Cognex inks agreement with Entivity for integrating vision with PC-based automation and control software

Citation

(2002), "Cognex inks agreement with Entivity for integrating vision with PC-based automation and control software", Sensor Review, Vol. 22 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2002.08722cab.008

Cognex inks agreement with Entivity for integrating vision with PC-based automation and control software

Cognex inks agreement with Entivity for integrating vision with PC-based automation and control software

Keyword: Machine vision

Cognex, the world leader in machine vision systems has signed an agreement with Entivity, the leading supplier of PC-based automation and control software, to establish a cooperative effort for the development and promotion of integrated PC-based control software and machine vision solutions.

The two companies will work together to specify and develop interfaces that will simplify the integration of Entivity's award-winning Studio family of automation and control software with Cognex's award-winning In-Sight family of machine vision sensors. Entivity and Cognex will also cooperate on the promotion and support of these integrated solutions in a variety of new markets and applications.

Entivity's Studio product integrates advanced control and information technology with Microsoft Visio 2000 to give users a complete automation software solution. Built-in enterprise connectivity, productivity analysis and transparent scalability across the full range of Microsoft Windows platforms dramatically accelerates automation implementation. Studio is a fully extensible open architecture automation and control software development platform.

"Entivity products are very successful in information-intensive applications and complex control applications incorporating sequential logic, motion and machine vision systems," said Ken Spenser, president and CEO of Entivity. "Tightly integrated advanced control and machine vision improves control of the entire manufacturing process for customers and system integrators across a number of industries."

"Our In-Sight machine vision sensors provide manufacturers with feedback about their product quality, process control, and machine productivity," said Dr Robert Shillman, president of Cognex. "Entivity is a world leader in taking PC-based control into high-value, information intensive applications and is a natural partner for us."

"Working together to develop a seamless interface between our products will make machine vision easier and less expensive to deploy, and will accelerate the adoption of vision systems in a broad set of manufacturing applications," added Shillman. In-Sight vision sensors are low-cost, high performance online inspection devices that are used to automatically measure parts, verify the correct assembly of products, identify parts, and guide production equipment. Ethernet communications are built into most models, enabling users to gather data to and from the image sensors and put it on the same network as Entivity's PC-based control logic functions, helping to speed the process of machine troubleshooting. Operator and maintenance personnel have the ability to check machine flow and vision status from any of Entivity's Visio powered HMIs on the line, and share vision results with all levels of the organisation.

More information is available from: Katrina Dixon, Cognex UK, Units 7-9, First Quarter, Blenheim Road, Epsom KT19 9QN, UK. Tel: 0800 0180018; Fax: +44 (0)1372 726276; E-mail: kdixon@cognex.com