Cognex Machine Vision Selected by Largest Steel Producer in Turkey

NATICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2005--Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, announced today that Erdemir Steel, the largest iron and steel producer in Turkey, has purchased five Cognex SmartView® systems to perform quality inspection at its cold-rolled steel mill in Eregli, Turkey.

Erdemir will use the SmartView systems to detect and classify defects such as scratches, dents and roll marks on the surface of steel as it undergoes various finishing processes, including continuous annealing, galvanizing, pickling and tinning. Installation of all five systems is expected to be complete by the end of June.

‘‘Cognex's extensive experience with cold mill applications enables us to provide the best surface inspection available,’‘ said Markku Jaaskelainen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cognex's Surface Inspection Systems Division. ‘‘That expertise also enables us to pre-load SmartView with known defect detection and classification parameters. As a result, customers get results as soon as the system comes online, and experience immediate return on their investment.’‘

Cognex's SmartView system is a state-of-the-art surface inspection system that is used to automatically detect, identify, and visualize defects in metals 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.

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About Erdemir
Erdemir is the largest iron and steel company in Turkey, with an annual production capacity of 3 million tons. The company produces both hot and cold rolled sheet steel and tinplate. Erdemir and its nine subsidiary companies employ more than 15,000 people worldwide.

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 250,000 machine vision systems, representing over $1.8 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 that 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 that are used for inspecting the surfaces of products manufactured in a continuous fashion, such as metals, papers, and plastics. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, Cognex also has regional offices and distributors located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Visit Cognex on-line at http://www.cognex.com.

Contacts:
Cognex Corporation
Robin Pratt, 508-650-3384
Corporate Communications Manager