Keywords
Citation
(2003), "Lead-free assemblies present no problems for automatic optical inspection", Circuit World, Vol. 29 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.2003.21729cab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Lead-free assemblies present no problems for automatic optical inspection
Lead-free assemblies present no problems for automatic optical inspection
Keywords: National Physical Laboratory, Inspection, Assembly
The National Physical Laboratory has just completed a comprehensive benchmarking of six automatic optical inspection (AOI) systems using lead-free assemblies. This work has clearly shown that the current AOI systems are just as capable of inspecting lead-free assemblies as they are for SnPb assemblies.
Some potential users of AOI systems had expressed concerns that the change in reflectivity experienced with lead-free joints could be an issue. In the NPL-industry collaborative study, a comparison has been undertaken of the ability of six commercial systems to detect known defects in solder joints on specially prepared assemblies.
The NPL's results clearly showed that all the systems in this study proved capable of inspecting lead-free assemblies with the same algorithms as used for the inspection of SnPb assemblies. Indeed the results achieved with lead-free assemblies were very similar or better than those for SnPb assemblies, measured in a previous AOI benchmarking project.
The future looks good for AOI and lead-free. Potential users can now approach system acquisition with increased confidence, knowing that when their production lines change over to lead-free, their automatic inspection equipment should cause no problems beyond a little programming.
Participants included Agilent Technologies, DiagnoSYS Ltd, Machine Vision Products, Teradyne, Viscom and ViTechnology. NPL would like to acknowledge their thanks for their practical contributions to this project.
For more information contact: Dr Chris Hunt, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex TWI 10LW. Tel: +44(0)20 8943 6065; Fax: +44(0)20 8614 0429; E-mail: chris.hunt@npl.co.uk