Electronics Testing & Inspection

August Electronics > Electronics Testing & Inspection

Your manufacturing partner for testing and inspection.

Your product defines your reputation and as your strategic electronics manufacturing partner we understand the importance of thoroughly tested products. We have the infrastructure and expertise to deliver rigorous inspection and testing for the success of your product. Your success is our success.

Our electronic manufacturing technologists will implement your test specifications to ensure your product’s quality, reliability and functionality before you go to market. We can conduct in-circuit and functional testing as well as provide insightful design for test (DFT) feedback. Our design for test (DFT) feedback includes valuable advice on optimizing the manufacturing process to include multiple inspection and tests points during production. When we catch problems or defects early on, we can mitigate these problems at a less expensive stage in the assembly process and avoid rework.

We are familiar with many software-based test systems. Using our wide variety of inspection and testing methods at various stages during the manufacturing process, we ensure that each component is inspected and tested to cosmetic and workmanship standards, dimensional measurements are within tolerance and compliant with fabrication and assembly documentation.

Solder Paste Inspection (SPI)

We have both 2D and 3D solder paste inspection (SPI) equipment to ensure reliable SMT placements. In our experience, this critical inspection step plays an important role in minimizing SMT board failures due to poor solder paste release.

Our 3D automatic in-line SPI machine delivers true 3D measurements on all paste deposits and verifies the correct solder paste deposits for volume, area, height, offset and deformity to reduce solder joint defects. In addition, our 3D SPI machine is capable of detecting any PCB warping issues and utilizes barcode recognition to enable full traceability throughout the manufacturing and electronic assembly process.

Pre-reflow Inspection

Prior to entering one of our 10-zone reflow ovens, each PCB assembly moves through our in-line pre-reflow inspection machines. It utilizes an automated optical inspection (AOI) system with line-scan technology that inspects for component placement status and location including polarity, part markings, presence, absence, misaligned and upside-down components.

Detecting any manufacturing defects early on during the PCB assembly process provides valuable insights into addressing any manufacturing process issues. It also prevents defective boards from continuing through the assembly process minimizing costs due to discarding or reworking defective PCBs.

3D Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)

In addition to performing visual inspections, our high-resolution 3D automated optical inspection (AOI) system verifies all component placements and solder joints. It quantifies defects such as missing, offset, rotated or upside-down components. 3D AOI also inspects and verifies polarity, optical character verification (OCV), coplanarity, solder fillet, lifted leads, lifted body, billboarding, tombstoning, bridging and dimensions.

Due to the high temperatures required for processing PCBs during the reflow process, PCB warping issues can become more pronounced leading to incorrect inspection data. Component positions defined in the CAD or Gerber files may appear distorted on warped PCBs. Our 3D AOI system automatically compensates for PCB warping that may have occurred during the assembly process limiting incorrect inspection data.

X-ray Inspection

Complementing our 3D AOI system is our x-ray inspection that offers valuable insights into what’s going on inside the printed circuit board. Our x-ray inspection system enables us to inspect and verify solder joints underneath BGA and LGA/QFN parts for connectivity. It inspects inside the board and inside all components on the board verifying all connections have been made accurately.

X-ray inspection also inspect and verifies all solder joints, even the hidden ones, for voiding, shorts, insufficient solder and mis-registration. This inspection method is advantageous for highly complex boards or boards with very high testing requirements and is best utilized during the new product introduction (NPI) process to understand your common failure points.

In-Circuit Testing (ICT)

We can conduct full on-site in-circuit testing for both powered up digital (vector) test techniques or unpowered analog-based (vector-less) test techniques. Our design for test (DFT) feedback plays an important role in enhancing your board design to ensure it is designed with greater than 90% test point coverage of all electrical nets on your board, as your “bed of nails” test fixture is built based on this test point coverage.

Our 85,000 square foot facility also enables us to store all applicable test fixtures for future production runs, while they still remain the property of our clients.

ICT is particularly useful for medium to large volumes, as a pre-cursor to functional testing. It also reduces debug time and significantly enhances functional test yield. In-circuit testing (ICT) is customized to each printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) to test for:

shorts and opens in the assembly
measure impedances
charge and discharge capacitors
verify power draw
test for other analog behavior

Dielectric testing (“hipot” tests)

Electrical safety testing is imperative to minimize electrical accidents in the workplace and at home. Implementing a robust electrical safety testing strategy is critical to ensure your product’s long-term success and reliability.

Dielectric testing, also known as “high potential” or “hipot” tests verify your product’s ability to operate safely during transient (surge) electrical incidents. Simply put, it is an electrical test used to determine the effectiveness of the electrical insulators within your final product, including PCBs, cables and electro-mechanical assemblies, to verify its adequacy to withstand surge events.

Functional Test

In terms of diagnostics, the functional test makes the highest demands on a skills base.

Our functional testing of final assemblies is supported by extensive engineering diagnostics to ensure compliance with your specifications. It can also confirm the desired product performs in its intended environment. Simply put, the functional testing is “your board does what you want it to do” which typically occurs after some level electromechanical assembly.

As your strategic manufacturing partner, August can meet your specific and stringent functional testing requirements. Or alternatively, our on-site test engineering experts can develop customized functional tests based on your test parameters and specifications.

Do you need rigorous inspection and testing for the success of your product?

Whether you are working with another contract electronics manufacturer or building in-house, its worth a second opinion.

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