AI power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing device and control method

Abstract

The application discloses an AI power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing equipment and a control method, which comprises a rack, a horizontal conveying mechanism, a center positioning mechanism, a pressing plate mechanism, an upper testing assembly, a lower testing assembly, a copper thickness testing host, an industrial control system, a code scanning module, a data statistics module and a defective product shunting interface. Full-automatic operation completely replaces manual detection, solves the problems of manual missed detection, less detection and low efficiency, the detection efficiency is stably up to 4-5 pieces per minute, the production quality inspection efficiency is greatly improved, and the labor cost is reduced. Meanwhile, the flexible conveying of the row of rollers is frictionless, and the problems of surface scratching and circuit damage caused by manual operation are completely avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of PCB board inspection products, specifically to an online automatic copper thickness testing device and control method for AI power module PCBs. Background Technology

[0002] Power module PCBs are core components in power electronic equipment, industrial control equipment, and new energy equipment. The thickness of the copper foil on the PCB surface directly determines the conductivity, current carrying capacity, and lifespan of the power module. Copper thickness uniformity and compliance are core indicators of PCB production quality inspection. If the PCB copper thickness does not meet the standards, it can easily lead to faults such as severe overheating, insufficient current carrying capacity, and short circuit burnout of the power module, seriously affecting the operational stability of the terminal equipment.

[0003] Currently, most power module PCB copper thickness inspections in the industry rely on manual, handheld testers for single-point testing, which has several inherent drawbacks: First, manual inspection depends on operator experience, making it prone to omissions, under-testing, and point misalignment, resulting in low inspection coverage and an inability to achieve full inspection. Second, manual testing suffers from significant human error, leading to inconsistent testing accuracy and non-standardized product quality control. Third, manual piece-by-piece inspection is extremely inefficient, unable to keep pace with automated production lines, and incurs high labor costs. Fourth, manual handheld probe operation can easily cause friction and scratches on the PCB surface, resulting in poor product appearance and performance damage. Fifth, manual inspection lacks systematic data recording, making it impossible to trace inspection data, hindering SPC / CPK quality analysis and production line process control, and failing to meet the high-quality production requirements of high-end power module PCBs.

[0004] Existing semi-automatic copper thickness testing equipment can only perform single-surface testing, lacks intelligent hole avoidance and point selection functions, is prone to invalid test data, and lacks anti-warping fixing structures for the board. Board warping can lead to poor probe contact, further increasing testing errors. Furthermore, it cannot achieve automated diversion or full data traceability, resulting in low levels of automation and intelligence, failing to fundamentally solve the various pain points of manual inspection. Therefore, developing a fully automatic, high-precision, online full-inspection, and data-traceable PCB copper thickness automatic testing equipment and control method is an urgent need in the current technological development of this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an online automatic copper thickness testing device and control method for AI power module PCBs, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an online automatic copper thickness testing device for AI power module PCBs, comprising a frame, a horizontal conveying mechanism, a central positioning mechanism, a pressure plate mechanism, an upper testing component, a lower testing component, a copper thickness testing host, an industrial control system, a barcode scanning module, a data statistics module, and a defective product diversion interface;

[0007] The horizontal conveying mechanism, the center positioning mechanism, the pressure plate mechanism, the upper testing component, and the lower testing component are sequentially assembled inside the frame. The copper thickness testing host and the industrial control system are fixed on the outside of the frame. The barcode scanning module and the data statistics module are electrically connected to the industrial control system. The defective product diversion interface is located at the discharge end of the frame.

[0008] The horizontal conveying mechanism adopts a roller conveying structure, which is suitable for PCB boards with a thickness of 0.075–4.2mm and a size of 300×300mm to 725×725mm.

[0009] The central positioning mechanism is used to center-align and position the PCB board that has been delivered to the designated location, with a positioning accuracy of ±1.5mm.

[0010] The pressure plate mechanism is located on the front and rear sides of the upper and lower test components, and is used to press and fix the PCB board to prevent the board from warping or popping up.

[0011] The upper and lower test components are symmetrically arranged to achieve synchronous copper thickness testing on both sides of the PCB board. Both the upper and lower test components are equipped with test probes.

[0012] The copper thickness testing host uses a PC2 host paired with an ERCU-N probe, with a testing range of 0.1–120 μm and a testing accuracy of ±5%.

[0013] The industrial control system has a built-in Gerber / DIR file parsing module, an intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module, and a data judgment module, which are used to parse PCB board data, automatically plan test points and avoid holes, gaps, and areas without copper, and automatically judge the passability of test data.

[0014] The data statistics module is used to collect and store test data and complete SPC / CPK data analysis. The defective product diversion interface connects to an external temporary storage machine to realize automatic diversion of defective products.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rollers of the horizontal conveying mechanism are made of anti-static and anti-slip material, so that there is no scratching of the board surface during the conveying process, which is suitable for continuous board feeding operations in automated production lines.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure plate mechanism adopts a flexible pressing structure, and the pressing force is adaptively adjusted to avoid rigid pressure damaging the PCB board circuit and substrate.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module supports 3-point, 6-point, and 9-point nine-square grid standardized test point planning, and can automatically switch the test point layout according to the PCB board specifications.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the scanning module is used to read the unique identification code of the PCB board, associate it with the corresponding detection data, and realize the full traceability of data of a single board.

[0019] An online automatic copper thickness test and control method for AI power module PCB includes the following steps:

[0020] S1. The production line continuously feeds PCBs. The photoelectric sensing module detects the PCB feeding status in real time and triggers the horizontal conveyor mechanism to start, smoothly conveying the PCB to the testing station.

[0021] S2. After the PCB board is in place, the central positioning mechanism is activated to perform central alignment calibration of the board to ensure accurate alignment of the test points.

[0022] S3. After positioning is completed, the pressure plate mechanism moves to press and fix the PCB board from the front and rear sides of the board to suppress board warping and popping, and ensure the stability of the test probe's fit.

[0023] S4. The industrial control system imports the Gerber / DIR data of the PCB board to be tested, and automatically calculates and plans compliant test points through the intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module, and automatically avoids board hole positions, gaps and copper-free areas.

[0024] S5, the upper test component and the lower test component start synchronously, driving the probe to complete the synchronous copper thickness detection on both sides of the PCB board, and collect copper thickness data in real time and transmit it to the copper thickness test host.

[0025] S6. The copper thickness test host processes the collected data, and the data judgment module of the industrial control system automatically judges the qualified status of the board by combining the standard threshold and distinguishes between OK and NG products.

[0026] S7. The barcode scanning module reads the PCB board identification code, the data statistics module binds the board information and test data, completes data storage and uploading, generates SPC / CPK analysis reports, and connects to the MES system to achieve full data traceability.

[0027] S8. Good products are automatically conveyed out of the equipment by the horizontal conveyor mechanism. Defective products trigger an alarm on the equipment. The defective product diversion interface is connected to an external temporary storage machine to achieve automatic diversion and isolation of defective products.

[0028] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step S4, the 3-point, 6-point, and 9-point nine-square grid test modes can be selected according to production and testing needs to adapt to copper thickness testing standards of different accuracy levels.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the overall testing efficiency of the equipment is stable at 4-5 pieces / minute, and the entire process is automated without the need for manual intervention.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection data is uploaded to the cloud and the production line system in real time, supporting historical data query, batch data analysis, and real-time monitoring of the production process.

[0031] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when multiple consecutive defective products or abnormal data are detected, the equipment automatically triggers an early warning to remind staff to investigate production line process problems, thereby achieving quality control of the production process.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0033] 1. Fully automated operation, completely replacing manual inspection, solving the problems of missed inspections, insufficient inspections, and low efficiency caused by manual inspection. The inspection efficiency is stable at 4-5 pieces / minute, which greatly improves the efficiency of production quality inspection and reduces labor costs. At the same time, the flexible roller conveyor is frictionless, which completely avoids the problems of board surface scratches and circuit damage caused by manual operation.

[0034] 2. It adopts a center-precision positioning + pressure plate anti-warping fixing structure with a positioning accuracy of ±1.5mm, which effectively solves the problems of board warping, offset and popping, and ensures the stability of probe fitting. Combined with a high-precision PC2 host + ERCU-N probe, the detection accuracy is ±5%, which greatly reduces the detection error and the detection stability and consistency far exceed that of manual detection.

[0035] 3. Equipped with AI intelligent Gerber / DIR file parsing technology, it automatically plans the nine-grid test points, intelligently avoids vias, gaps, and areas without copper, achieving accurate and effective testing, eliminating invalid data, and adapting to the testing needs of various power module PCB boards, making it highly versatile. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an online automatic copper thickness testing device for AI power module PCBs according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a system connection diagram of an AI power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing and control device according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an online automatic copper thickness testing and control method for an AI power module PCB according to the present invention.

[0039] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Horizontal conveyor mechanism; 3. Center positioning mechanism; 4. Pressure plate mechanism; 5. Upper test assembly; 6. Lower test assembly; 7. Copper thickness test host; 8. Industrial control system; 9. Barcode scanning module; 10. Data statistics module; 11. Defective product diversion interface. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] Please see Figure 1-3 This invention provides an embodiment of an AI power module PCB online automatic copper thickness testing device. The main body of the device consists of a frame 1, a horizontal conveying mechanism 2, a central positioning mechanism 3, a pressure plate mechanism 4, an upper testing component 5, a lower testing component 6, a copper thickness testing host 7, an industrial control system 8, a barcode scanning module 9, a data statistics module 10, and a defective product diversion interface 11. The frame 1 adopts a high-strength aluminum alloy frame structure, which has strong stability and can be adapted to long-term continuous industrial operation.

[0044] The horizontal conveyor mechanism 2 uses anti-static and anti-slip rollers with uniform roller spacing and adjustable conveying speed. It is suitable for power module PCBs with a thickness of 0.075–4.2mm and a size of 300×300mm to 725×725mm. The conveying process is smooth and vibration-free, with no board surface wear. A photoelectric sensor is installed at the feeding end of the frame 1 to detect the PCB feeding signal in real time and automatically trigger the conveying and detection process, realizing unmanned continuous feeding.

[0045] The central positioning mechanism 3 integrates a vision imaging unit and a mechanical fine-tuning unit. After the PCB board is transported to the test station, the vision unit acquires the board position image, and the industrial control system 8 compares it with the standard position parameters and drives the mechanical structure to complete the center alignment calibration, ultimately achieving a high-precision positioning of ±1.5mm, ensuring that the test point accurately corresponds to the preset detection area of ​​the PCB.

[0046] The pressure plate mechanism 4 is installed on both sides of the front and rear of the test station. It adopts an elastic and flexible pressing structure. The pressing force can be adaptively adjusted according to the board thickness. It presses and fixes the PCB board after positioning, effectively solving the problems of warping of thin boards and popping of light boards, and ensuring that the upper and lower test probes are perpendicularly attached to the board surface without gaps or offsets.

[0047] The upper test assembly 5 and lower test assembly 6 are symmetrically arranged, each equipped with an ERCU-N test probe and a PC2 copper thickness test host 7. The test range is 0.1–120μm, fully covering the common copper thickness specifications of power module PCBs. The detection accuracy is stable at ±5%, meeting the industry's high-end quality inspection standards. The two test assemblies start and stop synchronously, realizing simultaneous testing of both sides of the PCB and completing double-sided data acquisition in a single operation.

[0048] The industrial control system 8 is the core control unit of the equipment, with built-in Gerber / DIR file parsing algorithms, AI intelligent point selection and via avoidance algorithms, and data judgment algorithms. Before operation, the Gerber or DIR design data of the corresponding batch of PCB boards is imported. The system automatically identifies the board shape, hole positions, notches, copper foil areas, and copper-free areas, and intelligently generates 3-point, 6-point, and 9-point nine-square grid test points, automatically avoiding invalid detection areas and ensuring that each test point is a valid copper foil area, thus improving detection accuracy. Operators can freely switch between the three test point modes according to production quality inspection standards to adapt to different precision detection needs.

[0049] The barcode scanning module 9 is fixed at the equipment's feeding station. When a PCB board enters the machine, it automatically scans the QR code / barcode on the board and binds it with a unique board number. All subsequent inspection data is stored in association with the board number. The data statistics module 10 collects copper thickness data for each inspection in real time, automatically calculates parameters such as batch average, tolerance, and pass rate, and generates SPC process control reports and CPK process capability analysis reports. These reports are uploaded to the MES production system in real time, enabling real-time monitoring of the production process and full data traceability.

[0050] The defective product diversion interface 11 has a reserved standard communication and mechanical interface port, which can be directly connected to the production line temporary storage machine and automatic sorting equipment. When the system determines that the PCB copper thickness data exceeds the standard threshold, it immediately triggers an audible and visual alarm and outputs a diversion signal to control the external equipment to divert and isolate defective products, while good products are automatically discharged by the conveyor mechanism, completing the automated sorting operation.

[0051] The control method corresponding to this embodiment has the following specific workflow:

[0052] S1. The automated production line continuously feeds boards. The photoelectric sensor monitors the feeding status in real time. After detecting the PCB board, it triggers the horizontal conveyor mechanism 2 to start. The rollers drive the PCB board smoothly into the test station at a uniform speed.

[0053] S2. After the PCB board arrives, the conveying mechanism pauses, and the center positioning mechanism 3 starts visual shooting and alignment calibration to complete the precise center positioning of the board and eliminate conveying offset error.

[0054] S3. After positioning is completed, the front and rear side pressure plate mechanisms 4 press down synchronously to flexibly press and fix the PCB board, keeping the board flat and without warping.

[0055] S4, Industrial Control System 8 retrieves the Gerber / DIR files of this batch of PCB boards, and the AI ​​algorithm automatically analyzes the board structure, plans compliant nine-square grid test points, and avoids all holes, gaps, and copper-free areas;

[0056] S5. The upper and lower test components 6 move down / up synchronously, with the probes attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB, to simultaneously complete the acquisition of double-sided copper thickness data and transmit the data to the copper thickness test host 7 for processing in real time.

[0057] S6 and the industrial control system 8 compare the measured data with the preset copper thickness standard threshold and automatically determine whether the board is OK or NG.

[0058] S7 and scanning module 9 read the unique code of the board, and data statistics module 10 binds the board number and test data to complete local data storage and cloud upload, generate quality analysis reports, and synchronize them to the MES system.

[0059] S8. Good products are conveyed out by the horizontal conveyor mechanism 2 and enter the next process; defective products trigger the equipment alarm, and the external equipment is controlled through the diversion interface to complete the automatic diversion and isolation, waiting for manual re-inspection or scrapping.

[0060] This equipment has a stable continuous testing efficiency of 4-5 pieces / minute, requires no manual intervention, and can operate online 24 hours a day. It is suitable for high-volume PCB automated production and quality inspection scenarios, completely solving various defects of traditional manual inspection, and realizing automated, high-precision, fully traceable, and closed-loop quality control of power module PCB copper thickness inspection.

[0061] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An online automatic copper thickness testing device for AI power module PCBs, characterized in that, It includes a frame (1), a horizontal conveying mechanism (2), a center positioning mechanism (3), a pressure plate mechanism (4), an upper testing component (5), a lower testing component (6), a copper thickness testing host (7), an industrial control system (8), a barcode scanning module (9), a data statistics module (10), and a defective product diversion interface (11). The horizontal conveying mechanism (2), the center positioning mechanism (3), the pressure plate mechanism (4), the upper testing component (5), and the lower testing component (6) are sequentially assembled inside the frame (1). The copper thickness testing host (7) and the industrial control system (8) are fixed on the outside of the frame (1). The barcode scanning module (9) and the data statistics module (10) are electrically connected to the industrial control system (8) respectively. The defective product diversion interface (11) is located at the discharge end of the frame (1). The horizontal conveying mechanism (2) adopts a roller conveying structure, which is suitable for PCB boards with a thickness of 0.075–4.2mm and a size of 300×300mm to 725×725mm. The central positioning mechanism (3) is used to perform center alignment and positioning of the PCB board that has been delivered to the position, with a positioning accuracy of ±1.5mm; The pressure plate mechanism (4) is located on the front and rear sides of the upper test assembly (5) and the lower test assembly (6) to press and fix the PCB board to prevent the board from warping or popping up. The upper test component (5) and the lower test component (6) are symmetrically arranged to realize synchronous copper thickness testing on both sides of the PCB board. The upper test component (5) and the lower test component (6) are equipped with test probes. The copper thickness testing host (7) uses a PC2 host paired with an ERCU-N probe, with a testing range of 0.1–120 μm and a testing accuracy of ±5%. The industrial control system (8) has a built-in Gerber / DIR file parsing module, an intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module, and a data judgment module, which are used to parse PCB board data, automatically plan test points and avoid holes, gaps, and copper-free areas, and automatically judge the qualification of test data. The data statistics module (10) is used to collect and store test data and complete SPC / CPK data analysis. The defective product diversion interface (11) is connected to an external temporary storage machine to realize automatic diversion of defective products.

2. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal conveying mechanism (2) uses anti-static and anti-slip material for its rollers, so there is no scratching of the board surface during the conveying process, which is suitable for continuous board feeding operations in automated production lines.

3. The AI ​​power module PCB online automatic copper thickness testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate mechanism (4) adopts a flexible pressing structure, and the pressing force is adaptively adjusted to avoid rigid pressure damage to the PCB board circuit and substrate.

4. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module supports standardized test point planning with 3, 6, and 9 points in a nine-square grid, and can automatically switch the test point layout according to the PCB board specifications.

5. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning module (9) is used to read the unique identification code of the PCB board, associate it with the corresponding detection data, and realize the full traceability of the data of a single board.

6. A method for automatic online copper thickness testing and control of AI power module PCBs, applied to the automatic testing equipment described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The production line continuously feeds the PCB board. The photoelectric sensing module detects the PCB board feeding status in real time and triggers the horizontal conveyor mechanism (2) to start, and smoothly conveys the PCB board to the test station. S2. After the PCB board is in place, the central positioning mechanism (3) is started to perform central positioning calibration on the board to ensure accurate alignment of the test points. S3. After positioning is completed, the pressure plate mechanism (4) moves to press and fix the PCB board from the front and rear sides of the board to suppress board warping and popping, and ensure the stability of the test probe. S4. The industrial control system (8) imports the Gerber / DIR data of the PCB board to be tested, and automatically calculates and plans compliant test points through the intelligent point selection and hole avoidance module, and automatically avoids board hole positions, gaps and copper-free areas. S5. The upper test component (5) and the lower test component (6) start synchronously, driving the probe to complete the synchronous copper thickness detection on both sides of the PCB board, and collect copper thickness data in real time and transmit it to the copper thickness test host (7). S6. The copper thickness test host (7) performs calculation and processing on the collected data. The data judgment module of the industrial control system (8) automatically judges the qualified status of the board by combining the standard threshold and distinguishes between OK good products and NG defective products. S7, the barcode scanning module (9) reads the PCB board identification code, the data statistics module (10) binds the board information and test data, completes the data storage and uploading, generates SPC / CPK analysis reports, and connects to the MES system to realize full data traceability; S8. Good products are automatically sent out of the equipment by the horizontal conveyor mechanism (2), and defective products trigger the equipment alarm. They are connected to the external temporary storage machine through the defective product diversion interface (11) to realize the automatic diversion and isolation of defective products.

7. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing and control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S4, users can choose from 3-point, 6-point, or 9-point grid testing modes according to production and testing needs, adapting to different accuracy levels of copper thickness testing standards.

8. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing and control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The overall testing efficiency of the equipment is stable at 4-5 pieces / minute, and the entire process is automated without the need for manual intervention.

9. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing and control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The test data is uploaded to the cloud and production line system in real time, supporting historical data query, batch data analysis, and real-time monitoring of the production process.

10. The AI ​​power module PCB online copper thickness automatic testing and control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When multiple defective products are detected consecutively or data anomalies are detected, the equipment automatically triggers an early warning, reminding staff to investigate production line process issues and achieve quality control during the production process.

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