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AI-based quality control on site for electroplating, our most critical process step

20 December, 2022

Being able to continuously ensure quality throughout the entire production process is a key functionality when volumes gradually increase. This applies not least to electroplating, which constitutes the most critical process steps.

In the production line that was completed at Hofstetter's subsidiary SMF&More in May 2022, the two most critical process steps for the manufacture of the JIRS30 sensor take place, namely the electroplating. The two steps, which consist of two different metals, are plated into each pattern created with standardized production steps in the electronics industry at Varioprint. See attached picture.

In order to be able to evaluate results from the plating with the highest possible reliability, a project was started together with the AI ​​company Savantic to create a program for quality control and traceability between the various processes.

Savantic's well-documented expertise in programming and AI made them the obvious choice to build a program for our image analysis. The technology behind the quality control needed to fit the design of the sensor. When the metal wires are plated through the plastic, they are then connected on the surface in a circle whose diameter is less than 0.075 mm. It is important for us to be able to evaluate both how well a circle is filled, and whether all circles in the chain are filled and approved.

The result of the program, which is basically based on a high-resolution scanner, can be easily adjusted based on refined requirements that are fed back later in the process flow. Likewise, the result can be visualized in different ways to find disturbances and create opportunities for improvements in the production line.

Example for evaluation of Metal A and B on a JIRS30 sensor.

This control has been critical and a key in the development work that has been going on for the past year to produce industrial chemicals for plating metal A and B. A panel has about 1,500,000 circles that need to be checked after each plating, and as production increases, a rational way to easily quantify the results is required, with this program in place we have now ensured this.