Machvision Leads Shift to Automated Inline Final Inspection, AOI in North America

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Editor's note: This article appeared in the August 2025 PCB007 Magazine as part of our spotlight on Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) chose Machvision inspection equipment due to its capabilities and versatility. Machvision of Taiwan offers circuit inspection, hole inspection and measurement, IC Substrate and HDI inspection, and final visual inspection solutions.

The best fit for SEL was the 4.0Pro Circuit Inspection for inner and outer layers, and the AFI6 for final visual inspection of finished panels.

The 4.0Pro allows for rapid changeover between recipes and detection of copper defects as small as 0.0025" (0.0635 mm). It identifies shorts, opens, nicks, protrusions, pinholes, line width violations, spacing issues, pad size deviations, SMT violations, and drill errors. It processes a wide panel thickness range from 0.05 mm to 3.2 mm (0.002" to 0.110"), with SEL using it mainly for inner and outer layers. Inspection programs are downloaded “on the fly” after panel identification. The system supports existing verification stations and provides high-resolution color images.

The AFI6 performs automated final inspection (AFVI) prior to packaging and shipment. It detects cosmetic and functional defects such as gold/copper discoloration, scratches, abnormal feature sizes, drill voids, solder mask or metal peeling, foreign objects, missing legends, and blurred markings. It works with setup and repair stations to improve throughput and consistency. Like the 4.0Pro, the AFI6 can download inspection programs dynamically per panel ID.

Importantly, AFVI brings major advantages over traditional manual final inspection.

Final inspection has long been a bottleneck in PCB production, with manufacturers often relying on experienced inspectors to visually verify finished boards under magnification. This role is not only repetitive and fatiguing but increasingly complex to staff because of labor shortages and high turnover. Hiring and training skilled inspectors is time-consuming, and visual quality can vary between operators, leading to inconsistencies.

AFVI solutions like Machvision’s AFI6 address these challenges by standardizing defect detection, maintaining consistent quality standards, and significantly reducing inspection times. The system does not tire or lose focus over time, allowing 24/7 operation with predictable output. It also generates digital inspection records, supporting traceability and quality audits.

The AFI6 system was configured for manual loading at SEL, with an option to upgrade to conveyorized or automated loading in the future, supporting scalable automation. The 4.0Pro was configured with conveyors and has been integrated with automated loading.

To see all of our SEL coverage, be sure to check out the August 2025 edition of PCB007 Magazine.