Highlighting technical features, a glimpse of machine vision applications in the LED industry
The applications of machine vision across various fields continue to highlight its technical features of high speed, high precision, and high stability. In the LED industry, the application of machine vision technology—such as in die bonders and wire bonders—mainly leverages the high-precision performance of vision systems for product measurement and positioning.
So, what are the applications of machine vision technology in the LED industry?
1. Vision Applications in LED Die Bonders
Die bonders are high-precision and high-efficiency production equipment widely used in the LED manufacturing industry. They employ fully digital-controlled servo systems and intelligent image recognition technology for the wafer table, pick-and-place robotic arm, and silver paste dispensing system.
The LED die bonding process is essentially a form of “pick-and-place” operation: the LED chip is picked up from the wafer disk with a suction nozzle and then placed onto the LED package cup or PCB substrate. To secure the chip, an adhesive dispensing process is also included.
The introduction of machine vision allows precise positioning for chip pickup, placement, and adhesive dispensing. Motion control systems move the chip beneath the suction nozzle based on feedback from visual positioning. In this solution, two sets of camera systems and two XY motion control platforms are used—one for locating the position of the lead frame or PCB, and the other for locating the LED chip.
2. Vision Applications in Fully Automated LED Ultrasonic Gold Wire Bonders
At present, most LED gold wire bonders are operated manually. Operators use a microscope to visually align with the LED chip’s bonding pads and manually adjust the position to complete wire bonding.
This manual method depends heavily on operator skill, resulting in inconsistent quality, low efficiency, and limited productivity. By contrast, gold wire bonding vision software uses image recognition and positioning technology to automatically locate LED chip bonding pads. It then guides the motion platform to the designated position, completing left and right pad bonding automatically.
With a machine vision inspection system, positioning and movement are carried out by the machine, minimizing reliance on operator skill and reducing labor intensity. This also decreases material waste, increases productivity, and ensures reliable and stable wire bonding, significantly improving overall product quality.
LEDs are known as the fourth-generation light source. High-efficiency LED lighting projects have already permeated many aspects of urban life—from traffic lights to mobile phones, from outdoor landscape lighting to indoor auxiliary lighting—with applications expanding continuously. The application of machine vision technology in the LED industry has greatly improved product quality, ensured performance, and further promoted the steady development of the industry.
