Product category:
Electronics Manufacturing Quality Assurance
News Release from: Contax | Subject: Omron VT-RBT
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 12 October 2004
Optical inspection system aids PSU
quality drive
Lambda UK has purchased a new inline optical inspection system from Contax, UK's leading independent supplier of automation production equipment.
Lambda UK has purchased a new inline optical inspection system from Contax, UK's leading independent supplier of automation production equipment Lambda UK has selected an Omron VT-RBT system to verify the quality of PCB manufacture and identify any production problems
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 14 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Overmoulding protects cables and assemblies
The Werner Wirth overmoulding machine operates with both cable preparation and PCB assembly equipment, moulding strain reliefs, connector shells and grommets onto electrical cables.
Automatic crimper handles ultrafine wires
The Komax Gamma 255 is a fully automatic crimping machine for top-quality processing of ultrafine wires.
Furthermore, it has purchased Rommel input and output conveyors from Contax to complete the line.
Lambda UK uses the PCBs in power supplies, and so quality is paramount.
Explained Peter Wainwright, Manufacturing Engineer at Lambda: "We wanted to improve the quality of wave soldered boards by closer inspection of the solder joints".
Further reading
Crimper suits flexible production schedules
The Komax Zeta 633 fully automatic crimping machine is ideal for the just-in-time production of individual conductors and offers a virtually limitless number of possible processes.
Oven is ideal for lead-free processing
The Essemtec RO300FC is a new full convection reflow oven for high-temperature soldering of sensitive electronics, and is an ideal solution for lead free soldering.
Automatic crimping adds value for Irish CEM
Elite Electronics, Northern Ireland's leading contract electronics manufacturer has purchased the new Komax Gamma 333PC, a fully automatic crimping machine from Contax.
"Previously we had used a visual mask, which was a manual system to identify errors but this was not accurate enough and also time consuming".
"We have been working with Contax for around 10 years now and have always found them to be reliable and knowledgeable".
"When we wanted to upgrade our quality inspection, we looked to them, along with other suppliers, for a solution to the inspection problems".
"As part of our evaluation, we looked at two AOI (automatic optical inspection) systems and ran them side by side for 4 weeks".
"We set up boards with faults and kept running the machines to see which one picked them up".
"The Omron was easily the best solution".
"It was more robust and gave us consistent, accurate results".
The Omron VT-RBT is programmed to review each solder joint.
The patented colour highlight system uses a series of light sources to project onto the PCB from different angles.
The image is captured as the colours reflect off the board's surface to produce 3D information from a 2D image.
This level of inspection can detect minute solder joint flaws as well as missing or misplaced components, polarity, lifted leads and all the usual component defects.
Using the colour extraction system, the operator can adjust tolerances and settings ranges in the inspection criteria using the MS Windows interface, so simplifying and speeding up setup and programming.
The user can also adjust tolerances while viewing the systems on screen.
Continued Peter Wainwright: "Detecting faults early is essential for successful production".
"We call this our 10 times rule".
"If you find a fault at this early stage it's relatively inexpensive to fix - it's not a problem".
"If it goes to test then the problem grows by a factor of 10; and if it remains undetected and goes to the customer then the problem increases 10 fold again".
"Not only does the Omron system pinpoint these errors but it enables us to identify trends and improve the level of quality".
The Omron VT-RBT also provides considerable time savings, with inspection time more than halved.
Previously, Lambda UK could only inspect around 300-400 boards per day.
Following the installation of the Omron VT-RBT, Lambda UK is now inspecting more than double that number with around 800-1000 boards tested each day, with each one taking an average of 45s.
Added Wainwright: "Furthermore, by using AOI our customers are reassured that the boards are going to be faultless".
"We are very pleased with the Omron system supplied by Contax".
"We came to them with a problem and after some initial teething problems, the new system has dramatically improved the quality of our boards, and furthermore it has saved us considerable time and effort in testing".
• Contax: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
