AOI compares the product’s image to an ideal one and highlights flaws or anomalies. This allows manufacturers to catch mistakes before they cause severe damage or result in defective products.

Automated optical inspection is used to identify defects in high-speed production lines. It offers several advantages to manufacturers, including improved product quality and faster time-to-market.

Improved Product Quality

Visual inspection of products is essential in the manufacturing industry to ensure quality. Machine vision systems automate the inspection process, increasing accuracy, speed, and consistency while reducing costs. They can also detect several defects and errors that would be difficult for human operators to identify.

AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) systems use lights, lenses, and cameras to capture and process images of a product. Like automated optical inspection for manufacturing, these images are analyzed and displayed on the screen to identify defects. These systems are designed to detect many flaws and errors in high-speed production lines.

Optical inspection machines can inspect solder joints on PCBs and identify factors such as poor or excessive solder, bridging between adjacent pads, and solder voids. They can determine whether these defects affect the electrical or mechanical integrity of the PCB components and report them in an easily understandable format for humans. Additionally to this, a high-quality Line Scan Camera can detect fast moving objects with ease, making the job process easier and ensuring it is uninterrupted whilst still providing high resolution and precise defect detection. 

Increased Productivity

Optical inspection systems provide a wide range of capabilities for quality assurance. They can measure edges, surface points, and scan contours. Some have a laser that can highlight a specific fact on the part to guide an operator or a touch probe for more versatile functionality.

Using optical inspection, manufacturers can eliminate manual errors that may occur in the workplace. These errors can lead to missed defects or false positives that result in production rework and wasted materials. AOI technology is more accurate than human operators and can work quickly, saving production time and lowering costs.

It can also help manufacturers achieve their business objectives by eliminating precision errors, reducing the impact of flaws on production, and addressing static process control. Moreover, it helps them keep up with production demands and stay ahead of the competition. Optical inspection can be implemented as a final check to ensure the highest standards are met before the product leaves the factory.

Reduced Risk of Injury

Visual inspection can be a challenging task for humans. It’s a labor-intensive, repetitive process that often involves juggling reference images and manually filling out reports, all while trying to look closely at small details and flaws in the product being produced.

The accuracy of AOI machines helps to reduce these risks by performing the inspection work without human error. AOI systems can detect various inconsistencies using cameras and sensors, including component placement errors, solder joint quality issues, missing components, and bridges.

Additionally, leveraging AI and AR can help automate some clerical tasks that distract an inspection worker during a shift. This could be anything from giving a worker assistance or improving their situational awareness to automating the filing of reports, freeing up a lot of time and mental energy.

This can help improve productivity and reduce the risk of injury for inspection workers. It can also help reduce manufacturers’ time-to-market by catching defects or flaws sooner, allowing them to release products to market faster.

Increased Safety

The use of surface vision and inspection systems allows for more thorough quality control than the human eye, and it does so in a much faster time. This translates to a more significant safety margin in manufacturing, as even minor defects will be detected.

Manufacturers whose production processes involve intricate parts can now use automated visual inspection to verify the accuracy of those parts before they leave the factory floor. The system works by capturing images and comparing them to a set of criteria that has been programmed into the software. Any deviations will then be reported and sorted.

Due to inconvenient working hours, complex training regimens, or simply the “Great Resignation” of the past couple of years, manufacturers have found finding and retaining quality assurance workers challenging. Thankfully, new technologies like AI and AR can make these roles less physically demanding and more engaging. They also allow inspectors to follow 3D digital instructions and keep their hands free while completing tasks.