ACW invests heavily in facilities to fully test customers' products to ensure consistent high quality.

Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture (CAD/CAM)
ACW's engineers use "VAYOPRO" and "Fabmaster" for CAD conversion providing rapid test and manufacturing documentation development giving minimal design to delivery cycle times. Customers also benefit from testability analysis and rectification opportunity prior to capital expenditure. Computer assisted board diagnostics using "ASTER QuadView" give us rapid, accurate identification of test faults; this increases our ability to deliver on time at lowest cost.

In Circuit ATE - Flying Probe
Flying probe ATE is Takaya APT9411/01/00CE from Itochu. Our high speed probers enable rapid programming and fast in circuit test of low volume products, including prototypes, without the high cost of dedicated fixtures. These machines are fitted with Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) on the prober heads.

In Circuit Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) - Bed of Nails
Our fully trained programming and operating staff deploy Teradyne 1890VP machines with a capacity of 2048 analogue/digital nodes. These machines allow fast programming and high speed operation as well as low overhead Engineering Change Orders (ECOs). Capable of dealing with CAD converted data, the machines provide state of the art vector and vectorless testing. Teradyne's MultiScan tool set enables testing of connectors and other components. The machines can test complex custom integrated circuits, with or without test vectors being available.

Functional Test - Digital
ACW uses fast digital functional ATE from IFR (formerly Marconi), supplemented with CIMTEK (was Wayne Kerr) and others. ACW has fully automatic BABT characteristics test capability.

Boundary Scan - JTAG
ACW makes extensive use of the JTAG and Goepel software and hardware platforms to provide fast cost-effective and high coverage test and in-system programming of suitably designed circuits. ACW now uses the state of the art Scanflex 8 TAP hybrid tester. As at November 2008 ACW is one of only 2 UK companies with 8 TAP capability in the UK.

Automatic Optical Inspection - AOI
ACW has DiagnoSYS ScanPoint 50s in the most critical lines to augment human inspection for presence and alignment prior to reflow and off line processes. DiagnoSYS VisionPoint, DCB SuperVision III and YesTech AOI complement in circuit test and are used for printed circuit boards and component placements that cannot be physically tested. In addition the Takaya Flying Probers give excellent complementary coverage on low volume boards.

X-Ray Inspection
ACW uses Phoenix Micromex and X-Tek CPXS Real Time, microfocus X-ray 3 Dimensional imaging machine for detection, verification and failure analysis of solder joints, in particular for use on Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs) & Chip Scale Packages (CSPs). This advanced X-ray inspection technique provides more effective quality control, improved failure analysis and enhanced process control to give increased quality and first time test yields as well as a reduction in the cost of rework. The Phoenix Micromex is fitted with a 4 Mega pixel camera; the machine provides 360 degree rotation with up to 70-degree tilt and maximum magnification over the whole board. It has QFN, QFP, PTH, BGA and void calculation modules that can operate within an automated inspection programme. Copies of X-ray photographs can be supplied to customers to fulfill their requirements for quality recording.

ACW invests in new X-Ray Inspection equipment

Vibration Test
ACW is one of the few contract manufacturers in the UK to have a high performance LDS Vibration Tester. It is housed in a sound proofed chamber and has sophisticated computer controls capable of carrying out Sine, Random and Shock testing at frequencies up to 3Khz, using 8 channel monitoring and control and with acceleration of up to 55g on payloads up to 75Kg.

Environmental Stress Screening - ESS
Products may be stressed in a variety of ways including computer controlled cycling in a highly accelerated stress screening (HASS) chamber with temperature changes of up to 50°C per minute.

Automatic Regulatory Safety Testing
ACW uses the ELITE from CLARE INSTRUMENTS, to perform Class 1, 2 and Low Voltage Safety Tests. Results are automatically recorded for traceability.

Bespoke solutions
ACW has a first class technical team who generate complex hardware and software test solutions. Mostly PC-based & programmed using "C", LabView, Visual Basic, ProComm or PERL Script, our test rigs conduct tests above and beyond the expectations of our customers. We have produced sophisticated stand alone automated functional and soak test systems which provide very high levels of confidence in field reliability.