Technical ، Quality Assurance

Technical Quality Assurance

PCB & SMT Quality assurance

PCB Quality Control Methods in our company

Visual – For low volume production runs, one effective form of inspection is for someone (often the person who performed the assembly) to simply look at it with their own eyes. This doesn’t just mean a quick glance; they must meticulously check each connection in a well-lit environment

Microscope – To put less of a strain on their eyes, inspectors can use handheld optical tools such as magnifying glasses or jeweler’s loupes to achieve enlarged views of the board’s components. For an even closer look, they can use USB microscopes that project PCB connections onto a large screen for detailed inspection

In Circuit Tests – This capacitance test encompasses two different methods of electronic inspection: bed of nails and fixtureless. Bed of nails testing contains a series of small spring-loaded pogo pins that press into various test points to measure resistance. Fixtureless or flying-probe testing sends machine-operated probes across the PCB to check test points at breakneck speeds

X-Rays – X-rays offer a non-invasive, though expensive, way to visually inspect for proper PCB assembly – the same way that one would compare to a photograph or microscopic image

Saws – Slicing through a PCB with a saw is destructive to the individual board, but can provide valuable insight into the bigger picture of the overall assembly process

Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) – AOI systems are available in cheap and commercial grades. Cheap AOI systems utilize inexpensive webcams in conjunction with Open Source Computer Vision (OpenCV) to compare webcam PCB images with those of a “perfect” board and identify incongruences or defects. Commercial AOI uses higher quality cameras and RBG LEDs to reflect light and check for connection faults and solder quality

Functional Testing – This testing method is essentially a full trial run of the PCB once it has been manufactured. Operators power on the PCB and program it to perform a series of self-tests

Inspection cameras – A preferred tool for PCB quality assurance, inspection cameras allow operators ergonomic viewings with the naked eye. These high-resolution camera images are projected onto computer screens and manipulated such that microscopic details can be inspected and easily shared with different departments for further review

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