SPEA works in the field of automatic testing of electronic devices, such as microchips and electronic boards. SPEA particularly designs and manufactures sophisticated equipment enabling electronic producers to execute, automatically, all measures required to verify the correct working of an electronic device, i.e. its performing the functionalities for which it is made.

SPEA has become a worldwide leader in this field: it is the first in Europe (30,7% of the market) and the third in worldwide market (10,7%) in the field of Automatic Test Equipment.

Electronics Testing

Electronics is today present in many aspects of everyday life: our wealth, safety, work, communications, transports, entertainment. Everyday we use objects containing electronic devices: televisions, computers, cars, washing machines and many other products contain a more and more miniaturized and complex electronics.

Every product failure in electronic functionalities is a material damage for the user, with more or less heavy risks and annoyances.

Therefore, microchips and electronic boards manufacturers have the responsibility of  making their electronics well-functioning. The devices must work correctly, and have a long life without failures.

Manufacturers can only do in one way: executing accurate testing of the products in the factory.

SPEA’s systems allow electronics manufacturers to execute, in an automatic and convenient way, all checks required by a good testing.

Test system for microchips and electronic boards

SPEA manufactures two families of systems: Automatic Test Equipment for semiconductors and Automatic Test Equipment for electronic boards.

Automatic Test Equipment for semiconductors and microchips. A microchip is an electronic circuit integrated on a small block of semiconductor material (as the silice). SPEA’s systems are able to contact (through micro-nails) the very small circuit components, and execute all measurements required to verify if each component, as well as the whole circuit, performs correctly the functionalities for which they are made.

 Automatic Test Equipment for electronic boards. An electronic board is formed by a set of components joined together and assembled on a support (the printed circuit). The testing is performed in order to verify the correct assembly and the absence of errors in the components. This means contacting the nets on the board through probes, connected with the measurement instruments that, automatically, execute the measures required to verify the correct components functioning. The SPEA’s board testers are distinguished in 2 families, characterized by the technologies used to contact the nets on the board:

	Bed of nails testers: the “nails”, that are the probes used to contact the nets, are mounted on a surface (one nail per net). This fixture (the “bed of nails”) is put in contact with the board, so that they contact the board nets.
	Flying probe testers: a defined number of probes (4 or 6) is moved by high-accurate motors enabling them moving to contact the board nets.

In addition to these 2 tester families, SPEA manufactures automation systems for semiconductor industries, and realizes process control software.

SPEA's systems in production process

Electronic boards producers buy SPEA’s test systems and utilize them in their production process. Products (both microchips and electronic boards) are tested when assembled, and before being sent to customers.