Automatic Optical Inspection

All parts that are put through the solder paste surface mount process are put through AOI AOI checks placement accuracy, component presence, solder joint quality, looks for solder bridges and other defects AOI takes thousands of photographs at high speed, of small sections of the board, and analyses each image for possible deviations Data is stored in the AOI database against the PCB serial number. Boards that fail AOI are automatically segregated into a reject buffer Boards that fail are checked at an AOI repair station where, after scanning in the serial number, the operator is shown the area of the board the AOI identified, and the nature of the defect as well as the photograph. The operator then compares this against a visual inspection of the boards, and performs any necessary repairs, marking off the repairs on the system as they are completed, or marked as false fails. Clean room

Units with user interfaces (displays, instrument clusters etc) are made in the clean room to ensure they are dust free Clean room meets BS 5295/ FED 2093 and ISO 14644-1 standards Clean room air quality is measured daily, and recalibrated annually Clean room negative air pressure maintained and monitored All clean room parts are manufactured and packaged to a standard specified by Pektron, and follow a clean room procedure from the time they are made to the time they enter the clean room to ensure they are clean Wave solder

D site has two lead-free wave solder machines and one lead solder machine. Lead-free and lead solder jobs are segregated on to separate floors where possible, or by location within a room where that is not possible. There is one lead solder machine on C site, plus one lead-free solder machine on C site. A site has just replaced

several lead and lead-free machines with a single lead free machine and conveyor system. PCBs have leaded parts hand fitted, then conveyors move the boards from the assembly area through the machine, and return them to the operator. Wave solders are de-drossed twice daily, and a calibration device checks they are within specification every day Machines self-monitor wave height, pre-heat temperatures, solder temperature and conveyor speeds, and these are also check by the calibration device

In Circuit Test

Pektron currently have four Agilent ICT machines. D site has two Agilent ICT with two on C site. Pektron has three Innovate ICT machines, one on each site. ICT machines perform electrical tests on the PCBs by probing on to test points and measuring various values ICT machines can check powered and unpowered devices ICT machines can also load software to chips ICT machines can check unit test history and flag up if a unit has any outstanding repair actions. Results from ICT are stored in a database for reference against the PCB serial number. Jigs and Fixture

All tooling required for a job is either purchased off the shelf (for example torque limited electric drivers) or is bespoke. We have a tool room capable of producing bespoke production aids required, working with a variety of materials Other fixtures (such as wave solder carriers) are designed and specified by Pektron and manufactured by specialist companies Fixtures are designed and drawn, manufactured and then checked to ensure they are fit for purpose before being issued to production.

Fixtures will wherever possible be poke-yoke Fixtures will wherever possible do dimensional checking (ie are the fixing points on a moulding in the right place). Fixtures wherever practical will check for presence for example checking that screw have not been omitted, or closing plate is present, and on EOL test fixtures these features will prevent the unit being tested if one of the presence checks fails.

Test Sets

Pektron performs 100% testing on production parts. Parts are functionally tested against the specification agreed with the customer. This does more than check that all the components are present and of the correct value as the ICT does, as it validates the product performs exactly as it must during real operation. Parts are tested in their final state, through the same connectors that will be used in their real operation. Only parts that pass EOL test have a unit label generated. Any parts that fail have a failure label attached and are sent for rework. ESD

Antistatic precautions are observed on all jobs with ESD sensitive devices. The most common method is for operators to use ESD wristbands which earth them, allowing dangerous static charges to be controlled. ESD foot straps in combinations with ESD flooring or floor mats are also used where there is more movement required. All bench tops are ESD dissipative to further enhance protection ESD mats and benches are calibrated annually ESD wristbands and foot straps are checked 3 times daily.

Conformal Coating Products requiring high levels of protection against hostile environmental factors are covered in a layer of conformal coating Coating can be brushed or sprayed on manually, sprayed on via a selective coating robot, or the boards can be dipped and cured Coating thickness can be measured Coating contains a UV reactive tracer, boards are visually inspected under UV light (in a dark box to reduce the natural light) to check the coating coverage (coating is present where required and not present where it would interfere with electrical connectivity). Traceability Products that require high levels of traceability can have all SM component details logged against a 2d barcode that is laser etched on to the board. Results of all subsequent tests, inspections etc can also be logged against this barcode which is ultimately tied to the unit serial number on the product label. Each stage of testing can check the previous history and ensure that the unit that has been presented for testing has a clean bill of health. Traceability can be extended past the end of line testing to include the packing and palletisation.