 |
THERMAL IMAGING PRODUCTS
ThermoScreen
Micro
EL
Introduction
Overview
 Applications
How
It Works
Example
Defects
Short
Detection
Model
Board Comparison
EL
Software
System Components
Specifications
download brochure
 sales@optotherm.com
|
|
|
 EL Infrared Circuit Board
Inspection System
Applications
Scrap
Recovery
EL is
frequently used for the reclamation of PCBA bone piles. Because the
value of bone piles can be in the millions of dollars, their recovery
brings immediate and substantial financial benefits. EL typically
enables OEMs and contract manufacturers to salvage over 50% of their bone piles.
In such cases, the payback period can be as short as two to three months.
Rework
A great deal of time is spent debugging boards that
have been kicked off the manufacturing line. Technicians use results from
ICT, FCT, and other equipment to identify defects, often with little or no
success. The composition of defects at this point in the manufacturing
process is much different than at the end of the manufacturing line.
At this stage, the majority of defects are often caused by power-to-ground
shorts and bad components. EL has typically demonstrated a detection rate
of over 75% when testing boards with such defects.
When used as
the first screen of defective boards, EL can quickly provide useful
troubleshooting information, dramatically reducing time to repair.
RMA Repair
Circuit boards that have been returned from the field
can present particular problems when troubleshooting. Many times
technicians have little or no idea where to begin in the failure analysis
process. EL can provide very helpful information, allowing technicians
to narrow down their search to a small region of the board containing only a
few suspect components.
In-line
screening
EL provides an additional level of screening on the
manufacturing line to identify defects that conventional test methods cannot
detect. Stressed components can pass ICT and FCT only to fail early in
the field and thus present reliability hazards. Many times, these
components run hotter than normal and can be identified by EL before they
leave the manufacturing plant. By using EL at the end of the
manufacturing line, many of these defects can be identified long before they
reach the scrap pile.
Functional Inspection
EL can be used to inspect boards for basic functionality. Although EL cannot
provide the same detailed level of functional verification as a functional
test, it can provide verification of basic board operation. Advantages of EL over
traditional functional testers include low cost and fast setup. No custom
hardware is required and tests can usually be setup in less than an hour.
EL is ideal when the high cost of a dedicated functional tester cannot be
justified.
Design Optimization
Because of increasing component placement density, as
well as an increase in component power density, thermal imaging
has become an important tool in the design process. EL aids board
layout designers by helping them obtain and analyze thermal profiles of
prototype boards and components. Thermal management problems can be
resolved in the design phase before production begins, minimizing the high
costs associated with troubleshooting and repair. Additionally, by
developing an historical database of board and component thermal profiles,
designers can incorporate the thermal behavior of boards and components much
earlier in the design process.
|
|
