Takaya pioneered the concept of a Flying-Probe tester combining advanced test techniques and precision mechanical systems. Since then, Takaya, as market leader for flying probe test systems, has focused its research and development resources on getting to market fast with the new product, to meet rapidly changing technological requirements and changing user needs.

How TAKAYA Flying Prober adds value to your company:

• Lowering test costs
• Lowering costs of engineering changes
• Reduction personnel for visual inspection
• Easy access to fine-pitch SMT devices
• Quality improvement of production lines
• Protecting the global environment
• Responding to changing needs

Lowering test costs

Bed-of-nails fixtures are commonly used for testing PCBs using ICT/MDA techniques. Usually, it takes one or even several weeks to manufacture the bed-of-nails fixture and the associated costs are very high. Consequently, when traditional ICT/MDA systems are used for low and medium volume production such as prototyping and NPI (New Product Introduction), unit test costs are very high and valuable time is lost waiting for the manufacture of the bed-of-nails fixture. This results in reduced profits for your board assembly business. Since the APT-Series utilizing 4 high speed independently moving probes doesn’t require conventional bed-of-nails fixtures and begins to test right from the beginning of the board assembly process by just creating the test program, the tester is ideally suited for high board mix prototype applications as well as low and medium volume production runs.

Lowering costs of engineering changes

When circuit design changes result in shifting test points and/or circuit patterns, the bed-of-nails fixture for the ICT/MDA must be remanufactured or modified, which requires not only unnecessary costs but also introduces extra delays. However, the APT-Series can promptly respond to circuit board design changes by simply correcting probing positions in the test program. This is one of the important benefits of using the APT-Series.

Reduction personnel for visual inspection

Electrical test techniques are generally unable to test bypass capacitors and connectors for reasons concerned with the circuitry and/or electronic capabilities. Such devices normally require some level of visual inspection. However, the automated optical inspection (AOI) capabilities provided with the APT-Series enable you to inspect components that are difficult to test electrically, thus enhancing overall coverage and reducing visual inspection costs

Easy access to fine-pitch SMT devices

The APT-Series ensures high precision probing contact and utilizes its AOI function to precisely align probing coordinates automatically based on actual positioning offsets on each board. With these features, test points of smallest pitch and contact lands are accessible with accuracy by the 4 moving probes. This helps reduce your DFT (Design for test) work and allows fault detection of fine-pitch SMT boards where no contact lands are available for bed-of-nails. Therefore, the APT-Series provides the highest accuracy for testing densely populated SMT boards.

Quality improvement of production lines

The APT-Series can assume the role of improving the quality on your entire mass-production assembly line where test time is restricted. The best practical example is sampling inspection for possible programming errors or careless mistakes in component settings on pick & place machines.

Protecting the global environment

Preserving and disposing of bed-of-nails fixtures costs time and money. In addition, as the bed-of-nails fixture is mainly composed of metal and resin, it’s expensive to dispose of as industrial waste in order to not affect the global environment. In contrast, the APT-Series eliminates these expenses and doesn’t produce any industrial waste. Therefore, the APT-Series is eco-friendly and contributes to environmental protection.

Responding to changing needs

The APT-Series has a full range of options to extend its capability according to the needs of a great variety of users. In addition, the APT-Series responds to the changing needs of inspection, as electronic components progress, because it is designed to easily integrate other measurement instruments. The APT-Series, with its integrated expandability, is a new-generation board tester that can serve you for many years to come.