Multi-camera 3D optical scanning at every critical process stage — catching missing components, solder defects and placement errors before they ever leave the line.
Every board is compared against a golden-board reference library. Hover to explore.
Full-board component presence check against the assembled BOM — every placement position verified against the golden reference image.
Detects chip components lifted at one end during reflow — a common defect on small-footprint 0201/01005 passives caused by thermal imbalance.
Identifies unwanted solder connections between adjacent pads or leads on fine-pitch QFP, SOIC and connector packages.
Verifies orientation of diodes, electrolytic capacitors and polarized ICs via marking and pin-1 recognition on every unit.
Volume and profile analysis of visible solder fillets flags starved joints post-reflow before they reach electrical test.
Multi-angle imaging reveals leads that failed to seat flush against the pad — a leading cause of intermittent field failures.
2D barcode and OCR reading cross-checks marked component values and date/lot codes against the BOM where markings are present.
Bare-board AOI catches copper scratches, nicks, opens/shorts in etch and solder mask defects before components are ever placed.
A repeatable, programmable sequence run at multiple points in the assembly line — not a single end-of-line check.
The board is indexed into the AOI station and a high-resolution reference image is captured. A first-article "golden board," verified by an engineer, anchors the inspection library for that revision.
Fixture load · golden-board reference · revision-locked libraryAn array of high-resolution cameras captures the board from multiple angles under structured and coaxial lighting, building a 3D surface profile that reveals lifted leads and solder volume that a single top-down image would miss.
Multi-camera array · structured light · 3D surface profilingCaptured images are compared pixel-by-pixel and feature-by-feature against the golden-board library using programmable defect algorithms tuned per component class — minimizing false calls without missing real defects.
Golden-board comparison · component-class algorithms · tuned thresholdsFlagged boards are routed to an operator review station where each suspect defect is confirmed or dismissed. Pass/reject decisions, defect images and inspection data are logged against the board's serial number for full traceability.
Operator verification · pass/reject sort · serial-level image loggingAll inspection is performed in-house on production-grade equipment — nothing is outsourced.
High-resolution multi-angle camera arrays combined with structured-light 3D height mapping capture both the 2D footprint and the physical solder profile of every joint — detecting lifted leads and solder volume issues that flat 2D imaging cannot see.
Dedicated stations are positioned post-paste-print, post-placement and post-reflow — catching defects at the earliest possible point rather than waiting for a single end-of-line inspection, which cuts rework cost and cycle time.
Each board revision has its own inspection library, built from a first-article golden board and refined over the production run. 2D barcode/OCR reading cross-checks visible component markings, and every defect image is logged against the board's unique serial number.
Every parameter below reflects our production AOI line, verified against IPC-A-610 acceptance criteria. Inspection reports and defect images ship with every assembly order.
| Parameter | AOI Capability | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Detection Resolution | Down to 15 microns | Available |
| Inspection Speed | Up to 800 boards / hour | Available |
| Board Size Range | 50 x 50 mm – 460 x 610 mm | Available |
| Camera / Angle Count | Multi-camera, 6+ viewing angles | Available |
| Component Size Range | 01005 and larger | Available |
| False-Call Rate | < 0.5% on tuned library | Available |
| Programmable Library | Per board revision, golden-board based | Available |
| Inline Stages | Post-paste, post-placement, post-reflow | Available |
| Data & Image Logging | Full defect image archive per serial number | Available |
AOI is one layer of a multi-stage inspection strategy. Our IPC-A-610 trained operators and documented library-tuning procedures are available for customer audit on request.
Real assembly challenges — and how programmable AOI caught them before shipment.
0201 passive tombstoning was slipping through end-of-line visual checks on a 20,000-unit automotive ECU run. Post-reflow inline AOI was added to catch it at source.
Post-reflow AOI, tuned to the 0201 component library, caught every tombstoned part before functional test — eliminating rework at the customer's line.
A Class 2 medical sensor board required 100% verification of polarized component orientation across a mixed run of diode and electrolytic packages.
Pin-1 and marking-based orientation checks flagged two mis-oriented diode lots before functional test, avoiding a costly field recall for the customer.
A 0.4mm-pitch QFP network switch board showed intermittent solder bridging under standard 2D AOI. 3D multi-angle imaging was applied to resolve the issue.
3D height mapping isolated true bridges from shadow artifacts that were causing false calls, cutting operator review time by half while catching every real defect.
Optical inspection is only as good as the library behind it. Our engineers build and tune every inspection library by hand, backed by a documented, auditable process.
Our libraries are tuned per revision by trained engineers, not left on factory defaults — delivering high catch rates without burying operators in false calls.
Post-paste, post-placement and post-reflow AOI catch issues at the earliest possible stage — reducing rework cost and preventing defects from compounding downstream.
Every board's defect images, pass/reject decision and inspection data are archived against its serial number — retrievable for any customer audit or field investigation.
We continuously refine defect algorithms per component class, cutting false-call rates that would otherwise slow down production and mask real defects in the noise.
Common questions about AOI inspection and how it fits into your assembly process.
Automated Optical Inspection uses high-resolution cameras to scan bare boards and assembled PCBs, comparing what the camera sees against a golden-board reference to flag defects. We run it at multiple stages: post-paste-print, post-placement and post-reflow, so issues are caught at the earliest possible point rather than at final inspection alone.
No. AOI only sees what is visible to a camera — it cannot inspect solder joints hidden underneath BGA, CSP or QFN packages. For those, we run dedicated X-ray inspection alongside AOI. The two methods are complementary, not interchangeable, and both are standard on our BGA assembly process.
AOI inspects the visible portion of a joint — fillet shape, volume and surface condition on leaded and chip components. It cannot see under a package or inside a barrel. Voiding, head-in-pillow and hidden bridging under BGA/QFN packages require X-ray inspection, which we run as a complementary step on relevant designs.
Our tuned libraries typically run below 0.5% false calls once a program is stabilized after first-article builds. We reduce false calls by building revision-specific golden-board libraries, tuning algorithm thresholds per component class, and reviewing flagged defects at an operator verification station before any board is rejected.
Yes. Every inspected board's images and pass/reject decision are archived against its serial number. On request we provide full defect image logs, inspection summary reports and traceability data for any batch, which is especially useful for root-cause investigations and customer audits.
Yes — 100% inline AOI is standard on every SMT assembly order at no extra charge. Library setup and first-article golden-board qualification is included in your first production run. Additional X-ray or ICT coverage can be added depending on your board's component mix and reliability requirements.
Our engineering team will review your BOM and design files and return a full quote, including your inspection plan, within 8 working hours.
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