X-rays keep an eye on components

A MyData surface mount assembly line and a three-dimensional x-ray inspection system are giving Christchurch electronics manufacturer GPC Electronics (NZ) an edge over rival companies.

The x-ray inspection system, which scans tiny electronic and mechanical components from all angles, is claimed to be the first of its kind in Australasia.

With resolution down to 2 µm (less than a tenth the width of a human hair), the machine can detect faults in the most complex of electronic devices and assemblies.

GPC is a contract manufacturer who provides technical and management resources to New Zealand and overseas companies. The company focuses on technically and commercially complex products, such as assemblies for payment terminals through to complete microwave radio systems.

Assemblies, such as the insides of a microwave radio, are inserted in the machine. An operator inspects devices that are scanned digitally and then magnified on an LCD screen.

Faults are detected before a product travels any further along the production chain. Process adjustments are made in a corrective feedback loop.

The NZ$1 million system is capable of looking inside complex components at the actual wire bonds, just fractions of a millimetre wide and invisible to the human eye, or at devices where the printed circuit board connections are hidden.

The company is a subsidiary of Australian-based GPC Electronics.