Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OCCIM-DEV (Optimised integration of Combined Computational Imaging and image processing for transparent Micro-DEVices)
Berichtszeitraum: 2017-09-01 bis 2018-08-31
FASTTEST system performs mechanical quantitative Quality Assessment on micromachined parts at assembly chains, assessing the quality of the manufacturing process (conformance with the mechanical specifications). The parts being evaluated with FASTTEST have a dimension of a few mm in x-y and only a couple of mm in depth. The precision of the measurements is in the order of a few µm.
The system allows a preselection of the inspection zones of interest. This together with a well optimized data acquisition rate, allows the inspection of parts at rates matching production rates, enabling systematic inspection of the entire output of the production line rather than randomly selected samples. This thorough quality control reduces waste and increases quality in sectors such as point of care medicine where disposable microfluidics are used.
The incorporation of an imaging scientists as an innovation associate within ASE, has allowed key knowledge to entre the team and has improved the integration of the different components of the laboratory system and the rate of data acquisition and analysis.
The system allows a preselection of the inspection zones of interest. This together with a well optimized data acquisition rate, allows the inspection of parts at rates matching production rates, enabling systematic inspection of the entire output of the production line rather than randomly selected samples. This thorough quality control reduces waste and increases quality in sectors such as point of care medicine where disposable microfluidics are used.
The incorporation of an imaging scientists as an innovation associate within ASE, has allowed key knowledge to entre the team and has improved the integration of the different components of the laboratory system and the rate of data acquisition and analysis.
The work from the beginning of the OCCIM-DEV project has been focused on software integration and optimisation of the different assemblies making up the FASTTEST instrument. The OCT measurement and the FFT leading to depth measurements has been performed and calibrated. The data acquisition speed of the OCT is now hardware limited to 40 000 depth profiles per second. A user interface now allows the user to select the path which the OCT is to scan. The system is able to self-configure and perform measurement operations following an inspection path introduced by the user. The machine vision is able to recognize patterns which will be used to automatically guide the OCT beam to the regions of interest. FASTTEST has been demonstrated to potential customers and discussions are currently on-going with a medical devices manufacturer about applying the system capacity to a particular QA problem they have been unable to resolve before. The tailoring of the software by the IA to specific potential customer needs has increased the customer base for the FASTTEST system.
The collaboration between the IA and the other staffs at ASE Optics has allowed significant improvements to the FASTTEST instrument, placing it beyond the current SoTA for micrometric non-contact inspection technology. The measurement rates achieved in 3D together with the measurement philosophy which drastically reduces the data load allows for an instrument which can match production rates. A feat not achieved before. This results in a faster feedback on drifts in the manufacturing process to the manufacturer, allowing for faster intervention and therefore reducing waste by allowing alteration of the process before the products drift out of specifications. This allows FASTTEST customers to save resources and be more efficient. The end-users also benefit from FASTTEST, have higher quality assurance of the products they are purchasing. The main market for micro-devices currently targeted being disposable point-of-care medical devices, the long-term impact of FASTTEST is improved treatment and ultimately health for Europe and its citizens.