Hylsa Corporation, a leading North American steel producer, has selected Cognex's SmartView ICN web inspection system to automatically inspect steel strip products in Mexico.

Cognex, the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems,has announced that Hylsa Corporation, a leading North American steel producer, has selected Cognex's SmartView ICN web inspection system to perform automated quality inspection on its steel strip manufacturing line in Mexico. SmartView ICN is a state-of-the-art web inspection system that is used to automatically detect, identify, and visualize defects in metals and other materials as they are being produced. Hylsa will use the Cognex machine vision system at the exit of its pickling line to accurately detect, classify, and provide picture-quality images of defects such as scales, dents, scratches, and slivers, resulting from the hot rolling process.

SmartView is also being used to look for defects caused by underpickling.

The inspection data is then used to provide feedback to hot mill operations and to downstream processes.

'SmartView's ability to provide reliable image data provides tremendous value to the manufacturer by certifying quality for all shipments,' said Markku Jaaskelainen, General Manager of Cognex's Surface inspection systems Division.

'And, steel manufacturers can also use SmartView to monitor the production process by sending a warning to downstream operations to reroute any defective material, thereby improving process control and reducing downgrades and rejects.' Cognex has sold over 100 SmartView ICN systems since its release in February, 2000, making it the most successful product launch in the history of Cognex's surface inspection Systems Division.

One of four industrial subsidiaries of Hylsamex, Hylsa consists of five operating units: Flat Products Division, Bar and Rod Division, Tubular Products Division, HYL, and Raw Materials Division.

Steel products offered by Hylsamex include hot and cold rolled coils, galvanized and painted coils and sheets, rebar and wire rod, pipe and tubing, light structural profiles, and foam-insulated panels.