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Exploded view of an electronic assembly.
ZEISS EMOBILITY SOLUTIONS​

Quality assurance for automotive electronics​

Reliable components through inspection and quality data​
Quality assurance for automotive electronics​
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Transparent connector housing revealing internal components and detected defects.

Automotive electronics quality management​

Going deeper with precision imaging​

The electrification of modern vehicles is triggering a shift from conventional mechanical control to electrical signal-based control. Automotive electronics represent the core in-vehicle support system and provide more intricate coupling options between functional components.​

Already widely adopted in areas such as power control, they directly impact overall performance and intelligence. Since smarter electric vehicles mean stricter safety and reliability requirements, automotive electronics are adopting centralized architectures to meet automotive-grade QA standards.​

ZEISS microscopy solutions, industrial computed tomography (CT), and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) deliver valid, repeatable, and intuitive dimensional data and quality analysis – even for potential defects hidden below the surface.​

Full coverage of automotive electronics applications​

Automotive electronics assemblies feature complex internal structures, while their controllers are becoming increasingly integrated and intelligent. Testing and quality assurance must be ready to handle high temperatures, vibrations, and electromagnetic interference. From the housing and the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) to the connectors, you can perform the in-depth inspections you need with the ZEISS portfolio. Click the links below to explore our dedicated quality assurance solutions for automotive electronics applications.​
Electronic control unit with cooling fins and orange multipin connectors.

Housing​

Imaging of larger structures​

The housing plays a key role in protecting the automotive electronics from moisture, dust, vibration, and mechanical loads. Since poor housing quality is associated with a variety of issues on the finished unit, accurate internal defect detection is essential.​

Electronic control unit with exposed circuit boards.

PCBA​

Imaging for root cause analysis​

The printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is the control core of automotive electronic assemblies, integrating chips, circuits, and interfaces. Its high quality depends on identifying hidden defects, preventing latent damage, and accelerating root cause analysis.

Transparent 3D scan reveals internal components of a blue automotive electrical connector.

Connectors

Dimensions and internal defects​

Connectors are the physical interface for power, signals, and environmental sealing. To ensure stability, durability, and safety across the finished assembly, these connectors require internal defect identification and accurate dimensional measurement.​

Quality assurance for automotive electronics​

Optimizing manufacturing processes to improve efficiency​
  • Optical 3D scan visualizing a textured surface with color-coded measurement data.

    Quality gate 1: incoming material​

    Incoming quality inspection​

    Challenges​

    • Automotive electronics assembly may contain hundreds of components from multiple suppliers​
    • Poor raw material quality can impair electrical performance, thermal management, and mechanical properties​

    Your benefits with ZEISS​

    • Rapid, precise measurement of wide range of automotive electronics components with ZEISS CMMs​
    • Verify material composition and microstructure using optical and scanning electron microscopy​
    • Reveal hidden defects before transfer to downstream assembly and generate traceable data​ 
  • CT scan visualization of a plastic housing revealing internal inclusions in colored analysis overlays.

    Quality gate 2: housing and baseplate​

    Measurement and verification​

    Challenges​

    • Housing and baseplate quality influence multiple aspects, e.g. heat conduction​
    • Quick and accurate dimensional inspection and common defect identification in high-volume production​

    Your benefits with ZEISS​

    • Verify datum and other features critical to GD&T with ZEISS CMMs​
    • Full-field surface deviation and warpage analysis with blue-light optical scanning​
    • Metrology-grade measurement plus detection of internal channels and hidden defects with industrial CT​ 
  • Operator positioning a circuit board on a microscope.

    Quality gate 3: PCBA and functional module​

    Correlative failure analysis​

    Challenges​

    • Increasingly complex structures raise need for 3D-based inspection solutions​
    • Conventional inspection of failed units is laborious and often unable to identify root cause​

    Your benefits with ZEISS​

    • Clearer analysis of internal defects with industrial CT​
    • Faster and more precise failure location analysis with unique optoelectronic combined technology from ZEISS​
    • Correlative failure analysis for optimized production and improved product quality​ 
  • Optical measurement system measuring a automotive component on a fixture.

    Quality gate 4: connectors​

    Dimensions and internal defects​

    Challenges​

    • Connector mating quality is key to functional stability of automotive electronic assemblies​
    • Conventional end-of-line tests cannot comprehensively evaluate product quality across full life cycle​

    Your benefits with ZEISS​

    • ZEISS VMMs for better and faster dimensional inspection, plus improved height measurement​
    • Industrial CT with proprietary mixed-material artifact reduction for improved internal defect detection​
    • Upcoming: in-line CT with AI analysis for high-throughput structure inspection and automatic product quality analysis​ 
  • CT view inside a headlight showing circuit boards and connectors.

    Quality gate 5: assembled unit​

    Final internal inspection and technical cleanliness​

    Challenges​

    • After the assembled unit is closed, it becomes a “black box” in terms of quality​
    • Hidden risks therefore may not be found by functional testing alone​

    ​Your benefits with ZEISS​

    • Non-destructive internal inspection with ZEISS industrial CT​
    • Validate internal component positions, sealing fit, and more​
    • Detect and classify (non-)metallic particles via technical cleanliness analysis​
    • Traceable inspection data supports final delivery approval for added confidence​

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Would you like to learn more about our solutions for industries? We are happy to provide more information or a demo.

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