PCB Metrology Gap: How SCAN Labs Is Automating Microsectioning

In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson welcomes back Jeffrey Leeds, founder of ScanLabs, to discuss the critical metrology gap in PCB manufacturing. Leeds explains how traditional microsectioning—essential for validating high-reliability PCBs in aerospace, defense, medical, and automotive industries—remains stubbornly manual, operator-dependent, and slow, despite the increasing complexity and density of modern boards. He reveals that ScanLabs has developed a fully automated, serialized grinding and imaging system that eliminates human variability, delivers consistent data at scale, and enables advanced spatial analytics and digital twin creation. By applying semiconductor industry techniques like correlative metrology and virtual metrology to PCBs, ScanLabs can extract sub-micron precision data from standard IPC coupons, including 3D reconstructions, surface roughness measurements, and statistical process control metrics. The technology allows manufacturers to validate designs, predict performance, and close the feedback loop between fabrication and design—something previously impossible at scale. The reception at Apex, where ScanLabs made its soft launch, was overwhelmingly positive, with OEMs and fabricators eager to adopt the solution. Leeds emphasizes that automation isn't about replacing engineers but empowering them with better data. He critiques the overhyped narrative around AI in PCB design, arguing that LLMs lack spatial reasoning and cannot replace domain expertise. Looking ahead, he advocates for a community-driven effort to standardize metrology data formats—potentially through IPC—to enable seamless integration with design and simulation tools like Altium, ANSYS, and SolidWorks. The goal is to close the loop between physical manufacturing and digital design, making PCB innovation faster, more reliable, and data-driven.