Automated quality verification for high density electronic assemblies - QuaVe

Quality verification is a vital part of electronics manufacturing, allowing yields, product lifetimes and failure modes to be controlled. The most critical features are the thousands of solder joints on a typical assembly. However, as the sizes of components and solder joints shrink, verification of solder joint quality is becoming increasingly challenging. The major technology turned to by manufacturers, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) is the subject of widespread dissatisfaction centred on its poor performance, with unacceptably high false call rates, onerous programming, and lack of reference to standards. The A3Di machine works on a fundamentally different principle of 3D shape measurement, allowing circumvention of the technical problems with AOI. This project will develop the A3Di machine into an effective, high throughput and accurate production tool by formulating algorithms to classify solder joint quality, validated using the first ever database of acceptable solder joint 3D shapes. Such a tool has potential to gain large market share and dramatically improve electronics assembly process control, leading to significant reductions in scrap, rework, and returns.