COGNEX INTRODUCES THIRD GENERATION CHECKER VISION SENSOR
No PC required for setup and configurable as either a Presence or Measurement Sensor

Cognex^® Corporation (NASDAQ - CGNX), the world’s leading supplier of machine vision systems and vision sensors, has added the Checker^® 3G series to its award-winning Checker vision sensor product line. With simple setup, integrated part detection, lighting, I/O and job change all in a rugged IP67 housing, Checker 3G is the easy, reliable and affordable way to verify all products or parts on the line.

With Checker 3G, the user chooses whether to configure the sensor as a presence sensor or measurement sensor.  Presence sensors verify that features are present.  Measurement sensors verify that features are the correct height, width and/or diameter.  In either mode, there is no limit to the number of part features that a single Checker can “check”. Checker is also able to detect and track over 6,000 parts per minute in varying positions along the production line, overcoming imprecise part positioning and delivering consistent, precisely timed pass/fall results. No other sensor, vision sensor, or vision system can do this.

The new Cognex offering does not require a PC for setup. Instead, the SensorView^® Teach Pendant, with its unique One-Click Setup™ technology, allows the user to set up jobs right on the line and has them running in a matter of minutes. A single teach pendant can be used to set up any number of Checker 3G sensors and can remain connected for real-time application monitoring.

The SensorView Teach Pendant is a compact, rugged, panel-mount display for both the Checker 200 and 3G series of vision sensors. More than just a display, SensorView provides production statistics and a user-definable view of the parts that Checker is inspecting. This enables operators to easily monitor their production process, change jobs, or retrain patterns without a PC.

The key to the simplicity of the Checker is its One-Click Setup.  By simply clicking on the feature in the image that you want to inspect Checker automatically creates a sensor, learns the features attributes and sets the appropriate pass/fail criteria.

“Customers value the simplicity and power in Checker all-in-one vision sensors because they offer a cost-effective option for inspections that are too difficult for traditional sensors. One difference is that Checker understands what parts actually look like, no matter how complicated,” said Pascal Dorster, Vision Sensors Business Unit Manager. “The Checker 3G extends the versatility of the Checker product line so customers can save time and money with an easy to use, affordable and reliable system.”

The Checker 3G series joins the existing Checker 200 series which features additional I/O, encoder-based part tracking, an industry standard ladder logic editor for custom logic and the ability to inspect smaller features over a larger area.  The Checker 3G is currently available.

For more information, or to download free trial software, visit http://www.cognex.com/3G/.

COGNEX DEVELOPS AN ON-LINE TOOL TO CALCULATE COST SAVINGS FROM USING VISION TECHNOLOGY
Helping manufacturers evaluate how much savings can be achieved by investing in vision

Cognex^® Corporation (NASDAQ - CGNX), the world’s leading supplier of machine vision systems and industrial ID readers, today announced the availability of a new on-line tool to help manufacturers understand the benefits that can be achieved through the use of machine vision and industrial identification. “In these difficult economic times, optimising product quality and reducing manufacturing costs is more important than ever. Our new Cost Savings Advisor makes it really easy for manufacturers to calculate the cost reductions they can achieve through using Cognex vision and ID systems” says Peter Neve, Vice President of Global Marketing for Cognex. He added, “It also acts as a great check list to ensure that all potential savings from using vision are identified.” The Cognex Cost Savings Advisor was designed to help customers evaluate a cost savings plan for vision inspection, automation or identification applications.

The free tool can be found at www.cognex.com/costsavings. Users are asked a few simple questions about each vision application. The tool then calculates the potential cost savings that could be achieved by implementing Cognex solutions on the customer’s production lines. Additionally, the results highlight other potential benefits that customers may not have previously considered.  A wide range of cost savings opportunities can be estimated within three main sections: product inspection applications, automation guidance applications and identification/traceability applications.  Once the results are calculated, a record of the evaluation can be printed to share with colleagues. Cost management is a global concern; Cognex, as a global corporation, recognizes this and is pleased to offer this tool in nine languages: Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.