Observation and Analysis of Plating Defects

When the adhesion to the substrate is reduced, the plating fails to firmly stick to the surface and can blister or peel when formed in post-processing due to differences in the flexibility of the substrate and the plating.

This symptom can be seen when fine protrusions are generated on plating surfaces in wet plating. This symptom occurs when foreign particles floating in the plating bath are mixed into the plating layer.

Most inconsistencies on plating surfaces occur when the surfaces are partially tarnished. These symptoms are typically caused by uneven surface roughness or insufficient degreasing on the surface.

Observation and measurement of discoloration and corrosion of the plating using the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope

Inspection of microscopic peeling using the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope

HDR imaging of cracks using the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope

Conventional problems with microscopes
Plated surfaces have irregularities, which makes it difficult to focus on the surfaces and increases the number of steps in high-magnification observation. Insufficient resolution can also hinder accurate evaluation.

With the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope
The high-resolution HR lens and 4K CMOS provide a larger depth of field even in high-magnification observation. Fully focused clear observation that is not affected by irregularities on plated surfaces is possible even at high magnification.

Conventional problems with microscopes
At higher magnifications, the area in focus becomes smaller. When working with irregular surfaces, this causes time-consuming adjustments to be made, or a different lens may need to be used, significantly increasing the time required to inspect the surface.

With the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope
Real-time depth composition enables users to instantly capture fully-focused images of targets that have surface irregularities. This reduces the time required and makes it possible to quickly observe the entire target, providing more effective analysis and evaluation.

Observation of plating using the depth composition of the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope

Conventional problems with microscopes
Microscopes do not capture the information of the Z axis (height/depth) and thus cannot detect or measure 3D defects. A separate 3D measuring instrument must be used, increasing the number of man-hours required.

With the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope
With 3D shape and profile measurement, targets can be examined quantitatively to determine whether a defect is a foreign particle, dent, pit, or pinhole. Operations from magnified observation to 2D/3D measurement can be performed effectively with a single VHX Series unit.

Conventional problems with microscopes
Quantitative evaluation and crystal counting is impossible. A dedicated measuring instrument or software is required, again increasing the number of inspection steps required.

With the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope
The automatic measurement function easily measures the area, crystal grain size, and number of grains in a specified region. In addition, the number of particles and their sizes can be displayed in tables, histograms, or output to a report.

Conventional problems with microscopes
Conventional microscopes cannot analyze and evaluate images captured under different lighting conditions in real-time, and also cannot quickly reproduce previously used lighting conditions.

With the VHX Series 4K Digital Microscope
The multi-lighting function allows users to instantly capture and compare images under various lighting conditions and provides effective evaluation of plated surfaces that look different depending on the lighting.