Cognex receives purchase order worth over $1 million from major metal manufacturer.

NATICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 1996-- Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, has received a purchase order from a major U.S.-based manufacturer of metal foil.

The customer purchased an automated inspection system valued at over $1 million from Isys Controls, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cognex. This order represents the third Isys system purchased by the customer within the past two years.

The customer manufactures metal foil on a continuous production line. Using multiple cameras connected to a high-speed image processing computer, the Isys system examines the entire surface -- both top and bottom -- of the strip, and detects and classifies flaws and defects, such as dents, pits, and stains. This customer chose to purchase an Isys system because of its ability to provide 100% inspection of the strip with resolution requirements to within thousandths of an inch.

Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision systems, or computers that can "see," which are used to automate a wide range of manufacturing processes where vision is required. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped to date more than 50,000 machine vision systems valued in excess of $441 million. In addition to its headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, the company has remote offices located throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. In addition, Cognex has two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Acumen, based in Portland, Oregon, which specializes in machine vision systems for automated product identification, and Isys Controls, based in Alameda, California, which specializes in automated, high-speed surface inspection.

CONTACT: Cognex Corp.

Shay Tressa, 508/650-3000, ext. 3383