Identification Systems automatically verify tires and wheels.
Press Release Summary:
Identification systems ensure presence of correct tires and wheels at multiple process points. Model TIS-8000 provides in-process verification and identification of tires by recognizing tire treads and sidewalls. Model WIS-8000 recognizes wheel-spoke patterns, wheel finish, and other features. Both systems have 99.99% accuracy and include PatMax® technology, PC-based machine-vision frame grabber, Sony XC-55 camera kit, and network connectivity software.
Original Press Release:
Cognex Corporation Introduces New Automated Solutions for Tire and Wheel Identification
Natick, MA, September 12, 2002-Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ - CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, today introduced two high-performance identification systems for automatically identifying tires and wheels. Designed to ensure the presence of correct tires and wheels at multiple process points, the new systems offer unmatched identification accuracy at production line speeds. The systems include:
o TIS-8000 Tire Identification System - provides high accuracy, in-process verification and identification of tires using specialized machine vision software for recognizing tire treads and sidewalls. Common applications include tracking and sorting tires during manufacturing, verifying the correct tire models prior to mounting onto wheels, and ensuring the correct sequence of tires prior to shipping.
o WIS-8000 Wheel Identification System - automatically recognizes wheel spoke patterns, wheel finish, and other features to ensure the presence of correct wheels. Common applications include identifying wheels prior to balancing to trigger proper balance routine, and ensuring that the correct wheels are paired with the correct tires for a particular vehicle.
"Tire and wheel manufacturers and assemblers are constantly looking to automate part identification in order to minimize handling and assembly errors," said Justin Testa, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cognex. "By identifying tires and wheels with 99.99% accuracy, these new identification systems will enable companies to reliably authenticate wheel and tire models from the time they are produced to the time they are assembled onto vehicles. This, in turn, will greatly improve production efficiencies while reducing costly production downtime and rework."
The TIS-8000 and WIS-8000 systems are able to offer exceptional ID accuracy and reliability by leveraging Cognex's revolutionary PatMax® geometric pattern matching technology. This technology, which has several patents pending, recognizes specific part features - such as treads and spoke patterns - despite variations in part position, scale, or appearance. The systems are also very simple to use, featuring highly intuitive operator screens that make application setup and changeover as easy as pressing a button. Users can also easily store applications into memory and download them to other production lines where tires and wheels need to be identified.
The TIS-8000 and WIS-8000 identification systems are equipped with a Cognex PC-based machine vision frame grabber, Sony XC-55 camera kit, identification and verification application software, network connectivity software, and specifications for lighting and light booth construction. Additionally, Cognex engineering services are available to provide assistance with setup, operation, and the tracking of results. Cognex also offers a combined tire and wheel identification system. The systems are available immediately from Cognex.
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision systems, or computers that can "see." Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 150,000 machine vision systems, representing over $1 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.
