Case Study: Computing PCBA manufacturer achieves 98% FPY and 30% productivity gain with Keysight's PathWave Manufacturing Analytics

Probe Heatmap Visualization Tool Helps EMS Company Pinpoint a Costly Issue

Computing PCBA Manufacturer, an EMS company producing a new PCBA for an OEM, faced a critical test-quality challenge: in-circuit test (ICT) pin contact issues were driving first pass yield (FPY) down to 76%, causing false failures, extra retests, unplanned downtime and the risk of needing additional test systems. The customer engaged Keysight and its PathWave Manufacturing Analytics to find the root cause and restore production throughput.

Keysight used PathWave Manufacturing Analytics to ingest ICT datalogs and apply degradation anomaly detection, Probe Finder and Probe Heatmap visualizations to pinpoint deteriorating probes and the board/fixture areas causing poor contact; the root cause was flux residue near high-profile components, which was fixed by adjusting the reflow profile. As a result Keysight’s solution raised FPY to 98% (above 97%), cut cycle time by 10 seconds (40s to 30s), increased manufacturing productivity by 30%, and converted unplanned downtime to planned maintenance, improving overall equipment effectiveness.