How to select the right SMT X-Ray machine?

Introduction

Nowadays, electronic products are increasingly complex, PCBA soldering quality has become the focus of attention in the SMT industry, SMT X-ray machine is the indispensable quality gatekeeper in the electronics manufacturing industry. It is not only the core tool for quality assurance, but also plays an increasingly important role in helping process optimization, reducing rework and improving yield.

This article will help readers clarify the key elements of the selection of SMT X-Ray equipment, to find the most suitable for their production needs of the equipment.

I. Understand the basics of SMT X-Ray equipment

1. X-Ray detection principle of work

The working principle of SMT X-Ray equipment is mainly based on the characteristics of electromagnetic radiation. When the electrons in the x-ray tube is accelerated to a high energy state, bombardment of the target material will produce x-rays. These x-rays propagate in the form of waves and can penetrate substances. Depending on the composition and thickness of the material, the x-rays are partially absorbed or scattered during penetration, resulting in an image. By analyzing the image, the operator can quickly identify and determine the structure, integrity and problems of the object being inspected.

2. X-Ray inspection machine in the industrial applications

• Manufacturing and construction industry: X-ray inspection machine is used to inspect the quality of welds, castings and components to ensure that they are free of internal defects.
• SMT industry: X-ray inspection machine is used to inspect the soldering quality of electronic products.
• BGA/QFN and other packages internal voids, bridging, false solder detection.
• IC chip internal broken line, short circuit detection.
• Multilayer board internal line alignment, interlayer defect detection.

3. The main components of SMT X-Ray equipment

• X-ray source mechanism: Mainly by the fixed plate, light tube protective cover and X-ray source and other components.
• Flat plate detector mechanism: Mainly composed of flat plate fixed plate and flat plate detector.
• Motion platform: The motion platform is mainly composed of light source mechanism, carrier platform motion mechanism, detector mechanism and so on.

Control components are mainly industrial computer, motion control card.

II. to assess their own production needs

1. Production line size and capacity

• Small batch production, multi-species production: This mode, the SMT production line is more flexible, product switching frequently, recommended manual loading / detection of offline PCB X Ray machine. This type of equipment usually covers a small area, the operation is relatively simple, low investment costs, suitable for R & D sampling, small batch production or sampling of specific batches.
• High-volume, single-variety production: If your factory produces large quantities of the same product 24/7, automated in-line X-Ray equipment is recommended. This type of equipment can be directly integrated into the full automatic SMT line to realize the automatic loading and unloading of PCBA and inspection, greatly improving the detection efficiency and throughput, reducing manual intervention, to ensure the continuity and stability of the production line.

2. Understand the characteristics of the product to be detected

• PCB size and number of layers: Your PCBA board is small, single-layer board, or large, multi-layer board?
• Component package type: Your products mainly use which package components?
• Whether you need to detect small defects: How tolerant is your product to defects?

3. Defect detection focus

• The main detection of the void rate: The equipment needs to be able to accurately calculate the percentage of the void area of the pad area.
• Bridging: Bridging between solder joints is a common electrical fault, and X-Ray machine can clearly show the connection between solder joints.
• Finding internal breaks: X-Ray's ability to see through is critical.
• Specific requirements for inspection speed and accuracy: Speed and accuracy are often constrained by each other, and you need to find the optimal balance between the two.

4. Budget Range

• Define the upper limit of investment: Set a reasonable budget range in advance.
• Look at the cost-effectiveness of equipment: Weigh the relationship between equipment performance, features, brand, after-sales service and price.
• Consider equipment operation and maintenance costs: Consider the life of the X-ray source and detector, replacement costs, routine calibration and maintenance costs, and possible energy consumption.

5. Operator's skill level

• Complexity of equipment operation: Advanced X-Ray equipment is powerful but has a complex operator interface, requiring a high level of operator skill.
• User-friendliness of the software interface: Choosing equipment with a user-friendly interface, a high degree of automation, and the ability to provide good training will help your team get up and running faster and maximize equipment performance.

III. The choice of SMT X-Ray machine, key technical indicators and features

1. X-ray source selection: “Closed Tube” and “Open Tube”.

• Closed Tube: Long life, simple maintenance, suitable for continuous operation, but relatively low resolution.
• Open Tube: High resolution, suitable for microstructure inspection, such as chip solder joints or Micro-CT scanning, but with high cost of consumables and complicated maintenance.

Your choice should be weighed based on the size of the object to be detected and the need for accuracy.

2. Detector type and performance: flat panel detector (FPD) and line scan detector.

The key parameters are pixel size and dynamic range: the smaller the pixel, the clearer the image details. High dynamic range allows better reproduction of different density levels. A good quality detector not only sees clearly, but also presents realistic, artifact-free imaging to avoid misjudgment.

3. Spatial Resolution

Spatial resolution determines how fine a structure the device can see. For example, a resolution of 5μm indicates that it can recognize details of 5μm in size. This parameter should include the effective resolution at standard working distance, standard magnification.

4. Penetration Capability

Penetration Capability determines how thick and dense a material the X-RAY can detect.

If you want to detect thick copper, welded structures or complex devices with encapsulation, it is strongly recommended to pay attention to this indicator.

5. Software & Automation

System maneuverability determines the user's learning costs, inspection efficiency and consistency of results.

If you intend to use for mass production or high-frequency inspection scenarios, this indicator is particularly critical.

IV. Important considerations before and after purchase

1. Supplier selection

• Brand awareness and market reputation: Prioritize brands with good reputation and high market share.
• After-sales service and technical support: understand the supplier's after-sales service response time, whether they have a team of professional engineers to deal with equipment failure in a timely manner. Confirm whether they have sufficient supply of spare parts, as well as the timeliness of providing maintenance services.
• User cases and industry reviews: Look at the user cases shared by the supplier. Feedback from real users is more convincing than any promotional materials.

2. Sample test

Send samples or bring samples to the supplier for testing. This can directly observe the performance of the equipment in real working conditions, and help you find the machine that best meets your operating habits and testing needs.

3. Training and Installation

Whether the supplier provides sufficient installation instructions and operation training: professional installation is the basis for stable operation of the equipment. Confirm whether the supplier provides detailed installation instructions and sends professional engineers for on-site installation and commissioning.

Adequate training will enable your team to quickly master the equipment and reduce initial break-in costs.

4. Long-term maintenance and upgrading

Average service life of the equipment, parts replacement cycle: Understand the average service life and replacement cycle of the key components of the equipment, as well as the corresponding cost. Select those key components with long life, easy to replace and reasonable cost of the equipment.

Possibility of software updates and feature upgrades: Confirm whether the vendor will offer software updates and whether the device will support hardware feature upgrades in the future. This ensures that your equipment will remain competitive for years to come, adapting to new inspection needs and avoiding premature obsolescence.

Conclusion

Enterprises should consider a number of factors such as equipment performance, manufacturer's qualifications, industry experience and after-sales service from the perspective of actual needs in order to make the most appropriate choice. In this process, an in-depth understanding of the core technology of X ray PCB inspection machine and the reputation of the manufacturer can help enterprises make informed decisions and avoid the risks associated with improper equipment selection.

With the development of technology, more and more PCB X ray machine manufacturers stand out in the market, enterprises should keep a keen eye and choose manufacturers with innovation ability, quality assurance and service guarantee to provide strong support for their production and inspection needs.

Quick facts about NeoDen

1. Established in 2010, 200 + employees, 27000+ Sq.m. factory.

2. NeoDen Products: Different Series PnP machines, NeoDen YY1, NeoDen4, NeoDen5, NeoDen K1830, NeoDen9, NeoDen N10P; Reflow Oven IN Series, as well as complete SMT Line includes all necessary SMT equipment.

3. Successful 10000+ customers across the globe.

4. 40+ Global Agents covered in Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa.

5. R&D Center: 3 R&D departments with 25+ professional R&D engineers.

6. Listed with CE and got 70+ patents.

7. 30+ quality control and technical support engineers, 15+ senior international sales, for timely customer responding within 8 hours, and professional solutions providing within 24 hours.