MARKETHILL, UNITED KINGDOM – Just a week before Christmas, the team at Lenalea Electronics received an early festive present in the form of a brand new 3D AOI system delivered by Europlacer on 19th December 2022 directly to its factory in Markethill, Co. Armagh. The new system went straight into production.

Having been delighted with more than eight years of use from its 2D AOI system, and with the business expanding, the Lenelea production engineering team decided to invest in the latest 3D AOI solution from Europlacer. The objective was to boost productivity by reducing programming time. The latest AOI software enables a much higher level of automatic programming, which reduces operator decisions and consequently reduces false calls. This investment was imperative due to the increasing volume of new customer business coming through the company’s doors.

3D AOI substantially reduces the effects of component shadowing that can sometimes be flagged up as possible errors, requiring an operator to make a fault or no-fault assessment. In addition, 3D technology distinguishes solder on a pad more effectively, providing a greater level of post-reflow assembly confidence.

“False calls are now very infrequent,” claims Lenalea director David Foster. Where potential errors are highlighted, the Lenalea operators benefit from a clearer perspective of the board thanks to a built-in microscope function with next level resolution graphics.

Lenalea wisely involved its assembly operators in the AOI evaluation and purchase decision, with the Europlacer solution favoured due to the company’s multi-award-winning customer support and AOI expertise. “The transition from 2D to 3D proved straightforward thanks to Europlacer’s applications support, with our team getting up to speed quickly,” Foster says. “We are very pleased with our investment and the new AOI is already making a positive impact on our productivity and helping to drive our expansion.”

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