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Back to NewsInterview with Sean Langbridge, CyberOptics at SMT Nuremberg 2017
With Trevor Gailbraith, Global SMT & Packaging
Q: Welcome to CyberOptics booth at SMT Nuremberg. I’m here with Sean Langbridge, Global Sales Director. We’re here to talk about two new pieces of equipment that you’ve launched recently. One is the CyberGage360 that operates a little bit like an SPI. Tell us more about it.
A: It is utilizing technology from our SPI system and 3D AOI systems, so it’s using blue light projection technology. What’s unique about this system is that it’s not focused on SMT market as such, although there are some applications for SMT, but it’s a general metrology tool for general industry – plastic injection molding, CMM machine parts. What’s unique about it, is its speed and simplicity and the fact we are taking 360-degree projection – from the top, from the bottom – and rotating the part on the glass plate. We can take up to 16 million measurements in less than 3 minutes. The overall 3D scan is accurate to 7 microns, so it’s a pretty advanced kit.
Q: It’s incredible. So basically, you’re digitizing the enclosure and people can use that for…
A: It has many applications Trevor. Where we see the main application fits in with inspection so you can verify that a plastic part enclosure or a metallic part is within the correct tolerance or dimensions, so it’s an external dimensional measurement tool.
Q: What’s the maximum sample size you can take?
A: On this system, it’s 200x200x100 so it’s like a cake. Quite a large cake – a US cake.
Q: So, the other thing we touched on lightly last time we spoke is the metrology of AOI. With all this Industry 4.0 coming though, people need data, they don’t need pictures. What is CyberOptics doing to address that?
A: That’s a very good point and a very interesting one. What we just released on our 3D AOI is a CMM module. This is a software suite of tools that enables point to point measurement, distance measurement, height area, volume measurement – very, very accurately. We believe these will play heavily or very well into Industry 4.0, as you mentioned, people are not just looking at images, they want real measurement data and the data must be accurate for it to be meaningful, so you can act on it with confidence across the line.
Q: So, what kind of tolerances are you getting?
A: Typically, plus or minus 10 microns in X and Y so very good tolerances. The height resolution of our sensor is 1 micron so that’s the smallest dimensional change we can measure so it’s a high-resolution sensor and we’re getting very good measurements down to/near to (Coordinate Measurement Machine) CMM levels.
Q: So, this would be useful also for post-placement AOI to send instructions back to the pick and place machine?
A: What’s interesting about our 3D AOI system is we have some customers utilizing it for both 3D SPI and 3D AOI because the sensor is capable of both. What they like about this in typically off-line applications is that they can verify 3D SPI process, post-placement process and post-reflow process for first NPI with one system so we’re seeing quite a few people interested in that. We can set up an assembly that caters for all three applications.
Q: Sounds like you’re going in the right direction Sean. Obviously, there is a lot of development going on at CyberOptics, as always. Are we going to see anything special at Productronica Germany coming in November?
A: I think you will. We are just about to launch a new dual lane platform, which is dual lane, dual sensors so probably one of the fastest 3D AOI machines in the market. In fact, we’re at pre-production phase with two key customers in Asia right now, so I think you’ll see this machine at Productronica. And, we’ll continue the high-resolution sensor development of our 3D AOI platform. We already have a new sensor in R&D with very, very high resolution, so more about that later.
Q: Do you build your own sensors or do you work with partners?
A: All of our sensors are manufactured by CyberOptics in the USA. That’s one of our major areas of expertise is 3D sensor development – all done in the USA. And, we’re probably still one of the only companies that has calibration-free optics in the market today. It’s unique.
