Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1534953
Feature Article by Eyal Weiss CYBORD As the complexity and demands of elec- tronics manufacturing continue to rise, the smart factory is no longer a distant vision; it has become a necessity. While machine connectivity and line-level data integration have gained traction in recent years, one of the most overlooked opportunities lies in the component itself. Specifically, in the data captured just milliseconds before a compo- nent is placed onto the PCB, which oen goes unexamined and is permanently lost once reflow begins. In many modern SMT lines, the pick- and-place machine captures high-resolu- tion bottom-side images of components as Breaking Silos With Intelligence: Connectivity of Component-level Data Across the SMT Line part of the placement process. ese images represent a unique opportunity: a real- time, untouched view of each component just before it is mounted. Once placed, this view is destroyed—either physically by sol- der or visually by occlusion. Yet, this is pre- cisely the moment when critical informa- tion can be extracted. Issues like corrosion on leads, mechanical damage, probe marks from unauthorized programming, or for- eign object debris (FOD) can all be detected from the underside view before the compo- nent becomes permanently embedded onto the board. Inline X-ray systems, which until recently 14 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2025