PCB Soldering Program Generation from Board Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current soldering processes rely on vector-based data or manual input for determining board layouts and manufacturing settings, which is time-consuming, prone to errors, and fails to account for individual board variations, leading to suboptimal settings.
Innovation Solution
A process that involves obtaining an image of the board using an image capturing device to determine board properties such as soldering spot locations and cross-sectional dimensions, and then using these properties to determine customized manufacturing settings, including flux and solder application parameters, from an information repository.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If vector-based data (Gerber data) is used to define board layout, then manufacturing settings can be determined, but the data is difficult and expensive to produce and requires manual verification against actual board layout
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copying (imaging) of the actual board to create a digital representation of its layout, replacing the need to produce and verify vector-based Gerber data. The imaging device captures the actual board geometry directly, eliminating the complex data production and verification process while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of creating and verifying vector-based layout data with an automated optical imaging system. The imaging device automatically captures board layout information, substituting manual data entry and verification operations with automated optical detection.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual input is used to adjust measurements to represent actual board dimensions, then manufacturing settings can be customized, but the process is time consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system automatically measures board dimensions and generates manufacturing settings without requiring manual input or adjustment. The system self-corrects for variations in board dimensions by directly imaging the actual board and using those measurements to determine appropriate soldering parameters, eliminating time-consuming manual measurement and adjustment operations.
3Productivity
If manufacturing settings are determined from vector-based data or drawings, then settings can be established for boards of the same design, but no account is made for differences between each board and the design, leading to suboptimal settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining manufacturing settings based on the actual measured dimensions of each individual board rather than using uniform settings for all boards of a design. The imaging system captures and analyzes the specific geometry of each board, allowing customization of soldering parameters to match the actual board characteristics, thereby optimizing results for each individual board while maintaining efficient automated processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Example processes for generating a program for applying flux to, and/or for soldering components onto, an electronics board, the program including manufacturing settings, involves: a) obtaining an image of the board: b) determining board properties from the image of the board, the board properties including: a location or locations of at least one soldering spot on the board, wherein the at least one soldering spot includes an aperture through which a part of an electronic component extends or is extendable, to be soldered to the board; and c) determine the manufacturing settings based upon the determined board properties.