Quality Assurance
From complex PCB fabrication to integrated assembly support, Canadian Circuits delivers the capabilities needed to move projects from design through production with confidence.
Verified performance at every level
Reliable PCBs, Built for Long-Term Performance
Printed Circuit Boards are critical components of electronic devices, and it is important that they function flawlessly throughout the lifetime of a device. At Canadian Circuits, every PCB is carefully monitored and inspected throughout manufacturing to help prevent errors and ensure consistent, high-quality results.
Our Quality Assurance system complies with ISO 9001:2015 and IPC 6012 Class 1, 2, and 3 standards.
Certifications
Our 16-point quality assurance program:
Every PCB we manufacture goes through a rigorous inspection and testing process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and long-term performance. Quality is built into every stage of production.
Tooling and DFM Assistance
1. We use DFM Software to review and 100% check customer’s Gerber files to ensure manufacturability.
2. Check plots are sent to customers for approval prior to production.
Optical Inspection
3. First Article Inspection is carried out in every process to ensure IPC-A-600 and customer specifications are met.
4. Complete Inspection under microscope of all panels after PTH (Plating Through Holes) to confirm there are no void holes, or any debris.
5. Complete Inspection under microscope of all panels after film developing to confirm there are no scratches or any over /under-developing.
6. Complete Inspection of all panels under microscope after film stripping to confirm there are no film chips remaining on panels.
7. After Etching, inspect under microscope check to confirm no under /over etching has occurred and measurement of trace width.
Automated Optical and Inspection (AOI)
8. An AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) is preformed after Tin stripping process, to confirm that there are no shorts or circuitry openings.
9. Complete Inspection of all panels after LPI (Liquid Photo Imaging) to ensure that there is no solder mask remaining on the pads.
10. Complete Inspection of all panels after finishing process (HASL, Lead free HASL, ENIG, or Silver Immersion) to confirm no mask on pads.
11. Complete Inspection of all panels after IDENT process to ensure cleanliness of pads before final baking process.
12. Complete Inspection after routing process to ensure customer specifications are met with their documentation.
Test and Measurement
13. E-Test: Electrical Testing is preformed before solder mask to ensure integrity of circuit (no shorts or open circuits) and final 100% E-test of all boards prior to shipping.
14. Measurement: After complete inspection of all finished boards to make sure that all customers’ specifications are met and all IPC-A-610
15. Standards such as board dimensions, hole and slot sizes, board thickness, and board finish are met.
16. Micro -sectioning: To ensure that there is no internal failure, we carry our cross section of the final boards, make cross-section coupon, inspect and measure internal structure and prepare cross section report.
Quality Records
16. Upon request, we provide quality records such as First Article Report, Impedance Record, E-Test Report, Cross Section Report, Final Inspection Report, CMI Report, CoC Certificates, RoHS certificate, REACH / Conflict Mineral Compliance certificates to the customer.
For us, quality is a continuous commitment
Our state-of-the-art quality testing machine line-up gives us the capability to produce high quality circuit boards. View QA and Testing Machines below:
Microcraft E-Tester
MicroCraft’s EMMA has been one of the best fixtureless flying probe bare board testing machines as we can achieved high speed and accurate e-testing of the PCB Boards. Before shipping out the final boards to our customer, we e-test them 100% without any additional cost.
Camtec Orion AOI System
We have recently upgraded the Quality Assurance capability by installing Camtec Orion AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) system. The system combines both scanning and verification of different varieties of materials in various stages of the production. This AOI system helps in implementing Preventive Action to the production system as well inspect the quality of the product.
AAS Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) is a procedure for the quantitative determination of chemical elements using the absorption of optical radiation (light) by free atoms in the gaseous state based on absorption of light by free metallic ions. We use PerkinElmer’s Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy to analyse our processes for process parameters control.
Zmatrix TDR
Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) impedance measurements are essential for ensuring signal integrity in a PCB design. TDR feeds a pulse onto the PCB trace/transmission line on a test coupon and measures the characteristic impedance by analyzing the changes in the amplitude of the reflected waveform. We use Zmatrix TDR to measure the impedance coupon.
SEIKO CMI-XRF
X-Ray Flouroscence spectroscopy (XRF) is a non-destructive, contact free coating thickness measurement and materials analysis. Our Quality Team measures coating of Gold, Nickel, Silver and SnPb with the help of Seiko CMI-XRF spectroscope.
Cross Section Analysis
The cross-section analysis is a destructive analysis that measures the internal quality of the fabricated board. Our manufacturing facility is equipped with various fixtures and equipment to make the coupon and to identify any internal defects using micro-section of PCB.