Cognex Acquires Gavitec Machine Vision Unit

NATICK, Mass., Dec. 2 -- Cognex Corp., a supplier of machine vision systems, announced Monday it has acquired the machine vision business of Gavitec AG of Aachen, Germany, for an undisclosed amount of cash.

Gavitec, founded in 1997, produces a variety of machine vision products for direct part mark reading, an application for machine vision systems that read numbers, letters and symbols that are printed, etched or stamped on the surfaces of manufactured items. These vision systems are used by manufacturers to collect data about product components during the manufacturing process and to trace their manufacturing history. Direct part marking, also referred to as "industrial ID," is required in a growing number of industries where serial numbers on parts must survive for the life of the part, such as on aircraft components and on certain automotive components.

Gavitec markets its products primarily in Germany; its customers include manufacturers in the automotive, electronics and healthcare industries.

Cognex said it expects to continue to market and sell Gavitec's machine vision products to its existing customers and to expand the distribution of its products worldwide. Cognex will retain a group of key Gavitec employees in Aachen who will serve as a remote engineering group that will develop additional products for direct part mark reading.

Robert J. Shillman, Cognex's CEO and chairman, said, "Industrial ID is a rapidly growing market for machine vision, as industries from aerospace to automotive to pharmaceuticals implement new initiatives for product traceability and error-proofing. Gavitec's experience in the design of easy-to-use industrial ID products, combined with Cognex's global sales resources and engineering support, will enable us to provide the best products and services for this growing market."

Shillman said, "This acquisition is also important because it strengthens Cognex's overall market position in Germany, an important manufacturing center and the largest market for machine vision in Europe."

For more information, visit: www.cognex.com