PCB assembly inspection and testing options
With the development of technology and the increasing complexity of PCBA, it is necessary to carefully consider the testing and inspection options for these boards. PCB is a critical component that is expected to function normally in various environments. Appropriate testing procedures and inspection measures are needed to maintain product quality and reliability.
Benefits of PCB inspection and testing
Having a trustworthy contract manufacturer is one of the most critical steps in successfully building circuit boards. The company is proud to provide customers with high-quality products. This is achieved through years of repetitive PCB assembly and manufacturing processes. We closely monitor preventive measures and pre construction steps, rather than identifying problems afterwards and repairing defects through rework. Our company's most experienced and commonly used inspection and testing methods include:
Visual inspection
Automatic optical detection
X-ray examination
First article inspection
Online testing
functional testing
Aging test
PCB has various shapes, sizes, and quality requirements. They can be rigid or flexible, can be single-sided, double-sided, multi-layer, and so on. The industry also uses three "categories" to classify PCBs and PCBAs. They are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, with Level 3 having the highest quality and requiring the most attention.
Printed Circuit Board Assembly
As category requirements increase, the complexity of inspection and testing methods also increases. PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly both require a unique set of inspection and testing methods to manufacture circuit boards according to specifications.
Visual inspection
The most basic form of inspection is visual inspection. This is accomplished by having technicians inspect circuit boards with gold plated plates, material lists, and printed materials. Then, a dedicated person will inspect whether there are any errors such as incorrect components, missing components, solder bridges, missing soldering, or fallen monument. The devices that can be used include magnifying glasses, high-power microscopes, and of course, good lighting equipment. Due to its high dependence on the operator, this method may be time-consuming for large and complex circuit boards. This is mainly completed in the end, but it is important to visually inspect the circuit board throughout the entire manufacturing process to verify the program and procedures. After SMT placement, inspection can reveal whether the placement machine has missed or mistakenly attached components or solder paste issues. The company uses high-power to provide our operators with multiple light sources and glare free lighting, in order to fully understand the PCBA being inspected. Each lens has an adjustable high magnification lens for viewing to minimize eye fatigue.
Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI)
AOI uses high-resolution cameras and software to capture manufacturing errors. This software essentially checks multiple images of the inspected circuit board against the "gold" circuit board images stored in its memory and marks the differences.
