There are a number of processes and steps involved in the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing process. Out of these several steps, the inspection stage of the manufacturing process is very important and crucial. One cannot afford to ship a manufactured PCB without proper inspection and testing. PCB inspection is carried out immediately after a circuit board is being manufactured. This helps identify the faults in the circuit board at an early stage. Be it a high volume manufacturing or low volume, inspection needs to be carried out for every single PCB after it has been manufactured. Nowadays, the complexity of the printed circuit boards has increased. This complexity increases the chances of errors on the circuit boards. This has made the inspection very essential. There are a number of firms in the US that provide PCB inspection as a service. However, Rigiflex stands tall among them all for its excellent capabilities. Read on to know our PCB inspection capabilities.
Different PCB Inspection Capabilities of Rigiflex
To manufacture PCBs that are free from any errors, different inspection techniques are performed. If the manufacturing defects are identified at an early stage, then it becomes easy to rectify them and produce an error-free circuit board. There two main types of inspection techniques that we provide.
X- ray Inspection (3D and 2D) – An all-inclusive information of a printed circuit board’s structural constitution can be obtained using the X-ray inspection technique. It is a non-interfering technique, and is generally performed on QFN components, BGAs, and micro BGAs, as well as on raw printed circuit boards.
What Can We Provide You under X-ray Inspection Service?
There are 2 types of X-ray inspection methods that are carried out at our facility. These two methods are:
- 2D Transmission X-ray – Single sided PCB assemblies require a very high level of reliability. This can be achieved with the help of 2D transmission X-ray method. The state-of-the-art image processing software that we use enables us to differentiate components, automate inspection, as well as identify soldering defects easily.
- 3D X-ray – Complex double sided printed circuit boards require 3D X-ray inspection technique. To carry out an effective 3D X-ray inspection process, it requires two requisites – an X-ray source, and a detector. By implementing this inspection method, we can focus on various areas in a PCB, as well as specific components. This doesn’t affects the inspection time.
The X-ray inspection technique is used in finding component defects, BGA and CSP defects, as well as soldering defects.
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) – Do you want to ensure whether the PCB assembly is proper or not? Then, automated optical inspection is the right type of inspection method for you. This inspection method is a fast and accurate process. This helps accelerate the entire process of inspection.
What Can We Provide You under AOI Service?
We implement different techniques in the AOI process. These techniques are as explained below:
- Template Matching – As the name suggests, a small area is used as a template during the inspection.
- Pattern Matching – The information about a good PCB assembly or a bad one is stored in the automated optical inspection system. The images that are obtained are then matched with the stored information about the assembly.
- Blob Analysis – In this AOI technique, the object is separated from the background. A blob is created, which helps identify the defects in the object.
These were the PCB inspection capabilities of Rigiflex. Our vast experience makes us knowledgeable and skilled in providing these inspection services.
