IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,525,736
Granted Patent B2
US 11,525,736 · App. 16/743,116 · Granted Dec 13, 2022

Temperature monitoring for printed circuit board assemblies during mass soldering

Inventors: Stevana Coliukos (Accord, NY); Bradley Zeman (Kingston, NY); Pourya Samari (Austin, TX); Michael Roth (Poughkeepsie, NY); Eric Mallery (Highland, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G01J5/0096G01J5/0044G01R31/309G01J5/48G01J2005/0077H05K13/083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,525,736
App. No.
16/743,116
Granted
Dec 13, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer determines one or more temperature sensitive components from a part details in a bill of materials for soldering on a printed circuit board assembly, where the bill of materials is a record comprising part details having a reference designator. The computer determines whether temperature sensitive components exist in the bill of materials. Based on determining that at least one of the temperature sensitive components exist in the bill of materials, the computer determines temperature limits for each temperature sensitive component based on the reference designator, monitors, using the thermographic cameras the measured temperatures of the temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven. Then, based on determining that the measured temperatures of the temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, the computer determines an elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits.

Claims (56)

1. A processor-implemented method for monitoring measured temperatures in a reflow oven using one or more thermographic cameras, the method comprising:

determining one or more temperature sensitive components from a plurality of part details in a bill of materials for soldering on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including the one or more temperature sensitive components and other components, wherein the bill of materials is a record comprising the plurality of part details having a reference designator;

based on determining that at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exist in the bill of materials:

determining temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components based on the reference designator;

monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven;

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, determining an elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits; and

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, sending a status indication, wherein the status indication comprises a card layout which displays the at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a different color to emphasize a location where exceeding temperatures were measured.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering process in the reflow oven further comprises:

recording thermal images of the PCBA by the one or more thermographic cameras.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

based on determining that the soldering process in the reflow oven has finished, compiling the thermal images of the PCBA.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components further comprises using natural language processing to extract temperature limits and time duration limits from documentation associated with the reference designator.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven further comprises:

determining a physical location of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a card layout; and

monitoring the measured temperatures that are associated with the physical location of each of the one or more temperature sensitive components.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, further comprises:

recording a plurality of time stamps each time when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits; and

calculating the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit using the recorded plurality of time stamps.

7. A computer system for monitoring measured temperatures in a reflow oven using one or more thermographic cameras, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:

determining one or more temperature sensitive components from a plurality of part details in a bill of materials for soldering on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including the one or more temperature sensitive components and other components, wherein the bill of materials is a record comprising the plurality of part details having a reference designator;

based on determining that at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exist in the bill of materials:

determining temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components based on the reference designator;

monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven;

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, determining an elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits: and

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, sending a status indication, wherein the status indication comprises a card layout which displays the at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a different color to emphasize a location where exceeding temperatures were measured.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering process in the reflow oven further comprises:

recording thermal images of the PCBA by the one or more thermographic cameras.

9. The computer system of claim 8 further comprising:

based on determining that the soldering process in the reflow oven has finished, compiling the thermal images of the PCBA.

10. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein determining temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components further comprises using natural language processing to extract temperature limits and time duration limits from documentation associated with the reference designator.

11. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein monitoring, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven further comprises:

determining a physical location of each of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a card layout; and

monitoring the measured temperatures that are associated with the physical location of each of the one or more temperature sensitive components.

12. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein determining the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, further comprises:

recording a plurality of time stamps each time when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits; and

calculating the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit using the recorded plurality of time stamps.

13. A computer program product for monitoring measured temperatures in a reflow oven using one or more thermographic cameras, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to determine one or more temperature sensitive components from a plurality of part details in a bill of materials for soldering on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including the one or more temperature sensitive components and other components, wherein the bill of materials is a record comprising the plurality of part details having a reference designator;

based on determining that at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exist in the bill of materials:

program instructions to determine temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components based on the reference designator;

program instructions to monitor, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven;

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, program instructions to determine an elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits: and

based on determining that the measured temperatures of at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, program instructions to send a status indication, wherein the status indication comprises a card layout which displays the at least one of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a different color to emphasize a location where exceeding temperatures were measured.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein program instructions to monitor, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering process in the reflow oven further comprises:

recording thermal images of the PCBA by the one or more thermographic cameras.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

based on determining that the soldering process in the reflow oven has finished, program instructions to compile the thermal images of the PCBA.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein program instructions to determine temperature limits for each of the one or more temperature sensitive components further comprises program instructions to use natural language processing to extract temperature limits and time duration limits from documentation associated with the reference designator.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein program instructions to monitor, using the one or more thermographic cameras, the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components during soldering in the reflow oven further comprises:

program instructions to determine a physical location of each of the one or more temperature sensitive components using a card layout; and

program instructions to monitor the measured temperatures that are associated with the physical location of each of the one or more temperature sensitive components.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein program instructions to determine the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits, further comprises:

program instructions to record a plurality of time stamps each time when the measured temperatures of the measured temperatures of the each of the one or more temperature sensitive components exceeds the temperature limits; and

program instructions to calculate the elapsed time outside of the temperature limit using the recorded plurality of time stamps.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2020
From: COLIUKOS, STEVANA; ZEMAN, BRADLEY; SAMARI, POURYA; ROTH, MICHAEL; MALLERY, ERIC
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051519/0856 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210215541A1 · Jul 15, 2021