Digital Industrial cameras

Management is protecting Basler from the volatility experienced by providers of machine vision systems by focusing on its camera business, which accounted for 94% of H112 revenues. The remaining 6% is from sales of spares and service to longstanding LCD inspection system customers, which is a predictable revenue stream. The cameras are used in a wide range of applications including manufacturing, medical diagnostics, traffic management systems and video surveillance, giving a diversified customer base. Management intends to become the dominant provider of digital industrial cameras by 2017, generating an estimated €100m annually. This will be achieved by expanding further into the entry-level segment, offering cameras with easy integration, compact size and a strong price/performance ratio (which helps maintain margins). Total H112 revenues declined by 10% to €25.2m because of the planned withdrawal from sales of new machine vision equipment, but camera sales rose to a new high, boosted by the “ace” range of entry-level area scan cameras. Management expects further growth in camera sales in H212 following the launch of sales of its “racer” range of line-scan cameras, driving total revenue growth in future years.