Artificial intelligence
We keep up with new technology.
AI is gaining ground in electronics manufacturing.
Before we offer it to you, we look at what each one does.
AI is already in inspection, programming and quoting. But having AI doesn't mean it does what you need. On the technical side, we stay ahead: before we offer it to you, we look at what it sees, what it decides and what it saves you. And we show you, with the brochure in front of us.
What we look at
Four questions before we offer it to you.
We ask them of every AI solution. The answers are on this page.
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What does it look at?
Where it gets its data: photos of the board, the Gerber file or your bill of materials.
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What does it decide?
What it does on its own. And where it leaves the final say to you.
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What does it save you?
False calls, hours of programming, or copying and pasting line by line.
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Where does it say so?
Every figure comes with its brochure and page. No paper, no figure.
Maker Ray · SPI and AOI
A brain, as standard.
It doesn't arrive blank. Maker Ray's AI comes factory-trained.1
Maker Ray trains it on a large amount of data before it reaches your line.1 It recognizes the parts it was trained on from day one: it finds them on its own, draws their windows and assigns the algorithm and parameters.2
And inside, it has a powerful computer. The AIS 43X 3D AOI, for example, has an Intel i7, a 12 GB NVIDIA RTX 3060 and 128 GB of memory.3
Maker Ray · AI programming
Programming is no longer drawing windows.
Before, every part needed its own window, colors and parameters, set by hand. Now the AI finds the parts, draws their windows and assigns the algorithm and parameters.2
- 1
You give it the board
From its Gerber or CAD.32 The SPI finds the paste even without Gerber.11
- 2
Finds the parts
The ones it knows because it comes factory-trained.1
- 3
Draws the windows
Body, silkscreen, leads and solder joints.2
- 4
Assigns algorithm and parameters
No extracting colors or tuning parameters by hand.2
- 5
You fine-tune it
Without stopping the line.33 And you save each part in its library for next time.34
Each figure is the one in its brochure, with its condition. Results depend on the board.
Compare
What the AI does in each machine.
What it looks at, what it decides, what it saves you and where it says so.
What it looks at
The solder paste on each pad: height, area and volume.
The assembled board, with one camera on top and four on the sides.
Every hand-inserted part. It finds nearly 50 part types on its own.6
The solder joints, top and bottom.
What it decides
What is paste and what is reflection. And where each window goes, with or without Gerber.
Whether each part and each solder joint is good: more than 10 AI algorithms cover 90 % of defects.4
Whether a part is missing, extra, wrong, reversed or skewed. And it picks the algorithm and its parameters on its own.
Whether each solder joint is good, even when its shape or color varies.
What it saves you
False calls from bridging and paste stringing. And programming each board by hand.
Drawing windows, extracting colors and tuning parameters by hand. Programming takes 15 min, according to Maker Ray.5
An insertion error reaching the end of the line already soldered. And time: it programs more than 70 % faster.6
Drawing windows and tuning parameters by hand: the AI does it on its own.
Where it says so
AIS 63X-HW brochure, pp. 1 and 2.
AIS 43X-HW brochure, pp. 1 and 2. The time figure is from the Maker Ray presentation.
AIS20X-HW brochure, pp. 1 and 2.
AIS50X-HW brochure, pp. 1 and 2.7
After screen printing · AIS 63X 3D SPI
It checks the paste before anything is placed.
The AI separates image noise from the real shape of the paste. So it measures more accurately and gives fewer false calls.8
Bridge between depositsNGShapeOK
The shape of each solder paste deposit, in 3D: height, area and volume.9
Good or bad paste, before placement. With fewer false calls for bridging and stringing.10
AI programming. Without Gerber, it finds the paste and captures an image of the whole board in one click. With Gerber, it draws the windows and sets the parameters on its own.11
More consistent programs. They don't depend on the programmer's experience.11
It traces the cause. It cross-checks its data with the AOI before and after the reflow oven.12
After reflow · AIS 43X 3D AOI
It checks every part and every solder joint.
One camera on top, four on the sides and a projector rebuild the board in 3D.13
The board in 3D, seen from above and from all four sides.13
Each part and each solder joint: good or bad.4
It finds the parts it was trained on and draws their windows on its own: body, silkscreen, leads and solder joints.2
Before wave soldering · AIS20X AOI
Catch the defect before it gets soldered.
It recognizes every hand-inserted part. And flags it if it's missing, extra, wrong, reversed or skewed.14
Wrong part
NG
OKMissing
NG
OKExtra
NG
OKReversed connector
NG
OKReversed diode
NG
OKReversed capacitor
NG
OK
Each inserted part, one by one, before wave soldering.14
Good or bad. Before the wave solders everything.14
It sees what color doesn't tell you. It spots an optocoupler the same color as its body and a resistor with swapped bands.15
One-click programming. It draws the windows for the parts it was trained on and picks the algorithm on its own.16
A part it has never seen? You teach it with its training tool.17
Maker Ray data from January 2024, with the same board programmed in different ways. Results depend on the board.6
After wave soldering · AIS50X double-sided AOI
It checks both sides of the board.
One camera on top and another underneath.18 Its model, trained on lots of data, handles what changes from one board to the next.19
Top and bottom, joint by joint.18
Each part and each solder joint: good or bad. Also right before packing.21
Shinnex · BomX and NeXa
From bill of materials to board.
BomX prepares the quote with AI and passes it to NeXa. NeXa runs production and keeps the history of every board.23
- 1
Bill of materials
In Excel, PDF or a photo.
- 2
BomX
Its AI agent matches each line to your catalog and finds prices from distributors.
- 3
You approve
It stops wherever you tell it to, with spending limits.
- 4
NeXa
Runs production by work orders and stages.
- 5
Every board, with its history
Traceability by serial number.
Before production · BomX, by Shinnex
Your board starts as a list.
An AI agent turns it into a quote: it imports it, matches it to your catalog and finds prices. It stops to ask your permission wherever you tell it to.24
Your bill of materials, in Excel, PDF or a photo. Even if it arrives messy.25
The quote. The AI does the repetitive work; you decide.26
It reads messy lists. It extracts manufacturer part numbers, quantities and designators.25
It searches for you. In plain language or with approximate part numbers, across Farnell, Mouser, DigiKey, Arrow, LCSC, TI and more.27
It doesn't make up prices. It pulls them from real sources.26 And the quote goes to NeXa via API.28
Always · NeXa, by Shinnex
Every board, with its history.
NeXa logs every stage the board goes through, with its operator and time. And keeps it for 10 years.29
- SMD assemblyTerminal SMD-1 · 12:32Passed
- AOI inspectionTerminal AOI-1 · 12:32Passed
- THT assemblyTerminal THT-2 · 12:32Passed
- Functional testTerminal TEST-1 · 12:33Passed
- PackingTerminal EXP-1 · 12:33Passed
And underneath, every reel it carries, scanned on the shop floor.
Every stage and every reel scanned on the shop floor.29
If a manufacturer flags a lot: which boards contain it and which customer they went to, instantly.30
What do you want to solve with AI?
Tell us. We'll tell you which solution fits. And which doesn't.