Systematic PCB Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) Testing Services

A printed circuit board undergoes inspection post manufacturing. Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) is one such inspection process carried out to ensure proper assembly of a PCB. This inspection technique is mostly used in manufacture and test phase of printed circuit boards (PCBs). With the help of AOI, the process of inspection can be accelerated. Fast and precise inspection is the salient feature of the automatic optical inspection technique. This inspection process helps ensure high quality PCBs and other electronic assemblies as they leave the production line. It makes sure that the PCB is free from any manufacturing faults. Thus, most manufacturers have started implementing AOI in their production lines. Rigiflex is one of the leading manufacturers and providers of quality printed circuit boards of different capabilities. We conduct automatic optical inspection services to turnkey PCB assemblies.

Automated Optical Inspection Process at Rigiflex

We make use of advanced equipment to carry out automatic optical inspection. The inspection system at Rigiflex features several cameras, which can click high resolution images of the PCB under inspection. These images are then compared with a reference board to identify errors in the circuit board under test. There can be several errors, out of which the following are identified by the AOI system.

• The system checks whether any components are placed like a tombstone. This is termed as tombstoning.
• Wrong components on the circuit board can be identified with the help of automatic optical inspection technique. Also, the inspection method is of great help in identifying wrong text on chips.
• AOI inspects the board for any wrong color shades.
• The AOI system helps us ensure that no component is twisted or turned on the printed circuit board.

Techniques Used in Automatic Optical Inspection

There are different types of techniques used in the automatic optical inspection. These techniques play a vital role in identifying whether the circuit board is with or without any errors or defects. These techniques are as follows:

• Blob Analysis: In this type of automatic optical inspection technique, the object is parted from the background. After this, a blob is created by grouping objects following a a pixel-based image. This helps inspect and identify defects in the object.
• Pattern Matching: Pattern matching is the AOI technique in which information regarding good, as well as bad PCB assembly is stored in the AOI system. The obtained images are matched to the information stored.
• Template Matching: In this technique, a small template is used for a large inspection image. This is done through a template window, which is sliding. Then the calculation of normalized cross correlation (NCC) is done between inspection image and template. As the value of NCC goes on increasing, the higher is the matching achieved.

At Rigiflex, we have a team of professionals with a great experience in the field of designing and manufacturing of printed circuit boards of various specifications. The vast experience allows us to identify the exact requirements of our clients in no time. We are very particular, when it comes to deliver high-quality PCBs. We are operational for more than 30 years now, and this has only made us stronger every year, as far as our products and services are concerned. Automated optical inspection is one such quality service that we provide after PCB manufacturing is done. Would you like to know more about the AOI or other testing and inspection services provided by us? If so, then please get in touch with our professionals today. You can give us a call on (714) 688-1500, or mail us your queries or requirements at pcboards@rigiflex.com.

Related PCB Testing and Inspection Types:

• X- Ray Inspection
• Flying Probe Testing
• In-circuit Testing (ICT)
• Functional Testing