Nordson ASYMTEK announced an automated coating inspection (ACI) line combining its Select Coat^® SL-940 Conformal Coating system with the FX-940UV Series ACI/AOI Automated Conformal Coat Inspection system. Together, the systems ensure a conformal coating process that's accurate and reliable, and delivers ongoing coating quality and consistency.

Eliminating coating problems starts with a high-quality conformal coating system with process controls. The Nordson ASYMTEK Select Coat SL-940 conformal coating system provides the highest quality and productivity for automated coating processes. The system has a wide range of features to monitor and control the process and to provide traceability, such as fan width control, viscosity control, flow monitoring, a bar code system, and a vision system. Information can be exchanged with customer-specific factory information systems (FIS) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to ensure factory production workflow.

Conformal coatings used by electronic manufacturers contain UV indicators for the purpose of inspection. Since coatings are transparent, parts must be viewed under ultraviolet or black light to verify coverage and non-coverage. The FX-940UV's advanced, high-power UV lighting and newly available image-processing technology integrate several techniques, including coverage and color inspection, normalized correlation, and rule-based algorithms to provide complete inspection coverage with an unmatched low false-failure rate. Advanced multiple-camera imaging technology offers high-speed inspection with defect coverage. The FX-942 model provides dual-sided viewing (top-down and bottom-up) cameras. The ACI/AOI systems inspect conformal coating coverage and verify correct part assembly in SMT or through-hole applications, improving quality and enhancing yield.

With minimal programming, the inspection set-up is fast and intuitive, typically requiring less than 30 minutes. A known-good board is used to teach the coverage and non-coverage areas. Automated inspection typically takes only a few seconds and results are immediately displayed. These results can be stored and reviewed off-line. The FX-940UV also reads all common barcodes and captures board images for product traceability.

Configurable for several line positions, the FX-940UV ACI series is equally effective for coating, pre- and post-cure, and final assembly inspection. Off-line programming maximizes machine utilization, and real-time SPC monitoring provides a valuable yield enhancement solution. The FX-940UV can be fully integrated with a FIS/MES system to capture up-to-the-minute process data. Single-page, quick feedback reports provide an overall view of the inspected board and allow users to zoom in on specific areas of interest, such as around keep-out zones and critical components.

Together, Nordson ASYMTEK's Select Coat SL-940 conformal coating system and FX-940 ACI can team up for coating that is done accurately and reliably.

For more information contact Nordson ASYMTEK at info@nordsonasymtek.com, call 760/431.1919, or visit www.nordsonasymtek.com.