Contribution recognised

The UKIVA (UK Industrial Vision Association) and EMVA (European Machine Vision Association) have jointly recognised the contribution made to the vision industry by the late Don Braggins. They chose the occasion of the recent VISION Show in Stuttgart (D) to present Don’s widow, Anne, with a gift for her garden. The timing was particularly appropriate as Don had attended every VISION show up to and including 2009 and had been a regular member of the jury for the VISION Award.

Mark Williamson, Mrs Anne Braggins
and Patrick Schwarzkopf

UKIVA Chairman, Mark Williamson praised Don’s foresight in seeing the potential of industrial vision back in 1983 when he left Cambridge Instruments to set up his company, “Machine Vision Consultancy”. Mark said: “Don was absolutely passionate about the subject and resolute about promoting its capability and technologies throughout industry. It was no surprise that his company was one of the founder members of the UKIVA in 1992 and that he went on to champion the Association until 2009, before overseeing the transition to a special interest group of the PPMA. He probably did more for the vision industry than any other individual.”

Patrick Schwarzkopf, General Secretary of the EMVA, said: "I met Don around the year 2000 when he gave an inspiring talk about machine vision. I was completely new in the industry and Don already an icon. It was inspiring to see how brilliant a networker he was. He knew virtually everybody. That made him the ideal person to get the European Machine Vision Association started, and he did. From the beginning he was driving the idea forward and getting people on board. For six years he was a member of the Executive Committee and making sure the fledgling organisation would grow and progress fast”.

Thomas Walter of the Messe Stuttgart remembers Don “as a loyal companion, a friend, a mentor. As an industry guru, Don was always on hand to provide me with advice and support. For me, as a trade fair organiser, his ideas and thoughts were groundbreaking in the further development of the VISION trade fair. Don helped to carve out the path which VISION took to become a leading world trade fair.”