ai enables visual inspection
AI enables visual inspection of 100% of electronic
components
April 2023 John Larkin
The global supply chain has been experiencing significant challenges in maintaining
product quality in recent years.
These issues have resulted in unprecedented electronic component waste, which has
impacted manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers alike. The problems stem from a range
of factors, including inadequate quality control, lack of oversight, and insufficient
communication between different players in the supply chain.
In this article, we discuss the problems with supply chain quality that have led to electronic
component waste and explore how companies like Cybord are helping Tier 1s and OEMs
to tackle these challenges.
The challenges of supply chain quality
One of the most significant challenges in maintaining supply chain quality is the lack of
oversight across the manufacturing process. Electronic components are produced by
suppliers across the world, often in multiple locations, before being shipped to the final
assembly line.
This can result in quality issues that may not be apparent until the final product is
assembled. If these issues are not caught early, they can result in significant waste,
recalls, and warranty claims.
Another challenge is the lack of communication between different players in the supply
chain. Suppliers and manufacturers may not have a clear understanding of the product
specifications or requirements, which can lead to confusion and
errors in the production process.
The use of different suppliers for the same components can also
result in inconsistencies in product quality.
Finally, quality control measures may not be in place or adequately
enforced at every stage of the production process. As a result,
defective components may pass through quality checks
undetected, resulting in downstream failures and significant waste.
In conversation with Automotive Industries is Oshri Cohen, the
CEO of Cybord, a leading inline visual-AI platform which provides a
more comprehensive view of production lines. It ensures the
assembled electronic components’ authenticity and quality, and
provides the highest level of traceability.
Cohen is an executive officer with 20+ years of management experience in operations, engineering, and supply chain in multinational high-tech companies.
Before joining Cybord, ohen headed Supply Chain at
Nvidia Networks. Prior to that he led global procurement and logistics at Mellanox
(acquired by Nvidia).
Cohen holds a BSc. in Industrial Engineering from Ruppin academic centre and MSc in
system Engineering from Technion University.
Under his leadership, Cybord has experienced significant growth, expanding its customer
base and developed advanced solutions to mitigate the risks of field failures and
counterfeit electronic components.
Automotive Industries (AI) asked Cohen to share the benefits of identifying defective components early.
Cohen: Preventing electronic component failures in the early stages of manufacturing is crucial to avoid substantial costs and
damage to a company’s reputation. The damage resulting from releasing a board or
system with a failed component to the market is an aggregated factor. If the failed component is
detected during the assembly process, the cost to fix it would be minimal, comprising only
the component cost and a few minutes of labor.
However, if the board is allowed to pass through the assembly stage into subsequent
manufacturing stages, the cost to fix the error increases by ten to fifty times.
The worst-case scenario is when a faulty board is shipped to a customer, which could
result in high recall costs and irreparable damage to the company’s reputation.
Until recently, it was almost impossible to eliminate electronic component failures in their
early stages. However, with advanced AI and big data technology, it is now possible to
achieve this critical objective.
AI: How does Cybord’s advanced AI vision technology help Tier 1s and OEMs inspect
100% of electronic components on the assembly line?
Cohen: Currently, there is a lack of tools or systems available that can provide 100%
inspection of electronic components prior to assembly.
However, our innovative solution is a unique software platform that is built on artificial
intelligence and big data.
The Cybord platform seamlessly connects to component assembly machines, allowing for
real-time inspection of all components a fraction of a second before they are assembled
onto the boards.
By examining all components within the assembly process, Cybord’s solution empowers
customers to identify and eliminate defective components, thereby ensuring that the final
boards are free from any quality or counterfeit risks.
Cybord Near real-time defects detection.
For the automotive industry in particular, this technology represents a major breakthrough, as it has the potential to significantly reduce warranty claims.
AI: Can you share some examples of how Cybord has helped its customers reduce recall
and warranty claims, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce waste?
Cohen: In a recent incident, one of our customers experienced an issue on their
production line in which a reel with repetitive oxidation marks was identified.
Thanks to the advanced capabilities of the Cybord platform, which is designed to monitor
and inspect components in real-time, the system was able to detect the problem after 20
failed components and immediately halted the machine.
This proactive action prevented approximately 10,000 oxidized components from being
assembled onto customer boards, which would have significantly impacted the reliability of
those boards.
Subsequently, the same reel was sent to an authorized laboratory for further inspection,
and it was confirmed that the components were not suitable for use. This instance
highlights the significant benefits of leveraging innovative technologies such as our
platform to identify and address issues in real-time, thereby minimizing risks to product
quality and reliability.
By enabling proactive measures, businesses can ensure that their customers receive the highest quality products while minimizing the likelihood of costly and reputation-damaging issues.
AI: What quality assurance practices should Tier 1s and OEMs institute across the board
to ensure high-quality products?
Cohen: One of the critical factors in ensuring product quality and reliability is the ability to
visually inspect 100% of the assembled components.
For customers, this means verifying that each component is sourced from a reliable
manufacturer, and that the homogeneity level within the same reel is high, free from any
visual defects, oxidation, or mold evidence.
Statistics have shown that approximately 90% of component failures are associated with
visual indications on the component itself.
Therefore, the ability to observe and inspect 100% of the components provides
comprehensive coverage to identify and mitigate most of the potential issues. By
implementing robust visual inspection processes, customers can significantly reduce the
risk of quality issues, improve product reliability, and enhance their overall reputation in the
market.
AI: How does Cybord enable manufacturers to implement these quality assurance
practices effectively?
Cohen: Cybord’s platform is a software-only solution that does not require any additional
capital investments or modifications to production line layouts.
To begin, the Cybord platform is installed onto a
dedicated server within thefactory, which collects all
images from surfacemount technology (SMT)
and automated optical inspection (AOI) machines.
Once collected, the server modifies the component images and uploads them to the cloud, where our
advanced AI algorithms analyze them in near realtime
.The end-to-end process time is less than a minute,
ensuring that alerts are raised quickly if any components are suspected of being faulty.
In the event of an alert, the Cybord platform provides detailed information about the board
serial number and the location of the faulty component. This information empowers
customers to quickly address the issue, preventing any future implications and minimizing
downtime.
AI: What sets Cybord apart from other companies offering similar solutions in the market?
Cohen: Cybord stands out in the market thanks to several key differentiators.
First and foremost, the platform is designed to work seamlessly with standard assembly
machines, making it compatible with virtually every assembly line in the world.
Additionally, Cybord’s platform is a software-only solution, requiring no additional hardware
to be installed. This makes it easy for customers to integrate the platform into their existing
production infrastructure without significant modifications or investments.
One of the most significant advantages of the Cybord platform is that it reviews 100% of
the components on a customer’s assembly line, with no sampling required.
This ensures that every component is thoroughly inspected for any visual defects, with
both the top and bottom sides of each component reviewed.
Unlike other traceability systems that rely on log collection, Cybord’s solution is based on
visual evidence, providing a more accurate and reliable method for tracking component
quality and reliability.
Every customer using the Cybord platform benefits from the platform’s extensive database
and knowledge, which continually grows as more components are added to the system.
This is made possible thanks to advanced AI algorithms that constantly refine the system’s
capabilities, eliminating the need for customers to provide golden units for each
component.
Cybord Smart Decision Dashboard.
ai enables visual inspection
ai enables visual inspection
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