Dissipative ESD e-chains® and linear guides in printed circuit boards testing

Durable cable guidance with up to 15g acceleration in SPEA flying probe tester

Flying probe testers can be used to check printed circuit boards for fault-free function after production. Needles touch and measure the test specimens point-by-point at high speed in order to detect short circuits on the circuit board. To ensure that the fast-moving test heads are reliably supplied with energy and data cables, dissipative E2 micro ESD e-chains® have been used in SPEA's flying probe testers for years.

Profile

In SPEA's flying probe testers, E2 micro ESD e-chains ensure that the cables are guided safely at maximum dynamics.

What was needed: Components for guiding all energy and data cables in the flying probe tester as well as linear guides for processes including format adjustment.

Requirements: Durable cable guidance systems able to handle accelerations of up to 15g and vibrations in a confined installation space, the ability to dissipate electrostatic energy and grease-free operation.

Industry: Microelectronics

Success for the customer: E2 micro ESD e-chains® ensure reliable cable guidance in the flying probe tester despite millions of cycles and high dynamics. Manufactured from the material igumid® ESD, electrostatic charges are immediately dissipated in a controlled manner. drylin® linear guides also allow completely grease-and maintenance-free format adjustment without risking the contamination of the electronic components.

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Products used

Problem

When errors occur in the production of printed circuit boards and microchips, they are difficult to detect but can have devastating consequences. For this reason, SPEA develops and produces automatic test systems for all areas of electronics production.

These include flying probe testers such as the SPEA 4080, which has eight needles for scanning the components. The needles touch the various test points on printed circuit boards one after the other and make contact with test pads with a diameter of 50μm.

Linear motors achieve up to 160 contacts per second across all axes. These high dynamics required special design considerations, as accelerations of up to 15g generate significant vibration. The SPEA 4080 is equipped with a robust granite chassis to handle this vibration.

At these speeds, safe guidance of the moving cables inside the system is also crucial. The energy and data cables to the test heads on the X/Y/Z axes must be guided reliably at maximum dynamics. In order to protect the sensitive electronic components from electrostatic discharges, the cable guide must also be conductive.

Finally, SPEA was also looking for linear guides for its flying probe tester that could guarantee reliable format adjustment for testing printed circuit boards of different sizes.

Solution

To guide the energy and data cables along the axes, SPEA has relied on E2 micro dissipative e-chains®. The lightweight and abrasion-resistant cable carriers ensure safe operation even at high accelerations and work reliably even in the tightest installation spaces and millions of cycles. The test systems are in use for around ten to twelve years. During this period, the customer demands maximum component reliability.

As the protection of electronic components takes priority, the E2 micro series e-chains are made of igumid® ESD. This material causes any electrostatic charges that arise to be dissipated immediately in a controlled manner. Unlike applied conductive layers or volatile incorporated antistatic agents, the material additives used here result in permanent conductivity, making regular maintenance unnecessary.

SPEA also relies on linear bearing technology to enable the flying probe tester to test PCBs of different sizes and for format adjustment. These drives work completely without external lubrication. Thanks to their dry operation, there is no risk of contamination of the components and the electronic components from grease. The safety doors are also guided by smooth-running and quiet drylin ZLW toothed belt axes.

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Energy chains from igus are used on the X/Y/Z axes, which are essential for proper functioning. The test systems are in use at our customers for around ten to twelve years. They expect durable and reliable products for this period.