Viscom Presents Advanced Inspection Solutions for ‘Smart Factory’ at SMT Hybrid Packaging 2018

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Whether it’s the Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) Showcase in cooperation with the IPC, or the training of a collaborative robot, who then autonomously handles manual x-ray inspection, visitors to the Viscom stand (4A, 122) at SMT/Hybrid/Packaging will gain insight into newest ideas of the industry being put into action. The show will take place June 5-7 at the Messe in Nuremberg, Germany. As an inspection solution with high future potential, Viscom will be exhibiting its new X7056-II system: an award-winning combination of extremely fast inline X-ray inspection (3D AXI) and automatic optical inspection (3D AOI). Another future-oriented Viscom topic at the trade show will be artificial intelligence (AI).

Viscom consistently pursues the minimization of genuine defects and the complete avoidance of any pseudo defects in SMT production lines. With its latest innovations, the company is further improving existing and developing new interconnected processes. As one of the highlights at SMT Hybrid Packaging, Viscom will present the CFX Showcase in cooperation with the IPC. In live demonstrations, standardized IoT data (Internet of Things) from Viscom 3D systems will be sent to mobile phones or tablets via the cloud. Interested visitors can track analysis reports on their end devices in real time – for example, for overviewing system effectiveness, they receive insight into the real data flow and about current events on the linked SPI, AOI and AXI machines.

On the basis of intensive tests with the high-performance, collaborative robot Sawyer of the company Rethink Robotics, Viscom will show how the MXI system X8011-II PCB can be loaded and unloaded without human intervention. In electronics manufacturing, a robot like Sawyer is capable of handling tasks that require precision but repeat themselves monotonously. The employed operators are then available for more complex activities in the company.

Artificial intelligence is a topic that Viscom deals with from several perspectives: computer-based verification of real and pseudo-defects for example already relieves employees considerably and increases the overall process quality. The computational processes can be centralized for several lines and locations. As with automated and autonomous driving, there are various conceivable levels of independence from direct human influence in decision-making. The operator can be granted the right to edit only ambiguous cases. The compelling decision of a dedicated expert could also be included. All other standard verifications would be run without any human intervention.

In particular, deep learning will play an increasingly important role in Viscom's program creation and component assignment (New Product Introduction – NPI). Components will therefore become more and more fully automatically recognizable. Artificial intelligence will also increasingly contribute to the optimization of image quality. Algorithms can then, for example, improve the edge sharpness based on experience. For the software specialists at Viscom, this subproject is internally known by the term "Super Resolution".

After the productronica innovation award 2017 in Germany and the NPI Award 2018 in the United States, the 3D AXI system X7056-II has now won two more prizes at this year’s Nepcon China in Shanghai: the SMT China Vision Award and the EM Innovation Award. Visitors to the SMT Hybrid Packaging can convince themselves of the first-class performance of the system which can integrate 3D AOI next to 3D AXI in the same machine housing. Equipped with xFastFlow, Viscom’s latest innovation for high-speed handling (board infeed and outfeed), the X7056-II can process three PCBs simultaneously. Handling time for inline X-ray inspection is reduced to less than four seconds.

About Viscom

Viscom AG develops, manufactures and sells high-quality inspection systems. The portfolio encompasses the complete bandwidth of optical and X-ray inspections. In the area of assembly inspection for electronics manufacturing, the company is among the leading suppliers worldwide. Viscom systems can be configured specifically to the customer and can be interlinked. The company headquarters and manufacturing location is in Hanover, Germany. With a wide network of branches, applications centers, service support points and representatives, Viscom is represented internationally. Founded in 1984, Viscom has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0007846867) since 2006. For additional information, click here.