DECEMBER 20--Cognex Corporation (Natick, MA; www.cognex.com), supplier of machine-vision systems, announced that Wuhan Iron and Steel Group, China's third-largest steel manufacturer, will integrate Cognex SmartView surface-inspection system at its manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China. The SmartView system will be installed on Wuhan Iron and Steel's continuous annealing line to inspect cold rolled steel for defects such as scratches and stains as it goes through the annealing process.
The order, which is in excess of $600,000, is part of a modernization project designed to increase capacity and productivity at Wuhan's cold roll mill. Wuhan Steel & Iron Company produces a variety of products including flat hot-rolled steel plates, flat cold-rolled steel plates, cold-rolled silicon steel plates, plates for containers, plates for shipmaking, zinc-coated plates, and cold-rolled and deep-drawn sheets for cars.
SmartView surface-inspection system automatically detects, identifies, and visualizes defects in metals and other materials as they are being produced. SmartView can detect and classify defects of less than a millimeter in the most challenging applications, at full production speeds, which enables manufacturers to both improve product quality and reduce scrap, resulting in increased productivity and profitability.
"China is now the world's largest steel manufacturer, and Wuhan Steel is one of China's largest producers," said Markku Jaaskelainen, senior vice president and general manager of Cognex's Surface Inspection Systems Division. "We are pleased that this major manufacturer has chosen Cognex products for this modernization project, and we expect to see many more opportunities for Cognex vision systems at Wuhan and at other steel producers in China as that nation ramps up its manufacturing infrastructure to improve quality and productivity."
