Cognex sets a new standard for industrial OCR

Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, has introduced OCRMax™, a new tool for optical character recognition (OCR) and verification (OCV) applications that gives Cognex vision systems and vision software the power to achieve the highest read rates while keeping misreads to a minimum. OCRMax is fast, easy to set up and simple to use across all In-Sight® vision system and VisionPro® vision software platforms.

Maximum flexibility
OCRMax overcomes the limitations of other OCR technologies. It is an all-in-one tool that can handle character variations, text skew, proportional fonts and variable string lengths, making it the most robust character recognition tool in the industry. OCRMax is easy to set up and use, with minimal training being required.

Best character segmentation
The key to achieving the highest read rates with OCRMax is its superior character segmentation capability. The segmenting functionality takes each character line and splits it into individual regions that each contains one character. This robust functionality ensures that OCRMax can handle distorted, touching and variably spaced characters. It can also accommodate uneven surfaces and lighting variations to the background of the characters. In addition, OCRMax lets users control key parameters to further improve segmentation performance, resulting in even higher read rates and fewer misreads.

Easier font training and management
OCRMax has an intuitive user interface that makes font training a very simple process. This makes reads more consistent and repeatable in virtually any environment. OCRMax users can also export and import fonts from external storage, making training easier and increasing the tool’s flexibility. In addition, users can share the same fonts across multiple Cognex systems, further streamlining and simplifying font management.

Read any code, anywhere
“Industries are putting a major focus on traceability in the supply chain,” said Bhaskar Banerjee, Business Unit Manager, Vision Systems. “Consumers and other stakeholders are requiring it. OCRMax gives manufacturers the power to ensure that labels match products, to verify print legibility of codes and to match text to barcodes or 2-D Data Matrix codes. The ease of use and set up, powerful segmentation functionality and simple, flexible font training that OCRMax offers, make it a powerful solution for any manufacturer.”

To learn more and try OCRMax for In-Sight or VisionPro, go to www.cognex.com/OCR.

About Cognex
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets machine vision and industrial ID systems, or devices that can "see." Cognex vision and ID systems are used around the world for a wide range of inspection, identification and guidance applications throughout the manufacturing and distribution process. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision and industrial ID industries, having shipped more than 700,000 systems, representing over $3 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, USA, Cognex has regional offices and distributors located throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Japan and Latin America. For details, visit Cognex on-line at http://www.cognex.com.