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OCTOBER 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 27 for different tasks, which can take years to become production ready. Choosing an automated inspection company which has foundation models specifically for PCBA/ electronics defects will reduce time-to- production for automated inspection from years to weeks. • Digitization: Multiple systems (IoT, imag- ing systems, MES) now allow manufactur- ers to collect large-scale metadata. Manu- facturers can use this data, including product quality data gathered from inspection systems, to identify production issues, optimize product design for efficient manufacturing, and facilitate customer-facing teams to address product defects in the field. ese advancements help electronics man- ufacturers reduce waste and improve quality, ultimately making them more profitable and competitive. SMT007 Mike Konrad is founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, and vice president of communi- cations for SMTA. To read past columns, click here. is to increase profitability by improving pro- duction yields and reducing costly rework. In recent years, 3D AOI machines have developed rapidly, and many new functions have been added. While these performance improve- ments are welcome, they have added another level of complexity to the programming and optimization of the inspection system. 3D AOI machines require much more parame- ter manipulation for teaching and debugging, resulting in increased dependency on the skill of the process engineer. is presents a host of new challenges. If a skilled employee is replaced or a new employee is introduced due to the addition of more SMT lines, productivity may be adversely affected until the skill level of the employee is improved. Such uncertainty and instability are something that electronics manufacturers must avoid to maintain quality control. is is where the need for AI is highlighted. In short, the goal of using AI is to reduce the level of operator pro- ficiency required to maintain the highest levels of manufacturing quality and efficiency. Scutchfield: Everything right now is revolving around Smart factory realization, where the data is applied real time to improve processes and drive toward "self-healing" initiatives. rough this, PCB assemblers are becoming less reliant on human need and intervention, and improving their yields (less rework), all of which adds up to reducing their costs. Beyond that, backend inspection is gaining a lot of traction, where we can now apply frontend concepts and technology to backend/box and module build applications. is will continue to grow significantly over the next few years. Virani: Some advancements and trends include: • Foundation AI models: ese are pre- trained AI models tailored to specific types of products and defects. Traditionally, manufacturers had to build in-house AI and automation teams to build AI systems Six phase color light. (Source: MIRTEC)