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New Products
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
Optical Inspection
The Optima 7300 post-reflow automated inspection system reportedly inspects high-density boards while matching the line-beat rate. For example, on a typical PC motherboard, the machine is said to inspect up to 250 units per hour, including handling and diagnosis. It focuses on post-reflow inspection, which reportedly is a good location to validate solder joint integrity and pre-screen boards before electrical test. The machine uses a patented configuration of vertical and angled cameras with a structured illumination system via a proprietary LED lighting system. Teradyne Inc., North Reading, Mass.
Code Reader
The Quadrus 3.0 is a fully integrated 2-D code reader that is designed to help electronics manufacturers integrate Data Matrix into their tracking systems. The machine features auto-calibration, which provides a "one-click" setup for most symbols. By using a single setting, the reader is said to be capable of reading high-contrast printed black-on-white symbols as well as low-contrast laser-etched symbols. Microscan Systems Inc., Renton, Wash.
Inspection Camera
The Mega-pixel camera reportedly has been incorporated into this company's line of high-performance AOI systems for PCB inspection. This technology reportedly speeds up inspection by increasing the resolution to 1,300 x 1,024 pixels, which is said to reduce analysis times. The higher pixel count also can be used to increase image resolution, thereby offering high defect recognition reliability, even in the fine-pitch range. Viscom USA, Atlanta, Ga.
Solder Paste Inspection
LSM 300 is a 3-D solder paste inspection system that features automatic height adjustment. With one click on the AutoMeasure icon, image-analysis software locates the laser stripe and reports paste height. Even inexperienced operators reportedly can take precise, repeatable measurements with 0.00015" (3.8 µm) height resolution. Measurement repeatability for this product is said to be up to five times better than manual systems that require subjective adjustments. It is used off-line for checking wet solder paste on freshly printed PCBs to confirm printing quality. CyberOptics Corp., Minneapolis, Minn.
ADHESIVES/EPOXIES
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Thermally Conductive Epoxy
3861 is a heat-curable potting material that is said to offer low thermal expansion, wetting and flow capabilities, thermal shock resistance, high heat transfer capabilities, and electrical properties. When fully cured, this potting material reportedly is resistant to weather, water, gases and vapors, petroleum lubricants, and many mild acids and alkalis, making it suitable for harsh end-use applications such as automotive environments. It is said to cure in 2 hours at 100°C, or in 1 hour at 180°C. Loctite Corp., Rocky Hill, Conn.
Optical Adhesive
The polymer system EP39-2 is a low-viscosity transparent adhesive, sealant and coating that is said to feature rapid room-temperature curing and chemical resistance. Films as thin as 0.005" reportedly will become tack-free in 3 hours at room temperatures. The adhesive is said to bond to various substrates, including glass, metals and plastics. The service-temperature range is from -60° to 300°F. Other salient features are said to include abrasion resistance and chemical resistance to a variety of acids, bases and solvents. Master Bond Inc., Hackensack, N.J.
COATINGS/ENCAPSULANTS
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Polymer Coating
HumiShield is a polymer coating that can be applied to numerous substrates. Its formulation reportedly turns practically any material into solderable and electronically conductive substrate. Its qualities also make it possible to protect metals from corrosion. The formulation reportedly contains a metallic component that has a magnetic and electronic conductivity that transforms the coated substrate into an EMI/RFI shield. It can be applied to materials as diverse as metal, ceramic, glass, paper and most plastics. HumiSeal, a Div. of Chase Corp., Woodside, N.Y.
CONTRACT SERVICES
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Prototyping Service
This company now offers a prototyping service for plugging high-density multilayer PCBs that use micro-via technology. The technology is said to eliminate the need for through-hole plating and reportedly results in highly miniaturized PCBs with blind, buried and through-hole vias. Reportedly, it is suitable for producing compact electronic systems and equipment, such as cellular communication devices, telecommunications devices, consumer electronics, pagers, automotive electronics, PCs, computer peripheral equipment and add-on boards. Methode Development Co., a Subsidiary of Methode Electronics Inc., Chicago, Ill.
ID/LABELING
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Laser-marking System
LightWriter F10 is said to be a compact fiber laser system suitable for marking semiconductor packages and other small plastic devices. Featuring a proprietary scan head with a "zero-maintenance" 10 W fiber laser, its size reportedly makes it a suitable choice for integration into parts handlers. The basic platform can be configured with standard choices, such as a power-distribution box, system software packages, a choice of scan lenses, a computer and I/O cards. GSI Lumonics Inc., Kanata, Ontario, Canada.
Automatic Identification Tools
The Visionscape 2640 vision processor board is for electronics manufacturing and tracking. It is a complete vision system in a single PCI slot that reportedly allows inspection and identification tasks to be run independent of the host PC. Processing flexibility is said to be provided through the ability to run up to four independent channels that support a variety of camera features and video formats, including a broad set of high-resolution configurations. Robotic Vision Systems Inc. (RVSI) Acuity CiMatrix, Canton, Mass.
Turnkey Laser Marking
The ILS Sealed CO2 laser-marking system is a turnkey high-speed system for both OEM customers and end users. It is said to offer laser engraving and marking for both stationary objects and moving targets. The system reportedly produces legible marks without inks, engineering, retooling and design, or downtime. The laser mark is said to be permanent without fading, peeling or smearing. Software enables users to mark or engrave alphanumeric characters, serial numbers, logos, bar codes, photos, text and dates. Industrial Laser Source, Hopedale, Mass.
Industrial Labeling Systems
This line of industrial labeling systems for the electronics manufacturing industry is designed to address difficult labeling applications where conventional paper labels cannot be used. The PT-1300, PT-9400 and PT-9200 PC reportedly produce labels using the company's P-touch adhesive-backed laminated labeling technology, which is said to seal the transfer ink between two layers of polyethylene. This reportedly results in a label that is resistant to extreme temperatures, moisture, chemicals, abrasion and fading. Brother International Corp., Bridgewater, N.J.
Printers
This family of thermal-transfer printers is said to have more ease-of-use features, faster throughput and minimal label waste. The line includes the BP3481, with a print resolution of 300 dpi, and the BP2461, with 200 dpi resolution. Features reportedly include an LCD display, increased RAM and flash memory. The printers also have a modular design that allows the end user to upgrade or service the machines, making them "field-installable." Reportedly, it is easy for operators to install and execute upgrades. Brady Worldwide Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.
Thermal Transfer Printer
The A8 thermal transfer label printer features 203 dpi print resolution running at 5" (125 mm) per second with an 8.5" (216 mm) print width. It comes standard with an internal rewind as well as a high-speed 32-bit processor with 4 MB of RAM. The printer is said to feature three printer-resident scaleable typefaces, I-Mark sensing and a back-lit LCD display. Ball-bearing drive trains and high-duty cycle performance reportedly provide rugged performance and excellent print quality on standard paper labels, as well as synthetic materials. Tharo Systems Inc., Brunswick, Ohio.
INSPECTION EQUIPMENT
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Flux Inspection
FX-10 measures location, height and volume of solder flux deposits. Traditionally, flux is a component of solder paste and has not been applied by itself. However, with the development of BGA, CSP and flip chip components, flux is applied alone. Using the company's UV fluorescence intensity mapping, off-the-shelf fluxes are exposed to proprietary illumination and an optical system, which causes the flux to fluoresce proportional to its volume. MV Technology Ltd., Dublin, Ireland.
Benchtop AOI System
This off-line benchtop AOI system is for populated PCB inspection. Vu-Point is said to compare a "golden image" and a board under test using advanced digital-scanning techniques that facilitate a technician's ability to highlight defects. The operator is able to toggle between images and zoom in for closer inspection. A history of each board with associated defects is automatically kept and can be evaluated for future manufacturing defects. The images can be printed to accompany the board; stored to disk, CD or ZIP drive; or sent by e-mail. DiagnoSYS Systems Inc., Kissimmee, Fla.
X-ray Inspection Systems
The AXI in-line X-ray inspection system and the BGA Buster 2000 check BGA and DCA components on PCBs, including missing balls, shorts, opens, misalignments, and incorrect ball size and shape. Additionally, the systems are said to verify chip packaging interconnects, ultra-fine-pitch components and TAB production testing. The AXI system reportedly performs real-time automated BGA and solder inspection for fine-pitch leaded devices. The BGA Buster can be used for sample lot testing and full production run verification. CR Technology, Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Coating/Thickness Measurement
The Fischerscope X-ray XDVM-W is designed to measure the coating thickness and alloy composition of virtually any metal-coating system, including single, binary and ternary alloy coatings, double coatings, double coatings with one alloy layer and triple coatings. It reportedly is suitable for high-volume coating thickness measurements on screws, connector contacts, contact strips and PCBs. The system is said to measure according to ASTM B568, DIN 50987 and ISO 3497. Fischer Technology Inc., Windsor, Conn.
Semiautomated Inspection
The VuPoint inspection station is designed for facilities that are ready to move beyond manual inspection but are not ready to deal with complicated software and programming issues. Offering digital scanning, advanced image processing and software, the system operates by comparing the board under inspection against a previously scanned golden board. The automatic fiducial finder aligns the inspected image with the gold image. Identified faults are said to be broken down by component and fault types in a summary report. Manncorp, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
Portable X-ray Source
PXS5-926EA is a constant-duty, microfocus portable X-ray source. Said to have less than a 5 µm spot size and short target-to-window spacing of 8.5 mm, the unit reportedly can resolve image features smaller than 2 µm. The 90 kV system is suitable for applications in testing, microelectronics and PCB assembly inspection, as well as electronic failure analysis. This fully integrated, compact unit has a sealed X-ray tube and high-voltage power supply in 11.5 x 4 x 3". Kevex X-Ray Inc., Scotts Valley, Calif.
Software Library
This new version of the MVTools software library is said to be the a complete C/C++ library of grayscale machine-vision tools. This version works with any vendor's frame grabber that supports eight- or 16-bit data transfers to system memory. Designed for speed and precision, the software reportedly offers OEMs and systems integrators a library of vision-development tools that combines sub-pixel accuracy with ease of use. The library features SmART Search, a pattern-locating tool that reportedly adapts to a wide variety of process variations while providing highly accurate search results. Imaging Technology Inc. (ITI), Bedford, Mass.
Measuring to Vision
The Quick Vision Probe (QVP) is de-signed for use on coordinate measuring machines. It is said to turn a CNC CMM into a high-capability, non-contact vision machine. It reportedly operates like other CMM probes and canbe mounted on an auto-probe change system. The probe uses a white LED illumination system said to be capable of almost infinite brightness and angle variability, and includes coaxial and oblique illumination capabilities. Magnifications available are 1X, 3X, 5X and 10X, and repeatability is ±1 µm. Mitutoyo America Corp., Aurora, Ill.
AOI System
The redesigned and re-engineered 1820 AutoInspector Ultra is said to increase inspection time at a rate two times faster than the previous generation of inspection equipment. Other additions to the new system include a high-precision linear stage, a more powerful front-end computer, and broader inspection capabilities with color and flux inspection as an option. The included software has a graphical user interface, and offers enhanced functionality, including a new feature that allows graphical editing on the database screen. Machine Vision Products (MVP), Carlsbad, Calif.
PICK-AND-PLACE
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Component Handling
The MP100, which is designed to handle small-form-factor packages via bulk input, tests, inspects and puts packages into tape at throughputs that are said to reach 5,000 parts per hour. The bulk-input functionality of this system uses a vibratory-bowl technology in which specially designed bowls are engineered to maximize input speed and ensure proper feeding and orientation, regardless of component size. The system is said to support a range of packages. Ismeca USA Inc., Vista, Calif.
Component Placement
The SIPLACE S25 HM SMT component placement machine reportedly has a rated placement speed of 25,000 components per hour. It is said to place components with an accuracy level of ±90 µm at 4 ∑ in a length of less than 5.5" and an overall footprint of less than 4 sq. meters. Cycle time per component, whether 0201 chips or 18.7 mm2 fine-pitch components, reportedly is 140 milliseconds. A lightweight and torsion-free gantry and three-phase current drive enable good acceleration. Two revolver heads travel on separate gantries to pick up components independently from tape or bulk case feeders. Siemens Energy & Automation Inc., Alpharetta, Ga.
Bulk Feeders
These new bulk cassette feeders present small components, including 0402s, 0603s and 0805s, reportedly with precision. The feeders also require little operator assistance to replenish supply and enable manufacturers to take advantage of cassette component packaging. They are compatible with the company's placement systems, accept Murata Erie cassettes and latch into the company's tape-feeder base. Each bulk feeder obtains electrical power for its self-contained control electronics from the feeder base. Quad Systems Corp., Willow Grove, Pa.
Quick-batch Feeder Carts
The Intelliplacer 16 combines an "intelligent feeder system" with up to 144 feeder capacity and quick-batch changeover feeder carts. It reportedly can place a range of components, from 0402 chips to 52 mm QFPs, BGAs, flip chips, odd-form and others. The vision camera system is mounted on the turret head, which is said to reduce head movement and increase production rates. Throughput reportedly has been increased with the adoption of high-speed linear drives on both the X and Y axis. Its Windows NT operating system is said to improve simultaneous control and axis overlap. MultiTroniks, Warren, N.J.
Placement Machines
The 2000 Series placement machines are said to combine the speed of a chipshooter with the flexibility of a fine-pitch assembler. The series is designed around four modular machines that are said to offer a variation in modular capabilities. Features include the company's latest technology in automated assembly equipment, such as the new Multi Nozzle Laser Align for precision in flight, non-contact alignment of four parts simultaneously using a single laser unit. The series also includes high-precision feeder trolleys and line-balancing software. Juki Automation Systems Inc., Morrisville, N.C.
Rotary Placement Machine
The MSR Super Rotary is a high-speed rotary, multifunctional placement machine. It uses a six-nozzle, 16-head rotary system and an X-Y table that moves ±12 mm to reportedly offer component placement at speeds up to 0.08 seconds per piece. The nozzles are said to offer the versatility to place components from 0603 to 32 mm QFPs, CSPs and BGAs, as well as the flexibility to meet the demands of future component types. It uses a rotary magnet feed system with a permanent magnet to individually rotate feed components into the alignment slot. Panasonic Factory Automation Co., Franklin Park, Ill.
FEATURE PRODUCTS
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Machine-vision System
The CV-500 Series machine-vision system has a built-in monitor and controller. It is designed to shorten setup time by reducing complex functions to simple commands with context-sensitive, pull-down menus. The system includes an integrated "one-touch" controller and a camera that measures 1.2" square. Additional features are said to include 24.5 million subpixel processing; measurement of OD, ID, pitch, gap and more; and adjustable target-angle compensation to correct for target position variations. A "Normalized Correlation" function reportedly uses built-in digital image processing images to maintain stable image detection even when the illumination is reduced. Keyence Corp. of America, Woodcliff Lake, N.J.
X-ray QA
The NXR-1510 X-ray inspection/quality assurance test system reportedly offers three axes of rotation through 360°, the ability to handle boards up to 18 x 24", a high-resolution 100 kV X-ray source and 65X image magnification. Its image analysis tools are said to provide enhanced measurement capabilities, including drill offset, diameter, moment ratio (melting of solder), elliptical pattern, solder density ranges, threshold library, percent voiding, auto-void count, die-attach voiding and wire sweep. Nicolet Imaging Systems, San Diego, Calif.