Jens Kokott, Göpel electronic GmbH, Thomas Hoheisel, Coriant GmbH
Coriant is a provider of innovative and dynamic data transfer systems in the area of packet optical and for connections of data centres to one another. With its solutions, products and services, the company supports telecommunications suppliers worldwide to reduce the complexity of their networks, form a basis for the new generation of services in the area of mobile, video and Cloud and therefore to draw the best possible value from existing network infrastructure. They are supported by more than 1,800 patents and over 35 years of experience in the construction of high-performance optical telecommunication networks.
They have more than 500 customers in more than 100 countries – operators of mobile phone networks, landline networks, Cloud and data center networks or providers of Web 2.0 or major companies – and counts nine out of the top ten network operators in the world amongst its customers. In its delivery operations center in Berlin, the company primarily manufactures systems for long-distance transmission.
The challenge: depth measurements in holes
Components are installed in control cabinets, also known as racks, and are parts of a transmission path. Increasingly, press-in connectors are used in the latest generation of components, which have very short pins for fulfilling the high-frequency technical requirements. In complex multilayer boards with more than 20 layers, the pins are shorter than the circuit board thickness and cannot be checked for correct fitting from the opposite side by conventional means. What makes this even more complicated is that the diameter of the holes for these connectors is far less than a millimeter. Alongside simply the existence of the pins in the hole, the realized press-in depth plays a role in the quality of the signal transmission. Should the pin, upon being pressed in, have become bent in such a way that a short circuit is created, this can lead to electrical damages to further components.
The search for an inspection team that can test the press-in connectors described safely and with sufficient speed proved difficult. When talking to Göpel electronic, there was finally the possibility of equipping a system of the already established „AdvancedLine“ series with an innovative 3D measurement technology, so that it meets the given criteria.
3D measurements based on TMSA technology
Telecentric Multi Spot Array, or TMSA in short, is a new technology provided by the company, which makes it possible to carry out 3D measurements even into deep holes with very small diameters.
