Matric already has a variety of non-destructive testing equipment in place, including two AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) machines and a Flying Probe MDA (Manufacturing Defects Analysis) tester. The latest addition to the fleet is an x-ray machine manufactured by phoenix|x-ray.
The new x-ray machine is a microme|x. It is a high-resolution, submicron x-ray system designed for the inspection of solder joints and electronic components on printed circuit boards. It c
an view samples from angles 0 to 70 degrees, with 360 degree rotation. The machine also has built-in modules to perform BGA, QFN, QFP and through-hole solder joint analysis.
Adding the x-ray inspection provides yet another alternative to destructive testing that not only leaves the product intact, but is also significantly faster.
The machine can inspect with magnifications up to 23,320 times. At these magnifications, even the smallest defects in a product are readily visible, including those that are normally hidden beneath other components. Defects such as internal cracks, delaminations, inclusion, improper mechanical fit or excessive porosity are easily visualized without damaging the product, so that it might be repaired instead of simply sliced up and discarded. When combined with full automation and offline analysis, this allows a number of products to be checked with minimum input from the tester and minimum deviation from a standard test. Not only does this ensure that all products are tested equally, thoroughly, it also gives a depth to the testing previously unavailable.
