Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1533904
APRIL 2025 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 9 Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electronics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here. magnitude that's new, and it's the magnitude that brings X-ray into focus. To highlight this month's theme, I start with an excerpt from a new book published by I-Connect007 by Creative Electron's Dr. Bill Cardoso, e Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to… X-ray Inspection. e book starts with some X-ray history and discusses its practical appli- cations for EMS providers. It is free to down- load here. Also, in this issue, I've included an interview I had with Bill on the IPC APEX EXPO show floor. To further the topic of X-ray inspection applications, you'll find two technical papers on X-ray applications that address what we're seeing with X-ray inspection today. While one speaks to X-ray's role in the future of advanced packaging, the other talks about DRAM dam- age due to X-ray inspections in the post-PCB assembly process. With automated optical inspection, X-ray is coming into its own. It would seem it's only a matter of time before artificial intelligence starts to put the AI in AOI, making AOI much faster and reducing the risk of human error. But each application has its own merits. As a reference, one of the award-winning papers at this year's APEX EXPO Technical Conference was by Ben Rachinger about creating a federated database of inspection images that can be shared amongst multiple EMS companies even while protecting the proprietary information. For those of you following AI closely, this paper is a good read. Columnist Mike Konrad moderates a discus- sion on X-ray applications with Jesper Lykke, president and CEO of Viscom, and Robert Boguski, CEO of Datest. is roundtable-style discussion provides some insight into user per- spective on the use of X-ray inspection. Our other columnists touch on their areas of expertise as well. Dr. Jennie Hwang continues her series on AI, new columnist Josh Casper writes on additive manufacturing, Nash Bell discusses the basics of proper lead tinning, and Tom Yang considers "Redefining Connec- tion and Responsibility in Digital Transforma- tion." While perhaps not exactly on the topic of X-ray, these columns address adjacent issues that are key drivers of change on our shop floors in their own right. All this X-ray goodness, however, is built into some "big iron" capital equipment. We're not wearing this technology on our faces in the form of a pair of X-ray specs—not yet, at least. Nevertheless, new challenges in AOI require new inspection techniques and the thought- ful application of tried-and-true technology in new ways. So, turn on those comic book X-ray glasses and look deep into the future. SMT007