New IPC White Paper Focuses on Use of Artificial Intelligence in Automated Optical Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
February 6, 2025 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
A new white paper, “Unlocking AI for Automated Optical Inspection” released today by IPC’s Chief Technologist Council, focuses on AI’s role in AOI processes for printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). According to data within the white paper, recent advancements in technology, particularly in Cloud AI, IoT and Smart Manufacturing, have provided opportunities to further enhance AOI performance. AI solutions leveraging deep learning and edge computing technologies have shown significant improvements in AOI accuracy and efficiency.
While the white paper focuses on the application of computer vision AI for automating inspection (i.e., applying AI for pattern recognition on inspection images), the rapidly growing availability and maturity of generative AI presents future possibility in generating inspection criteria.
Key focus areas within the white paper include:
- AI systems explanation
- The use of AI in AOI
- Challenges with deploying AI on the manufacturing floor
- “AI Enhancement to AOI for PCBA” project
- Technical Strategy Recommendations
“AI has shown significant potential in the realm of AOI, particularly in improving detection accuracy, reducing manual intervention and improving production efficiency. It presents many opportunities for the electronics manufacturing industry to increase reliability, speed up time to market and reduce costs and time associated with manual adjustments to systems,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technology officer and vice president of technology solutions. “However, several challenges must be addressed before AI can be widely adopted on electronics manufacturing production floors. AI research, industry collaboration and an ecosystem of standards, will help close the gap in AI adoption within the electronics manufacturing industry.”
Download “Unlocking AI for Automated Optical Inspection" here.
Testimonial
"Your magazines are a great platform for people to exchange knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do."
Simon Khesin - Schmoll MaschinenSuggested Items
China Plus One: Vietnam and Thailand Manufacturing Solutions
10/28/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAs U.S. electronics manufacturing companies continue to weigh the “China Plus One” solution as they strategize how best to mitigate the ever-increasing pressures and costs of manufacturing in China, several of these global markets continue to see significant growth in their electronics sectors. Of course, India is among them and was the focus of SMT007 last month. Also among these burgeoning markets are Thailand and Vietnam. One has infrastructure and a more established history of success in manufacturing. The other has a much larger number of eager, young workers. In this article, I break down the pros and cons of each market, including a look at U.S. tariffs and how each country is addressing a significant skilled labor gap to support their electronics manufacturing goals.
Saab Q3 2025 Results: Delivering Sustained Growth
10/28/2025 | SaabOrder bookings for the third quarter amounted to SEK 20,861m (21,173), with strong growth in medium-sized orders.
SEL Announces Expansion Projects in Idaho and North Carolina
10/28/2025 | SELSchweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is adding 370,000 square feet of new and expanded facilities to locations in Moscow and Boise, Idaho, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
American Made Advocacy: Smart Policies Can Ensure AI Data Centers Are Secure
10/28/2025 | Shane Whiteside -- Column: American Made AdvocacyMegatrends in the economy always capture the interest of the media, politicians, investors, and industry titans. The latest megatrend is artificial intelligence (AI), which has created a mad rush to increase American capabilities and has manifested itself in the proliferation of massive data centers.
Nvidia’s Blackwell Chips Made in Arizona Still Head to Taiwan for Final Assembly
10/27/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamNvidia has begun production of its next-generation Blackwell GPUs in the United States, but the company still depends heavily on Taiwan to complete the process, The Register reported.