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Automated optical inspection (AOI) is crucial during the manufacture and testing of electronic printed circuit boards. Small errors in each step of manufacturing may pile up into major flaws in the final product. AOI systems enable continuous contactless inspection of PCBs at each step, and filter out errors like wrong component placement, solder misses, solder shorts, etc, before these turn into expensive and time-consuming quality issues. In this article, we feature some of the latest AOI models launched in the country in the last one year.
As the demand for quality products gets stronger, the role of automated optical inspection (AOI) systems becomes crucial in the testing of electronic products. The AOI system can be placed in the production line immediately after the welding process, allowing it to work and detect faults early in the manufacturing process, thus ensuring low costs of production.
Problems during the soldering and assembly stages can also be easily detected and the information can be used for quick feedback in the early stages of production. Fast responses with the help of AOI systems ensure that faults are quickly corrected before too many boards with the same problem are built.
By Baishakhi Dutta
Some newly launched automated optical inspection systems
| Model: RV-2-3DH; Manufacturer: Juki Corporation; Launched in: December 2018 |
The 3D visual inspection machine called RV-2-3DH is a high-speed new model from Juki’s RV series. The RV-2-3DH is the company’s latest imaging system for inspecting PCBs during manufacturing, both before and after soldering. This new 3D SMD measurement system can eliminate defective SMD part mounting and soldering processes quickly and accurately, preventing the continued manufacture of a defective board. With the adoption of a 12 million-pixel high resolution camera, the FOV (freight on value) has increased from 30mm × 30mm to 48mm × 36mm, resulting in a 192 per cent increase in clarity compared to the previous model. The RV series, including the RV-2-3DH, is also being used for a variety of other measurement and visual inspection applications like automotive mechanical parts, medical devices, and odd-form electronic devices, in addition to the standard inspection of PCBs.Key features: - Advertisement -
Contact details: www.juki.co.jp/en/ |
| Model: Vario Line 3D; Manufacturer: GÖPEL electronic GmbH; Launched in: May 2018 |
The makers of the Vario Line have upgraded its fault detection capability using 3D measurement technology and 2D image capturing. Four angled-view cameras and the  additional rotary drive allow shadow-free inspection and measurement from 360 degrees. A new axis system based on linear actuators has also been integrated to provide dynamic features and high positioning speeds.
Key features:
Contact details: www.goepel.com |
| Model: VT-S530; Manufacturer: Omron Corporation; Launched in: November 2017 |
Omron has launched its latest 3D AOI system, the VT-S530, which provides good performance, a high first pass yield, zero escape and low false rejects, amongst other  advantages. Similar to the VT-S730, the VT-S530 series uses a combination of phase shift and Omron’s unique colour image processing technology called ‘colour highlight 3D shape reconstruction’ for enhanced inspection quality. It can be used on pre- or post-reflow inspection, single or dual lane. It is 01005 compliant and has the capability to inspect XL boards of 510mm x 680mm.
Key features:
Contact details: www.ia.omron.com |
| Model: FX-942UV; Manufacturer: Nordson; Launched in: November 2017 |
| The FX-942UV in-line dual-sided optical inspection system helps in automating the inspection process for quality, consistency and thickness of coatings under UV lighting with the use of proprietary inspection algorithms. The advanced multiple-camera imaging technology offers high-speed PCB inspection with  good defect coverage. With dual sided viewing cameras (one top-down, and four bottom up), four side viewing cameras and UV inspection, the FX-942 inspects conformal coatings and verifies correct part assembly in SMT applications, enabling users to improve quality. Advanced high power UV lighting and newly available image coverage inspection, colour inspection, normalised correlation and rule-based algorithms provide complete inspection coverage with a very low false failure rate.Key features:
Contact details: www.nordson.com |
| Model: Zenith LiTE; Manufacturer: Koh Young Technology; Launched in: November 2017 |
The Zenith LiTE AOI system provides full 3D inspection of components, patterns and even foreign materials on assembled PCBs. This latest system helps in detecting all kinds of  defects including missing components, offset, rotation, polarity, upside down, OCV/OCR, solder fillet, billboarding, lifted lead, lifted body, tombstone, bridging and more. The system has features like quantified inspection condition setting based on 3D measurement data, removal of uncertainties in process control by inspection result quantification, etc. It also has the facility of easy inspection condition setting and modifications based on quantified inspection results.
Key features:
Contact details: www.yohkoung.com |
| Model: X7056-II; Manufacturer: Viscom AG; Launched in: November 2017 |
Viscom has launched its latest automatic 3D X-ray inspection system, the X7056-II. This system helps in precise inspection of hidden solder joints and components in high-volume production. It is equipped with the xFastFlow transport module, which cuts PCB changing times. With this feature, up to three boards can be processed at the same time. The new handling design also means that significantly larger board sizes can be inspected and the scope of angled radiation is extended.
The X7056-II is also available as a 3D AXI/3D AOI combination. The X-ray and optical inspection run in parallel and are therefore time-optimised. PCBs shuttle quickly and nearly simultaneously between the two inspection sections. Key features:
Contact details: www.viscom.com |
| Model: ALD8700S; Manufacturer: ALeader; Launched in: November 2017 |
The ALD8700S is the newest ALeader post-reflow inline 3D AOI system equipped with an in-house developed four-directional phase-shifting digital projection system, which ensures large-range, accurate and precise 3D height measurement. At the same time, the system preserves a high quality 2D image for effective component marking and colour recognition. The ALD8700S is designed for industries like automotive, aerospace, medical, defence, etc. The PCB inspection and defect judgement is fully compatible with IPC-610 standards.
Key features:
Contact details: www.aleader-europe.com |
| Model: 4900; Manufacturer: BPM Microsystems; Launched in: November 2017 |
The 4900, with its advanced chip-scale part (CSP) device handling, on-the-fly vision alignment, and HS400 programming speeds, satisfies a vast range of programming needs in one automated system. Featuring laser marking and 3D inspection, the 4900 provides advanced serialisation and quality control, meeting the cyber security standards for automotive, aerospace, medical, industrial and mobile device industries. A new camera delivers vision alignment across the x, y, and z axes, to accurately align small devices while in motion. The new alignment and positioning capabilities of the 4900 allow it to operate at full speed when handling CSP devices.
Key features:
Contact details: www.bpmmicro.com |
| Model: YSi-V 12M; Manufacturer: Yamaha; Launched in: October 2017 |
Yamaha has announced the launch of its YSi-V 12M type HS2 high-end hybrid automated optical inspection (AOI) system. This model was developed to ensure faster processing through improved image-processing hardware and image-inspection algorithms. It delivers a significant speed increase of up to 40 per cent for PCBs with high component-mounting density, the company claims. New features include a high-precision mode, enabling the capture of clear 3D images. The high-precision 7-μm resolution camera includes an all-new dedicated 3D image-capture projector optical system, improving form reproducibility of extremely small-sized components, down to 008004 size, and increasing height measurement repeatability. In addition, the optimisation of image-capture parameters and the use of newly-developed algorithms have enabled inspection capacity and performance compatible with thin, highly-integrated wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) and fan-out wafer level packaging (FOWLP) components, the use of which has risen dramatically since last year.Key features:
Contact details: www.global.yamaha-motor.com |
| Model: ISO-Spector M1A; Manufacturer: Marantz Electronics Ltd; Launched in: February 2018 |
The ISO-Spector M1A has a massive field of view (FoV) of 69mm x 69mm (2.72” x 2.72”) and a 25 mega pixel camera with advanced lens optics. The new system is  programmer-independent and hence easy to use. The large FoV, combined with an industrial grade computer, ensures short cycle times even when fully utilised, including foreign material detection across the complete PCB area. The side cameras are designated to support solder joint inspection and other areas for inspection, which are not visible to the main camera.
Key features:
Contact details: www.marantz-electronics.com |
| Model: SQ3000-DD Manufacturer: CyberOptics; Launched in: August 2017 |
The SQ3000-DD 3D AOI dual lane, dual sensor system caters to varying PCB widths. It can inspect high volume assemblies, and is capable of inspecting different assemblies and board sizes simultaneously on different lanes, or even switch from dual lane to single lane mode  to inspect very large boards.
The SQ3000 3D CMM (coordinate measurement) system, powered by multi-reflection suppression (MRS) technology, uses CyberCMM, a software suitable for coordinate measurement. In a lab or production environment, the MRS-enabled SQ3000 CMM system is fast and accurate, with repeatable and reproducible measurements for metrology applications in the manufacture of a wide variety of products such as PCBs, semiconductors and consumer electronics. Key features:
Contact details: www.cyberoptics.com |
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