Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1500520
66 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2023 Article by Dr. Eyal Weiss CYBORD Traceability means being able to track the origin of any given electrical component throughout the supply chain. For OEMs, this is no longer optional or "nice to have." Yet indus- trial traceability capacities are sorely lacking throughout industries. Today, the most widespread standard for traceability is "batch traceability," which aside from tracking the production lot, serial num- ber, and exact board placement for compo- nents, fails to analyze the individual compo- nents themselves, thus jeopardizing the qual- ity of the goods they compose. Faulty components are unavoidable. For components that make it into circulation and harbor some kind of defect, the result can eas- ily cascade into sweeping recalls that waste time, money, and resources. Instead, electronics manufacturers need to be able to facilitate recalls much more surgi- cally. But that can only be achieved through exploratory traceability: new processes that employ precise, detailed, and exacting visual identification of every electronic component placed on a PCBA. Original equipment manufacturers have an opportunity to improve traceability with AI tools and big data, closing the information gaps that plague tech products across the sup- ply chain. Where Lies the Fault? Because eight out of 10 failures are attributed to faulty components rather than faulty work- manship, most manufacturers view traceabil- ity as essential. Aer all, it allows them to oper-