines technical and quality requirements to assure that marking equipment applies dot-formed codes that meet established criteria for dot size, position, roundness, uniformity and other characteristics. Supplemental Cognex metrics extend these capabilities by assessing the readability of codes based on information such as background variation, image sharpness, and symbol and cell separability. These new verification capabilities will be available in November on industrial-grade In-Sight ID readers and vision sensors.
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision systems and machine vision sensors, or computers that can "see." Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 225,000 vision systems, representing over $1.6 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Cognex's Modular Vision Systems Division, headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, specializes in machine vision systems which are used for automating the manufacture of a wide range of discrete items and for assuring their quality.
Cognex's Surface Inspection Systems Division, headquartered in Alameda, California, specializes in machine vision systems which are used for inspecting the surfaces of products manufactured in a continuous fashion, such as metals, paper, and plastics. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, Cognex also has regional offices located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Visit Cognex on-line at www.cognex.com .
