Mitigating Electronic Failures with Cybord's Advanced Traceability Software
By Dr. Eyal Weiss, Founder & CTO, Cybord
In electronics, reliability is paramount, with every malfunction carrying potential consequences. Recently, a critical automotive component—the braking electronics circuit board—began experiencing sporadic failures, triggering random emergency braking incidents and raising serious safety concerns among customers.
Assigned to tackle this challenge, the task force manager faced a daunting task. Initially, suspicions centered on potential workmanship issues within the PCB assembly’s soldering reliability. Temporary fixes involving soldering iron applications hinted at underlying reliability issues that proved elusive to definitively diagnose.
Equipped with modern traceability systems, the investigation proceeded cautiously amidst mounting challenges. Serial numbers of affected cars and relevant PCBs were meticulously logged. The few removed boards on the manager’s desk provided limited insights—fixing the soldering alleviated the issue, prompting questions: Was it indeed a workmanship flaw, or something more?
Cross-section analysis revealed unreliable bonds, reinforcing suspicions of workmanship defects. Frustration peaked as the manager confronted the EMS manager, attributing the debacle to outrageous lapses in workmanship. Recalling the entire production batch was a painful necessity, escalating losses, reputational damage, legal implications, and safety concerns.
The turning point arrived with Cybord’s deployment of advanced traceability software. Utilizing bottom-side alignment cameras and top-view 2D cameras from AOI inspections, Cybord captured and analyzed AI forensic data on all components. This included decoding top marking context, counterfeit detection, defect identification, contamination, corrosion, and more. Cybord’s solution provided a comprehensive database enabling precise correlation of serial numbers with suspect PCB batches.
Visual inspections, now backed by advanced data analytics and AI-driven insights, confirmed suspicions—components with corrosion exhibited visible contamination on soldering leads, definitively pinpointing the root cause of failures.
Cybord’s robust algorithm further analyzed data, identifying specific reels and date codes linked to faulty components. Out of 16,000 scrutinized electronic components used in the “bad” batch, 260 were definitively defective, and 660 marginally contaminated components were identified. Armed with these insights, the team executed a targeted recall strategy, promptly replacing 28 circuit boards across affected vehicles. This proactive approach not only mitigated safety risks but also minimized customer inconvenience and financial losses.
This experience, though fictional, underscores a common reality in the electronics industry, where similar catastrophic failures occur all too often. It highlights the transformative impact of Cybord’s traceability software, turning manufacturing challenges into opportunities for innovation and improvement. By harnessing data-driven insights, Cybord not only ensures product reliability but also strengthens customer trust, ensuring every product meets the highest standards of safety and performance. This is a call to action for engineers and manufacturers alike: embrace advanced traceability solutions to safeguard the future of your products and protect your customers.