3-DIMENSIONAL AUTOMATED VISUAL INSPECTION OF SURFACE MOUNTED DEVICES

Surface Mounted Technology (SMT) has created a demand for machine visi on systems that can reliably verify component placement for screening inspection and process improvement. This paper describes a new 3-D com puter vision system being developed at the Center for Electronics Manu facturing (GEM) of The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for the i nspection of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). A small range finder, util izing a laser-based triangulation measurement method, is being employe d for the development of an effective high resolution 3-D SMT inspecti on system. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.