Agilent launches 3-D in-line AXI system

Agilent Technologies has announced what it calls the world’s fastest in-line automated 3-D x-ray inspection system that can detect printed-circuit-board assembly (PCBA) solder and manufacturing-assembly defects. Called the Agilent Medalist x6000 AXI, the new system more than doubles the throughput of other systems, such as Agilent’s 5DX, while making use of full 3-D capability to find defects, according to the company.

It targets the growing number of boards using array packages (which grew 30% in 2006) as well as increasing joint counts, which are becoming as high as 60,000 per board. The company reports that the new system can inspect 3 in.2/s, vs. 1.5 in.2/s for the 5DX.

The increased throughput reduces the number of systems required to meet manufacturing volumes, and it enables complete 3-D inspection of an entire PCBA at in-line speeds. In the past, high-throughput 2-D systems have been used in limited applications where the PCBAs under test are predominately single-sided. Double-sided PCBAs, however, require 3-D inspection so users can discriminate between the top and bottom sides of boards.

Typical communication and computation products can have 35% overlap or more between the solder joints, Agilent reports, which compromises the test-coverage effectiveness of in-line 2-D approaches. In addition, the Medalist x6000 provides a new development environment that incorporates several automatic test-development features that help new users develop high-quality, high-coverage programs in half the time previously required, according to Agilent.

The company has not released price information but says prices will be comparable to 5DX prices. Agilent Technologies, www.agilent.com.