The quest for zero defects with 3D laminography on electronic boards

Testimony

• How does laminography enhance the reliability and quality of electronic products?

  

  Rafal :

  3D laminography is a non-destructive testing technique that measures the shape of soldered joints and the position of components through the combination of two technologies:

  1. X-ray imaging, which analyses the brazed joints, which are underneath the components, and thus not visible, to verify the reliability of the product and hence the stability of the process
  2. Laminography, a digital imaging technique that models the 3D volume of an object slice by slice, to verify and ensure the quality of brazed joints

   

  We have thus trained our production teams to specify testing criteria related to laminography. In this way, the compliance of each component of an electronic board is inspected automatically to achieve the expected level of quality.

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  In this photo, on the left, an electronic board as seen with the naked eye, and on the right, the same product cut into slices, using 3D laminography.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  What is the origin of this high-precision quality control technology?

  

  Rafal :

  Faced with the densification of electronic components and the increasing complexity of technologies, 2D radiography proved insufficient to satisfy the levels of reliability and quality demanded for industrial products.

   

  3D laminography was therefore initially developed to meet the needs of microelectronics and component manufacturers, before being used for manufacturing electronic boards, such as those made by the Electronics activity of LACROIX for its high-tech customers.

• Is this technology integrated with other industrial equipment?

  

  Rafal :

  Absolutely, it is also one of the key challenges of our Smart Industry approach: connecting machines together to optimise our industrial performance. Thus, 3D laminography is complementary to the automated optical inspection (AOI) cobot at the end of the process. In our machine fleet, these two technologies make it possible to increase the reliability of inspections of very complex electronic boards.

   

  In the medium term, we plan to roll out this technique in the company’s other plants in France, Germany and Tunisia.