A brief introduction to Cognex’s application of automated bag tag reading

Baggage tags are scanned and read numerous times as they pass through the airport and are transported between planes. To ensure that bags reach their final location, airport baggage handling systems must overcome several challenges, including differences in bag orientation or height, as well as degradation of label quality due to manual handling and weather conditions.

If the tag is damaged and wrinkled during processing, the baggage tag number may not be read by traditional scanning systems and must be transferred to manual processing.

Cognex baggage handling technology uses powerful image barcode readers to read codes that are difficult for laser scanners to decode. Image barcode readers provide very high read rates, even in critical locations such as transfer lines, increasing baggage handling speed and system efficiency.

Cognex technology provides:

Provides very high read rates on outbound, inbound and transfer lines Delivers very high read rates on outbound, inbound and transfer lines

Process color images of each bag to improve tracking and security

No maintenance required compared to laser scanners with moving parts that can wear out and malfunction

Xpand™ technology provides wider conveyor belt coverage and a 50% increase in single-reader field of view, simplifying setup and reducing overall costs