Kowa Rotary Wiper Wins Gold at the Vision Systems Design 2026 Innovation Awards
Kowa is delighted to announce that its innovative Rotary Wiper System has been awarded the Gold Award at the prestigious Vision Systems Design 2026 Innovation Awards, presented during Automate 2026 in Detroit, USA.
The Vision Systems Design Innovation Awards recognize the most significant technological advancements in the machine vision industry, celebrating products that demonstrate exceptional engineering, innovation, and real-world impact. Receiving the Gold Award is a testament to Kowa's continued commitment to developing advanced imaging solutions that solve some of the toughest challenges faced by modern industrial automation.
As manufacturing environments become increasingly automated, maintaining reliable vision system performance in demanding conditions is more important than ever. Kowa's Rotary Wiper System was developed specifically to address this challenge, ensuring uninterrupted imaging even in environments where coolant, oil, dust, metal chips, and other contaminants would typically obstruct the view of a conventional camera system.
Designed for the Harshest Industrial Environments
The Kowa Rotary Wiper is a fully integrated vision solution that combines a high-performance camera, precision imaging lens, rugged protective housing, and Kowa's innovative air-powered rotary cleaning mechanism into a single compact system.
At the heart of the design is a rotating sapphire glass window featuring a durable water-repellent coating. Driven by compressed air, the window continuously clears coolant, oil, metal swarf, dust, and debris from the optical path, providing a consistently clear image without interrupting machine operation. Unlike conventional protective windows that quickly become contaminated, the Rotary Wiper actively maintains visibility throughout the production process.
The system is ideally suited for CNC machining centres, automated manufacturing cells, robotics, and other harsh industrial environments where reliable real-time imaging is critical for process monitoring and quality control.
Improving Productivity Through Reliable Vision
By delivering uninterrupted, crystal-clear images, the Rotary Wiper enables manufacturers to continuously monitor machining operations, identify process issues at an early stage, and reduce costly downtime. Operators gain greater confidence in automated inspection systems while benefiting from improved process reliability, reduced maintenance requirements, and increased overall production efficiency.
The Rotary Wiper forms part of Kowa's growing portfolio of integrated machine vision solutions, combining world-class optics with innovative engineering to deliver dependable imaging performance where conventional vision systems struggle.
Winning the Gold Award at the Vision Systems Design 2026 Innovation Awards further reinforces Kowa's position as a leader in advanced optical technologies and integrated imaging solutions for the global machine vision industry.