Machine Vision Product Focus Study, April 2003

Research was undertaken to gain a better understanding of Control Engineering subscribers’ applications and needs regarding machine vision products.

By Control Engineering Staff June 10, 2004

Executive Summary
•Among those who specify, recommend, or buy machine vision products, 77% do so for in-plant requirements, while 39% do so for OEM needs. A slight majority (55%) do not consider machine vision too costly nor complex to implement.
•More than two-thirds of respondents use machine vision products for inspection. The next most popular applications are for robotic equipment (33%), motion control (32%), and bar code reading (32%).
•Ethernet TCP/IP and RS-232 are currently the most widely used communication protocols for machine vision products. When looking ahead to the next year, 73% of those surveyed say they plan to install more or at least some Ethernet TCP/IP networks for such products. RS-232 is the second most popular choice, with 51% of respondents indicating similar plans.
•Forty-two percent of respondents have used smart vision sensors. Ninety percent of this segment report the sensors met their requirements.
•Twenty-one percent of control engineers surveyed currently use vision integrators, and another 12% plan to use them in the next year.
•DVT sold machine vision products to 32% of respondents over the past year. Cognex and Keyence round out the top three companies in terms of market penetration, by virtue of sales to 20% and 19% of survey participants respectively.
•Results indicate the average respondent purchased 6 machine vision products in the past year. This equates to average spending of $59,925 per respondent during that time. Results further suggest machine vision purchases will grow over the next 12 months.
•Performance is the most important factor to control engineering professionals when selecting a machine vision product. Capital budget limitations are the most significant impediment to increased use of machine vision.

Machine Vision Product Focus Study 2003


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