Cognex Showcased a Range of Inspection Equipment at MD&M West, including its Next-Gen Barcode Reader

Feb. 24, 2025
Eric Hershberger from Cognex demonstrates the company’s range of inspection equipment at the recent MD&M West tradeshow and conference in Anaheim, Calif.

At MD&M West, which was held Feb. 4-7 in Anaheim, Calif., Eric Hershberger, principal applications engineer for Cognex Corporation, showed Machine Design the company’s range of inspection equipment.

He began with what he calls the “spinny demo,” which uses the latest in optical character recognition (OCR) and inspection tools to improve quality control processes for battery production and inspection. It features the DataMan 290, the company’s next-gen barcode reader that was released at the beginning of 2025. It has a user-friendly user interface (UI) as no software installation is required. Hershberger says to just plug it in, assign an address and start reading barcodes.

The next demo was for the L38 3D head laser camera combination, which is factory calibrated for precision inspection. This machine uses the company’s edge learning segment tool to detect flaws, while the cross-section tool highlights critical measurements for quality control.

Next was high-speed inspection with the 3801 camera, which was processing 777 parts per minute, but he slowed it down so we could see the process. This demo showed the inspection of vials, caps and labels, highlighting how varying LED colors assist in identifying defects.

Hershberger then showed us the 475 verification system, a tool that verifies the readability of barcodes marked on products, highlighting defects and grading them as necessary, to streamline factory processes. This helps ensure compliance with ISO standards.

Finally, we see the Cognex low-cost vision sensor designed for simple good/bad evaluations. Hershberger says its intuitive web UI is easy to set up, requires no software and displays results in real time, which makes it suitable for quick inspections in any production line.

About the Author

Sharon Spielman | Technical Editor, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s technical editor, Sharon Spielman produces content for the brand’s focus audience—design and multidisciplinary engineers. Her beat includes 3D printing/CAD; mechanical and motion systems, with an emphasis on pneumatics and linear motion; automation; robotics; and CNC machining.

Spielman has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor for a range of B2B brands, including those that cover machine design; electrical design and manufacturing; interconnection technology; food and beverage manufacturing; process heating and cooling; finishing; and package converting.

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @sharonspielman

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