On August 25, 2009, Cognovision extended the scope of testing further by offering a new testing solution for the solar cell manufacturing process. The new VisionPro® Solar Toolkit includes pre-configured software tools for the most commonly used visual calibration and detection applications in the production of photoelectric (PV) solar energy. With the addition of the Solar Toolkit, users can choose to use the basic VisionPro software library or use the pre-configured toolset as a starting point for setting up visual inspection and calibration applications. VisionPro Software's industrial-grade positioning, identification and inspection tools will also play an important role throughout the value chain, helping manufacturers achieve higher quality, faster product output and better process control.

Markku Jaaskelainen, executive vice president and business manager of vision software for the company, said: "Effectively manufacturing solar cells requires extremely high performance vision to handle difficult inspections, speed up production and enable full traceability from wafers to solar panels. "As solar production processes evolve and become more automated, the adoption of vision systems will become an important way for manufacturers to increase process efficiency, improve equipment performance and control production costs."

Previously, Cognex has launched a range of vision products to help device manufacturers, line builders and manufacturers take advantage of advanced vision technology in every manufacturing process.

For solar equipment suppliers and production line builders, hardware-independent VisionPro® software provides an inexpensive, easy to use, and powerful alternative to standalone inspection systems using any type of camera, board, or directly connected digital standards. At the same time, suppliers and integrators can easily integrate compact In-Sight® vision systems into their existing production lines to instantly enhance the processing power of the entire process from bare wafer inspection to finished solar panel assembly validation. To speed up wafer processing and full tracking from wafer to solar panel, they can also choose from the industry's most powerful handheld and stationary Dataman ® industrial-grade ID readers, as well as the Checker® vision sensor for specialized component inspection or measurement applications. Alternatively, you can choose SmartView® Texture and Surface Inspection to detect and classify surface defects on solar glass and plastic substrates.

Facing the booming development of solar and other new energy industries in China, Mr. Wang Hongbiao, General Manager of Cognac China, said, "We have a complete product line and advanced enough technology to provide comprehensive testing solutions for China's solar cell manufacturing industry, and we look forward to helping drive the development of the new energy industry."