
Figure 23. Photograph and graphic representation of SMT joint made with lead-free (left) and lead-based (right) sol‐
der
8. Detailed analysis of AOI systems
As can be seen in the previous section, AOI machines handle several tasks. Much literature is
dedicated to the intelligence of these systems, but from a technical point of view we can also
examine other aspects. A large number of these AOIs work on high-mix-high-volume SMT
lines where the most important key factors are the inspection duration and quality. The
attributes of this system relate to the following sections:
1. actuating parts (drives and axes)
2. image acquisition system (sensors, optics, illumination)
3. software processing part
They work in close relationship to each other, so the speed of each has to be in sync. There are
three well-defined mechanical constructions for an AOI system:
• without special moving parts / drives inside
• with PWB positioning table
• with camera-module actuating unit
The simplest case is when the working-process of the system does not include special posi‐
tioning steps. The PWB is positioned/placed in “one step” into the field of camera system, an
image is acquired and the PWB is then taken out for the next process. This could be of great
benefit because the machine does not need to synchronize any movements during the image
acquisition process. The speed affecting factor can thus be ignored. This is used typically in
Automatic Final Inspection (AFI) systems. This does not mean that the system has to only
contain one camera. For more complex applications the number of cameras can be increased.
More cameras mean more complex image transformation and manipulation tasks so it follows
that these systems are only capable of use when looking at pre-defined areas.
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