Catch bent, missing & misaligned pins before they mate.
FlexIPS connector pin inspection examines every pin on the connector face, re-testing each cycle until every pin passes: is it straight, is it bent, is it missing, is it where it should be? The station only allows the mate when every pin is perfect, and every result is traced to the serial.
of pins classified straight, bent, or missing before the connector can mate
detects pin leans smaller than a single pin pitch
full-connector inspection keeps pace with the line
Pins
16 / 18 OK
Defects
2
Verdict
FAIL
Bend a pin. Watch vision respond.
This is a live simulation of a FlexIPS connector pin inspection station. Click any pin to make it bent or missing, hit Seed defects for a quick scenario, then run a scan. The detection boxes, confidence, and verdict update exactly like they do on the line.
Pins
18 / 18 OK
Defects
0
Confidence
0.99
Try it: bend a pin
Click any pin to cycle it: straight → bent → missing. Then run a scan.
Detection results
PASSBent, missing, or clean, classified on every connector.
A connector is only as reliable as its worst pin. FlexIPS inspects each pin individually, catching the defects that cause mating damage, intermittent contacts, and field returns.
Bent pins
- Pin folded or leaning out of tolerance before mating
- Deformation from shipping or handling, caught at goods-in
- Press-fit pin deformation after insertion
- Pins bent during previous mating cycles
- Long pins drooping or sagging out of position
Missing & short pins
- Pin not loaded or fully absent from the cavity
- Pin sheared off flush with the connector body
- Short pin seated too low to mate reliably
- Pin in the wrong cavity or out of position
- Duplicate / double pin in one cavity
Clean & straight
- All pins straight, aligned, and seated to spec
- No foreign material (solder, flux, swarf) on the pins
- Pin count verified to the connector drawing
- Connector face clean and free of contamination
- Ready to mate, with no risk to the mating half
One pin-inspection engine, every connector.
Wherever a connector is mated, or received from a supplier, a bent or missing pin is a risk. FlexIPS verifies it before the damage can happen.
Automotive ECU Connectors
Inspect multi-row ECU and connector headers before the critical mate, preventing bent-pin damage on high-value controllers.
Battery & Power Connectors
Verify high-current power and battery connectors are pin-perfect before mating, to avoid arcing or contact damage.
Pin Headers & Press-Fit
Check pin headers, press-fit pins, and through-hole pins on PCBAs for bends and missing pins after insertion or reflow.
Consumer & Data Connectors
USB-C, HDMI, D-sub, and similar data connectors inspected for bent, folded, or missing pins before final assembly.
Wiring Harness Connectors
Validate harness connector pins before mating on the line or at goods-in, catching supplier damage before it reaches assembly.
Goods-In Inspection
Inspect incoming connectors and sub-assemblies on receipt, rejecting bent-pin deliveries before they enter production.
Precise, no-code, and line-paced.
Per-Pin Classification
Every pin on the connector face is individually classified straight, bent, or missing, with its row, column, lean angle, and confidence.
Re-Tested, Line-Paced
The whole connector (even dozens of pins across rows) is inspected and re-tested every cycle until PASS, within the station cycle. Never the bottleneck.
Mate-Gated Release
The station cannot complete the mate until every pin is confirmed straight and present, protecting the mating half from damage.
Evidence Per Pin
A calibrated, high-magnification image is stored for the connector, so the quality team can prove exactly which pin was or was not present.
FAIL Hold & Highlight
A bent or missing pin holds the station and shows exactly which pin failed, where it sits on the connector face, and the action to take.
No-Code Recipes
Define the connector grid, pin pitch, and tolerances visually, with no vision expertise needed. Variants swap automatically with the work order.
Every pin, every connector, tied to the serial.
Pin inspection is not just a pass/fail light. Each pin, its classification, the captured image, the confidence, and the verdict are stored against the serial, so you can prove the state of every connector on any unit, any time.
Serial-linked proof
Every pin result, image, confidence, and verdict is tied to the serial and searchable in FlexDashboard for any connector, any time.
Prevent mating damage
A bent or missing pin is caught before the mate, never discovered later as an intermittent contact or a field return.
Audit-ready
Prove every pin was straight and present on every unit shipped, exportable for audits, PPAP, and containment.
From trigger to traced verdict in one paced cycle.
Step 1
Trigger
Part-present signal or barcode read starts the cycle and loads the matching pin-inspection recipe for that connector variant.
Step 2
Capture
Calibrated, high-magnification images of the connector face are grabbed with controlled lighting to separate each pin cleanly.
Step 3
Detect
Every pin is classified straight, bent, or missing, with its position, lean angle, and a confidence score.
Step 4
Decide
Release PASS to mate the connector, or hold FAIL showing exactly which pin is bent or missing and where.
Drops into any station.
FlexIPS bridges IT and OT without middleware, from part-present sensors and PLC handshakes to MES genealogy records.
Sensors & PLC I/O
Trigger on part-present, handshake with the station, and return pass/fail to the line PLC with 24V logic, with station-lock on any bent or missing pin.
MES & Traceability
Serial, variant, every pin result, image, confidence, and verdict written to your MES or SQL store, with full genealogy tied to each connector shipped.
Line-Paced Cycle
The full connector (dozens of pins across rows) is inspected and re-tested every cycle until PASS within the station cycle, calibrated to keep pace with the line and never become the bottleneck.
Common questions from assembly and quality teams.
Per-pin machine vision inspection before mating, answered for production, quality, and supplier-management teams.
What is connector pin bent detection?
Connector pin bent detection is a machine vision inspection that examines the male or female pins of an electrical connector before mating and flags any pin that is bent, folded, missing, or misaligned. Catching a damaged pin before it is plugged prevents bent-pin damage to the mating half, intermittent contacts, and costly field returns.
How accurate is machine vision pin inspection?
With calibrated optics and controlled lighting, FlexIPS classifies every pin as straight, bent, or missing with high confidence, detecting leans of a fraction of a pin pitch. Each pin result carries its own confidence score and is stored against the serial for full traceability, so you can prove the state of every pin on every unit shipped.
How fast is connector pin inspection?
A full connector (even with dozens of pins across multiple rows) is inspected and re-tested every cycle until PASS, within a normal station cycle typically well under one second, so the check keeps pace with the line and never becomes the bottleneck.
Can it detect missing pins as well as bent pins?
Yes. In addition to bent and folded pins, FlexIPS detects missing pins, short pins, and pins loaded in the wrong position, then holds the connector with the affected pin highlighted on the stored image and the action to take clearly labeled.
Which connectors can be inspected?
Any connector with visible pins on the mating face: automotive ECU and sensor connectors, USB-C, HDMI, rectangular headers, D-sub, pin headers, press-fit zones, and custom multi-row harness connectors. Recipes are no-code and swap automatically with the work order, so one station inspects many connector types.
What happens when a pin fails inspection?
The failed pin is highlighted directly on the captured image, labeled with the defect (bent, missing, misaligned) and its lean angle. The operator sees exactly which pin and why, and the decision (rework, check, or controlled override) is logged against the serial.
Why inspect pins before mating?
A single bent or missing pin forced into the mating half damages both connectors, creates intermittent contacts, and is one of the hardest faults to diagnose in the field. Verifying every pin before the mate catches the problem at the source, when rework is still cheap.
Can it inspect both male and female connectors?
Yes. FlexIPS inspects male pin headers and female receptacles alike, any mating face with visible pins or sockets. The recipe simply defines the pin grid, pitch, and tolerances for that connector, and the inspection runs the same way.
Have a question we didn't answer? Request a demo and we'll map it to your line.
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Test FlexIPS pin inspection on your connector
Send a sample connector, a pin drawing, or a work instruction and we will map a tailored demo around your pin grid, mating tolerances, and traceability requirements.