Inspection and Measurement

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With today’s challenging design environment, customers must move quickly from product design to prototype with an ever changing variety of components coming from multiple sources. This is done on a collection of machines that support many different processes, like plotting, developing, plating, gluing and soldering. Each machine is operated by a collection of people at different facilities with different skill levels. This must all be completed with the lowest cost and highest success rate possible. 

For the past 30 years, ScanCAD has offered inspection systems to over 50 countries across the globe, with many different manufacturing processes, outputs and problems. Let us use our knowledge and experience to provide you with an independent inspection confirming that your parts have been manufactured to spec. 

ScanCAD’s NIST-Traceable calibrated optical imaging system can inspect 100% of your stencils, screens, phototools, encoders, boards, films or other 2D parts. By examining the original design data against the product, ScanCAD is able to simultaneously inspect millions of features and find deviations down to 12 micron. 

Our inspection process is both simple and robust. 

  1. Process and import the CAM, CAD or cut file
  2. Image the part in question using our calibrated imaging platform
  3. Superimpose the image of the item and the CAD Data
  4. Inspect using ScanCAD’s powerful inspection software
  5. Generate a report showing locations of blockages, defects, damage or debris, as well as position problems and missing apertures. 

Stencils and Screens

Stencils, whether e-form or laser cut, suffer manufacturing defects that can completely disable a product line or cause failure of a PCB after many years of use that may not initially be caught by electrical test. By leveraging our imaging platform, we can inspect each aperture for size, shape, blockages or damage simultaneously. Results are documented, and you can determine if the stencil or screen is usable for a production run or if you need to replace the stencil. If desired, we can even adjust the data to create a stencil that better matches the circuit board (see the Motorola study below). Additionally, ScanCAD can measure the stencil’s stretch and sizing, either in or out of frame. This inspection can identify issues with scaling when compared to the design data for the PCB.

In order to reduce lead times, some companies made the mistake of using the same gerber data to produce the circuit board AND the stencil for the PCB. Once fabricated, the stencil and PCB did not match due to the fact that both fabrication processes have vastly different tolerances and accuracies.

The study concluded that solder paste and component placement errors can be reduced by over 40% by simply adjusting the stencil cut data to match the PCB after the board was fabricated.

2D Parts

Using the same imaging platform, ScanCAD can measure and inspect 2D or extruded parts against its original 2D CAD data. By inspecting the part as a whole and against its original design shape and size, this measurement process easily identifies problems with arcs, curves and dimensionality that may be missed when checking individual dimensional measurements using traditional measurement methods.

Films, Phototools and Textiles, oh my!

Beyond simple parts, ScanCAD can also inspect transparent and semitransparent 2D patterns from photo tools, films, textiles, and meshes. One of our customers, Kodak, uses these systems to inspect for 15 micron defects on film rolls 5 kilometers long! 

PCB and Flex Circuits

No fabrication process is perfect, and this is especially true for circuit fabrication. There are many chemicals and materials, different processes, heat and pressure that are required for fabrication, so a PCB may not be identical to its original design data. ScanCAD can check PCBs and Flex circuits for manufacturing defects in the solder mask, solder/solder paste deposition, silkscreen, layer to layer registration, and wet-dispensed material print quality and thickness.

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Trade shows

ScanCAD participates in many trade shows during the year, whether in ScanCAD's booth or by way of our distributor/OEM.

IPC APEX 2025
March 18-20, 2025
Anaheim, CA USA
ScanCAD Booth 1700

News

Microboard Case Study

Microboard Case Study: Streamlining Circuit Card Assembly Pre-Production with ScanCAD   “We wouldn’t be able to run with the top two complexity customers we have today without ScanCAD,” stated the...

read more

Charity: Water

Charity: Water Our team enjoys having the opportunity to give back to a handful of organizations that are mission-driven and making a difference in the lives of others. We are proud to support...

read more

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation Giving Back and positively contributing to our world in a lasting and meaningful way is central to our work. Because of this, we support many amazing...

read more

ScanCAD Software Version 8.87 is ready!

ScanCAD Software Version 8.87 is ready! We have just put the final touches on our new software release and we are very excited to share it with you all! Software version 8.87 has over 60 software...

read more

Meet the SCI Team: Sharon

Meet the ScanCAD team in this series of blog posts. Get to know Sharon! Sharon, ScanCAD's Office Manager, started working at ScanCAD in 2016 after retiring from accounting in 2015.  When asked what...

read more

Neural Networks: Analog is back!

Let's face it, AI is the future of the electronics industry. The value of this tool is that it will allow for the automation of automation, giving mankind a new tool in our ever-growing toolbox. AI...

read more

Trade shows

ScanCAD participates in many trade shows during the year, whether in ScanCAD's own booth or by way of our distributor/OEM.

Guadalajara Expo and Tech Forum
October 25 and 26, 2023
Chihuahua City, Mexico
EXPO GUADALAJARA
USM Reps Booth

TPCA Show
October 25-27, 2023
Taipei , Taiwan
Microsys Booth

PRODUCTRONICA 2023
November 14-17, 2023
Munich, Germany
GS Electronic Booth

DMC 2023
December 11-14, 2023
Music City Center
Nashville, Tennessee
Booth 314

APEX 2024
April 9-11, 2024
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California
Booth 3206

ScanCAD Gives Back

Giving back is an important part of our company vision. As a global company, bettering the lives of others is central to what makes us most excited. Because of this, ScanCAD gives a percentage of revenue to charities and mission-driven nonprofit organizations that employees are most passionate about supporting.

Privacy Policy

ScanCAD International Inc. is a corporate member of:

U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics
Defense Electronics Consortium
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