The rigor of pass-fail is not found in just the pressure-cooker of a classroom.
In the business world, the difference between Pass Inspection and Failing to
Meet Standards could amount to thousands or millions of dollars. One commercial
pioneer, Electronic Pack-aging Co. (Dallas, EPC), has developed a new system
that considerably reduces the size of the proverbial ?scrap heap.?
EPC?s particular application involves the repairing of ?failed?
printed circuit boards (PCBs), which is often not a failure, but a result of
the technician being unable to locate the short. Using their conventional repair
stations, an average of 65% of the boards were classified as ?irreparable.?
Now, using a CNC Gantry from Techno-isel (New Hyde Park, NY) as the base platform,
EPC?s new computer-aided PCB repair system has significantly reduced scrapped
boards. EPC?s new station, the Model 5500, projects any ?problem
traces? onto the board with an LCD projector, which indicates the most
likely areas or faults and it also detects recurring errors. The CNC Gantry
allows the images from the LCD to be positioned with accuracy and precision
that is essential in today?s densely packed PCBs.