Vision market hinges on ease of use (continued)
A continuation of our interview with Justin Testa, Executive VP of Cognex, which appeared in the November 2008 Viewpoint column.
By Larry Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 11/1/2008 2:00:00 AM
 JUSTIN TESTA Executive VP Cognex Natick, MA In 2008, Justin Testa was named executive VP and group business manager of the Cognex Modular Vision Systems Division, with responsibility for strategic planning and product development in four major areas: vision systems, vision software, vision sensors, and ID products. Testa joined Cognex in 1983 as a sales engineer and has held a variety of positions, including senior VP of marketing, where he was responsible for worldwide product management, marketing communications, industry and competitive analyses, and new business development. He holds a BA from Boston University and an MBA from Boston College. Contributing editor Larry Maloney interviewed Testa at the Cognex offices on trends in machine-vision technology. Read the first part of this interview. |
Q: What are some of your key software introductions of the past year?
A: One that is application specific is OmniView, a vision-software technology that uses images from multiple cameras to create one seamless and undistorted 3-D rendering of any cylindrical object. It could be a bottle, a pharmaceutical vial, or an ice cream container. At the same time, we can also apply other vision tools, such as identifying a bar code or verifying whether the right top is on the package. OmniVision makes it possible to do this inspection without interrupting the speed of the line or requiring precise orientation of the object. In contrast, obtaining such an image without OmniView requires stopping and rotating each cylindrical object in front of a line-scan camera, a complex process that is too slow for most high-speed production lines.
Q: Is Cognex looking to develop more such application-specific solutions?
A: Certainly, and it fits in again with the drive toward greater ease of use. In the past, an application like inspecting a cylindrical object would have required a more customized solution. So, the goal is to find an application where there is clear customer need plus sufficient volume potential to merit developing a ready-made solution.
Q: How about software for more general-purpose applications?
A: Early this year, we released VisionPro 5.0, which enables users to run the world’s most powerful vision tool library on a PC. There’s been a transition from analog cameras requiring frame grabbers to digital cameras, and VisionPro provides preconfigured image-acquisition support for the complete range of industrial cameras and interfaces, such as GigE Vision, USB, FireWire, and Camera Link. Vision Pro 5.0 is our first release of VisionPro as a software-only product, and it’s been extremely successful. We’ve invited users to download an evaluation package for 30 days at no charge
Q: Cognex this year entered into an agreement with automation giant Mitsubishi to jointly develop specially configured vision systems. Will you be looking for more such partnerships?
A: Returning to the ease of use and ease of integration points we discussed earlier, one of the objectives in this Mitsubishi collaboration was ease of use in integrating Cognex vision systems—in this case our new In-Sight Micro system and EasyBuilder programming—with Mitsubishi’s automation equipment, such as their PLCs, motion controllers, and robots. We’ll continue to look for such partnerships where it makes sense.
Q: Obviously, Mitsubishi is a huge global company, but what progress do you see in the willingness of small- and medium-sized companies to adopt machine vision?
A: As we make our vision products more cost competitive and easier to use and integrate, we see more opportunities opening up with smaller companies. There used to be a time when we would tell our sales force not to go after customers who hadn’t used vision before. But that’s not the case anymore. We have the products that meet these customers’ needs, such as our Checker vision sensors, In-Sight Micro, and ID readers. Checker is really a great product for new users of vision because it sits between an advanced vision system and a photoelectric sensor. In many cases, Checker can replace multiple photoelectric sensors and provide better application solutions.
We target the Checker product line at applications that require simple, error-proofing checks. The 232 expands the resolution of prior sensors in the line by about six times, and it is ideal for inspecting small features on large parts, such as features on a door panel.
Q: What enabled Cognex to win this year’s contract with Japan’s Oji Paper Company, which reportedly is the world’s largest web inspection system with more than 100 cameras?
A: Oji is one of the leading producers of high-quality coated paper. As such, the company’s quality inspection requirements are very high. SmartView technology from the Cognex Surface Inspection System Division can inspect such products down to the size of less than 1-mm defects at maximum production speeds of 5000 ft/min, and at maximum machine widths of 30 ft. Due to the multiple stages of paper coating, several inspection points are required along the production line. SmartView provides the capability to synchronize the information from these inspection points along the production line so that the quality of the final product and possible source of any defect can be assessed. Additionally, the SmartView Advanced Winder Advisor, which is installed downstream in the process, provides the customer the capability to remove the defective product at a later processing step.
Q: Will Cognex continue to focus on automation, as opposed to security, automotive, and other vision applications outside the factory?
A: As we move forward, clearly factory automation is our core competency and our major area of focus, but we actively monitor areas outside of factory automation for future expansion. Sometimes you take a chance on a new application, and it just isn’t a fit with your business model. That was the case with our automotive lane-departure warning business, which we sold earlier this year to TK Holdings of Japan. This doesn’t mean that we won’t venture outside factory automation if we see a good opportunity.
Q: From a global standpoint, where is Cognex seeing its fastest growth?
A: Currently, between 65 and 70% of our revenues come from outside the US. Ten years ago, the US probably accounted for 55 to 60% of our business. We are enjoying terrific growth in both Europe and Asia. Like many companies, China is a major focus. We have several offices there and have increased our investments in sales and support and are seeing strong growth. We are also investing in India and looking at Eastern Europe as well.
Read the first part of this interview.
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