The Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) is realized with cameras that scan parts to be inspected according to predefined quality parameters, which are used to characterize the bad parts among the good ones. This is one of the key success factors of AOI systems, because bad parts can not be selected as good, at the same time that good parts can not be selected as bad ones, which could lead to additional production costs. It is well known that human eyes can identify a wide range of characteristics, but they get tired after some time, reason why traditional approaches are labor-intensive methods to ensure acceptable levels of reliability. AOI systems have the advantage of being a non-contact test method, being widely used in many stages of manufacturing processes. The AOI systems can be built as a standalone machine or directly placed into several steps of the production processes, with the advantage that it can detect problems in the early stages of production process, reducing manufacturing lead time and costs. Illustrative Pics: