The EMS service provider Limtronik has already been producing according to Industry 4.0 standards in its electronics factory for several years. In addition to process optimization, the company's digitalization measures focus on data collection, sorting and analysis as well as further processing for value-adding business models. Together with members of the SEF Smart Electronic Factory such as the German Edge Cloud (GEC) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Limtronik has currently developed a solution that works with AI technologies and image capture in assembly. One of the aims is to draw conclusions about the quality of printed circuit boards. Limtronik will be demonstrating how this can work in a showcase at the Hannover Messe (Hall 4 Stand F23).

"Optical quality assurance with the support of artificial intelligence makes it possible to identify anomalies. The AI can make the appropriate decisions quickly and automatically. This makes it easy to reduce rejects and rework and achieve efficiency and quality improvements," explains Gerd Ohl, Managing Director of Limtronik.

The solution is used at Limtronik and is also intended to serve as a blueprint for other companies. The challenges during implementation included the fact that images had to be available in sufficient quality and quantity so that the AI had enough material to draw meaningful conclusions. An additional goal was to create a replicable solution for the second plant in the USA.

The production line at Limtronik's German plant was retrofitted with a standard optical inspection solution. This is a Mobotix product that is already being used in other companies for industrial applications. By partially replicating the line, the intervention in the production process could be minimized. The creation of a replicable solution is supported by the use of the AWS Cloud and the GEC Oncite Edge solution. The cloud and edge solution support fast image data and data transfer with the low latency required for an AI application.

The result is a tight control loop for monitoring the quality of press-fit technology. It also reduces manual visual inspection and minimizes scrap costs.

Limtronik is a co-founder of the SEF Smart Electronic Factory association - an initiative that develops Industry 4.0 solutions for manufacturing SMEs in Germany.