MERLIC 26.03: From Machine Vision Software to a Scalable Vision Framework

As manufacturers face growing product variation, tighter quality requirements, and persistent labor shortages, machine vision is becoming a core enabler of efficient and scalable production. With MERLIC 26.03, released on March 26, 2026, MVTec Software GmbH underscores how far its software has evolved: MERLIC is no longer just a machine vision software. It now serves as a comprehensive framework for building, deploying, and scaling machine vision solutions.

The latest version combines powerful machine vision and AI-based methods with broader application support. That includes easier integration into production environments, improved workflow stability, and features that support traceability in regulated industries. The result is a platform that helps manufacturers move from isolated vision tasks to robust, production-ready machine vision systems.

“At many companies, machine vision is moving from a niche technology to a strategic part of production,” says Heiko Eisele, President of MVTec LLC from MVTec. “What matters now is not only performance, but also how easily a vision system can be integrated, scaled, and maintained in real industrial environments. With MERLIC 26.03, we are addressing exactly that need.” This positioning will also be a focus of MVTec’s presence at Automate 2026 in Chicago, where the company will present its machine vision portfolio from June 22 to 25 at Booth #618.

Expanding the Reach of Machine Vision with High-Performance Methods

MERLIC remains, at its core, a standard software product for machine vision. It provides a broad range of methods for tasks such as code reading, character recognition, quality inspection, and robot guidance. Users can choose from both rule-based tools and AI-supported approaches, depending on the application requirements.

At the same time, MERLIC is designed to lower the barrier to entry. Its graphical user interface allows users to create complete vision applications with a drag-and-drop workflow. Instead of programming algorithms step by step, users build applications by combining and configuring standardized tools. This makes the software accessible not only to experienced vision specialists, but also to users who want to deploy machine vision faster and with less implementation effort. Another key advantage is the unified environment. Image acquisition, image processing and analysis, communication interfaces, and result visualization are all brought together within one software platform. Because MERLIC supports common industrial standards and a wide range of hardware, manufacturers can develop and operate applications without having to switch between multiple systems.

Going Beyond Vision: Connectivity, Stability, and Traceability

What increasingly sets MERLIC apart is that it supports more than the machine vision step alone. The software is built to strengthen the overall application around the vision task.

One important area is connectivity. Through a range of plug-ins, MERLIC can be embedded quickly and seamlessly into existing or new production environments. Available integrations include programmable logic controllers from major manufacturers such as Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Beckhoff and Schneider Electric, along with support for additional vendors. This simplifies deployment and reduces the need for in-house programming expertise. MERLIC is also aimed at improving process reliability. In high-speed production lines, for example, image acquisition errors can occur when trigger signals are missed or images are discarded. The enhanced error detection in the Image Source Manager documents missed trigger events, identifies discarded images, and detects device connection interruptions. This gives users greater transparency into the acquisition process and helps them stabilize the overall workflow before minor issues turn into production problems. For regulated industries and quality-critical processes, traceability is another growing requirement. In MERLIC 26.03, the new Frontend Observability feature supports audit trail workflows by making user interactions easier to capture and document. Through an open interface, activities such as parameter changes and user logins can be transferred automatically to existing observability or audit systems. That gives manufacturers a practical way to support compliance and quality assurance requirements without adding unnecessary complexity to their machine vision setup.

“Manufacturers do not want isolated tools anymore. They want solutions that fit into their automation strategy and support reliable operations over time,” Eisele says. “That is why we continue to develop MERLIC as a framework approach. It helps customers standardize machine vision across applications while staying flexible enough to adapt to new requirements.”

A Framework Approach for Scalable Industrial Use

MVTec is responding to increasingly complex production requirements by developing MERLIC into a software framework rather than positioning it only as a standalone vision package. That framework approach supports faster development cycles, shorter time to market, and greater application stability. It also creates the basis for scalable standard solutions that can grow with operational demands. For manufacturers, that has direct business value. A framework-based approach can reduce maintenance effort, lower training requirements, and help bring down total cost of ownership over time. In other words, MERLIC 26.03 is designed not only to solve vision tasks, but to support the broader industrialization of machine vision across the factory floor.

At Automate 2026, MVTec plans to show how this broader approach translates into practical automation value. The company’s event page states that visitors at Booth #618 will be able to explore how machine vision software enables efficient, flexible, and future-proof automation solutions.

About MVTec Software GmbH

MVTec is a leading manufacturer of standard software for machine vision. MVTec products are used in a wide range of industries, such as semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, battery production, agriculture and food, as well as logistics. They enable applications like surface inspection, optical quality control, robot guidance, identification, measurement, classification, and more. By providing modern technologies such as 3D vision, deep learning, and embedded vision, software by MVTec also enables new automation solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things aka Industry 4.0. With locations in Germany, the USA, France, Benelux, Spain, China, Taiwan and South Korea as well as an established network of international distributors, MVTec is represented in more than 35 countries worldwide. www.mvtec.com  

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