Cognex Receives $1.8 Million Order from Leading German Paper Manufactu

    Business Editors/Technology Editors

    NATICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2005--Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, announced today that the Felix Schoeller Group, a leading German manufacturer of high-end papers, will integrate Cognex's SmartView(R) surface inspection system at multiple manufacturing plants throughout Germany and Canada. This multi-system order is valued in excess of $1.8 million, with all systems expected to be installed before the end of April.
    Felix Schoeller specializes in the manufacture of high-end photographic, digital imaging and other specialty papers. The SmartView systems will be used to automatically inspect paper for defects such as holes, creases, and stains while it is being manufactured.
    "SmartView finds defects early in the process, which helps manufacturers like Felix Schoeller to maximize their yields," said Markku Jaaskelainen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cognex's Surface Inspection Systems Division. "SmartView's robust, flexible and scalable platform makes it reliable and easy to use. For this reason many of our paper clients go on to purchase additional systems after they install the first one, which is why SmartView is the world's best-selling surface inspection system."
    Cognex's SmartView system is a state-of-the-art surface inspection system that is used to automatically detect, identify, and visualize defects in paper and other materials as they are being produced. SmartView can detect and classify defects smaller than a square millimeter in the most challenging applications at full production speeds, which enables manufacturers to both improve product quality and reduce scrap, resulting in increased profitability.

    About Felix Schoeller

    The Felix Schoeller Group has produced high-caliber specialty papers for over 100 years. The company, which has a workforce of 2,500, is a family-run business with seven locations in Germany, the USA and Canada. Felix Schoeller is a leading worldwide producer of photographic, digital imaging, decorative, and technical specialty papers for a wide range of applications.

    About 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 225,000 machine vision systems, representing over $1.7 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 http://www.cognex.com.

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CONTACT: Cognex Corporation Robin Pratt, 508-650-3384 robin.pratt@cognex.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE MANUFACTURING MINING/METALS FOREST PRODUCTS SOURCE: Cognex Corporation

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