>I am trying to get an idea of what system seems to work best for >solder paste inspection. I am looking for basic table top >models with he capabilites of height and width measurements. >Can anyone give me suggestions, pricing and why you prefer one >over the other. | A previous thread on this forum (July archives) mentioned a table top measuring microscope that can be obtained from Start International (800.259.1986). It will measure depth and one axis of width. we use it several times daily as a process control device, taking measurements at five different points on the printed area. Very cost effective. A bright light source at a flat (near horizontal) angle helps to define the tops of the solder balls. Hi Owen! There's a depth-measuring microscope system made by what used to be Screen Manufacturing Technologies (now AlphaMetals), that I think is one of the most cost effective ways to reliably measure solder paste. It's called a SmartMeasure...I just recently bought my third one at the latest company I'm working at, the other two I bought while working at other companies. It's a machined aluminum base with a 100X microscope mounted on a arm that has a Mitutoyo digital Z-axis micrometer incorporated into the focusing mechanism of the microscope. The whole thing works just like a Vision Engineering system if you've ever seen one of those units. You print your board, find a area of a pad that you can focus on, zero your micrometer, then focus on the top of the printed paste, and read your height off of the micrometer...piece of cake! It's good for plus or minus a half a mil...same specs that the laser ones tout as well. It's probably something similar to the system that Mike was talking about from Start, 'cause this one has a micrometer that can measure one other axis besides "Z" too. If you want, you can also have them put another micrometer on it and then it can do X,Y, and Z. There's also an optional mini-processor/printer that you can get with it that will plug right into the Mitutoyo and log the readings that you get by pushing a button once you've focused at the top of the paste, and then use that data to chart SPC. The price? A whopping $1,600 bucks! The accessory microprocessor will run ya' another $575, and if you want another micrometer so you can do X, Y, and Z, that's another $400. The units I've bought have all been the bare-bones stock jobs... I never needed any of the other stuff they sell with it. I gotta tell ya', it works like a champ! Sure, it ain't got those fancy "Luke Skywalker" lasers in it, and you do gotta little more to do than push a button, but when you look at this: $15,000.000 versus this: $1,595.00 ...it tends to make your mind up pretty easy. Call (408) 562-2033 and ask for Jim Vaughn. Tell him I said howdie! -Steve Gregory-
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