Safety standards are becoming increasingly stringent throughout the manufacturing process, and particularly in the aerospace and automotive industries. Companies in all sectors, and particularly in these, which use X-ray TN (digital tomography) in order to carry out non-destructive testing of safety-critical components, are in fact required to supply more and more 'efforts (sometimes put in place internally of course) to demonstrate the veracity of their inspection results.
In particular, the condition of the digital detector has a considerable influence on the efficiency and accuracy with which indications and characteristics are revealed and measured. It is therefore crucial to be able to assess and monitor the performance of this detector. To help users of X-ray TN systems track the performance of their detectors throughout the life of their use, Nikon Metrology has launched this new easy-to-use, automated and fully-functional tracking kit in full compliance with ASTM E2737 globally followed and recognized.
The new ASTM E2737 Detector Performance Assessment Kit is designed for the full range of Nikon Metrology systems: from metrology-specific X-ray TN inspection systems to large-volume Large Envelope System (LES) systems. It is compatible with all x-ray sources offered by manufacturers, including rotating target technology and the world-unique 450kV microfocus source, but also with the entire range of industrial detectors.
This kit includes a pre-calibrated artifact known as the 5-groove wedge phantom, easy-to-use custom console mount, and quick-mount adapters so the operator no longer has to worry about only to fix the assembly in the correct position.
Dedicated software offers all the necessary functions, from manipulation of the artifact to data analysis and image collection. Reports are created quickly and automatically. The procedures are carried out smoothly without operator intervention, whose certification to ASTM E2737 is no longer required, or even to be fully trained in TN by X-rays.
Nine detector parameters are useful for the data: spatial resolution, contrast sensitivity, material thickness range, signal-to-noise ratio, signal level, image latency, image retention, d-value. offset and poor distribution of pixels.
The long-term performance and stability of the detector can be tracked throughout its lifetime and its consistency can be compared with benchmarks, customizable thresholds and user-defined warnings. The results from the nine ASTM E2737 tests are recorded each time a series of measurements is taken and can be viewed at any time in tables or in graphical form for an overview.
The process of image collection, automated processing and creation of the final report with the power of trend analysis make this ASTM E2737 tool unique in the industrial landscape.
Companies that rely on digital tomography to control the quality of their products and optimize their production processes, as part of Industry 4.0 initiatives, can thus benefit from monitoring the performance of detectors, over time, in compliance with international standards very easily.
Photo: Light alloy version of the Nikon Metrology Detector Evaluation Kit conforming to ASTM E2737 used in an X-ray TN system. Here the phantom has been returned to the usual manipulator position in order to be close to the digital detector and carry out one of the nine tests, image retention
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