Coherix Wins $2.5 Million in New Business from Four Automakers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coherix, an Ann Arbor-based automotive supplier, has been awarded contracts totaling more than $2.5 million from General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Honda and Chrysler to install high-tech optical-based measurement and inspection equipment at transmission plants in the United States and Mexico.

Coherix utilizes industry-first 3-D holographic imaging technology to capture critical component surface details and provide process feedback within 38 seconds to improve overall product quality. The contracts have helped Coherix double its sales during the past 12 months despite a softening automotive market.

“ShaPix metrology is a ‘disruptive’ technology that changes how auto manufacturers approach process control,” said Dwight Carlson, Coherix chairman and chief executive officer. “Instead of relying on statistical process control (SPC) data, absolute real-time process information is available within seconds to empower highly-trained operators.

“This technology tells, in real time, when manufacturing tools need to be changed. It also provides manufacturers with 100 percent traceability when it comes to warranty issues.”

With the ability to operate on the production line, rather than in an offline quality-control lab, ShaPix provides information on every single part produced. It tells manufacturers exactly when questionable parts were made, limiting the scope of potential recalls and reducing warranty costs.

“On the automotive side, 2007 was a tough year for many in the domestic automotive industry,” Carlson noted. “Despite economic headwinds, these contract wins from GM, Ford, Honda and Chrysler mean that we are well on track to meeting our business goals for 2008.

“Coherix technology provides manufacturers with the ability to capture information in picture form to make process performance visible. Pictures are a universal language that requires no translation or interpretation,” Carlson concluded.

A privately-held supplier of high-tech optical-based measurement and inspection products for the automotive and semiconductor industries, the Michigan-based company recently helped found the Powertrain Engineering & Manufacturing Alliance (PEMAlliance) which is conducting a three-year, $12-million research program to develop advanced 3-D digital, high-definition holographic imaging and inspection systems to improve the quality of automotive engine and powertrain components.

Coherix supplies high-definition measurement products to assist customers in the semiconductor and automotive industries in the management of precision manufacturing processes. “Where a micron matters,” Coherix’s ShaPix® and I-Cite® products are in operation around the world for companies such as GM, Ford, Chrysler, Bosch and TRW, as well as with multiple semiconductor manufacturers. More information is available at www.coherix.com.