February 5, 2013. A new 3D CT option of GE’s phoenix x|aminer microfocus X-ray inspection system will be on display at GE Measurement & Control's booth at IPC APEX EXPO, February 19-21 in San Diego. The company reports this is the first time the new CT (computed tomography) add-on will be exhibited in America. 3D CT allows the inspection and 3-dimensional visualization of internal component details without overlaying structures in the X-ray image.
The 3D CT option complements the phoenix x|aminer 2D microfocus X-ray inspection system from the Inspection Technologies business of GE Measurement & Control. The recently introduced 5-axis phoenix x|aminer is suitable for the rapid and accurate 2D inspection of soldered joints on a production line. The new option will now allow quality-control departments to deploy a simple and cost-effective method of carrying out 3D failure analysis for more complex-geometry electronic assemblies, while retaining the benefits of 2D inspection. As such, it will find application in companies engaged in electronics assembly, semiconductor manufacture, and security-relevant segments such as the automotive industry.
“Flexibility is the keynote of this new CT option,” explained Juan Mario Gomez, general manager for radiography. “Customers will now have two choices. On the one hand they can have a basic 160-kV microfocus X-ray inspection system to provide cost-effective high magnification and resolution with easy defect recognition in standard electronics inspection tasks. On the other hand, they can benefit from reinforcing their quality control with 3D inspection capability by adding an easy-to-use CT option. In both versions, the phoenix x|aminer features its own powerful imaging software to allow intuitive programming, while precise component manipulation is achieved using a computer mouse or joystick.”
The high tube power, delivering up to 20 W to the target, of the phoenix x|aminer allows good sample penetration, which is needed for high quality CT scans. Equipped with cost-effective image-intensifier-based CT and GE’s easy to use phoenix 3d|arv software for acquisition, reconstruction, and visualization of the CT results, the phoenix x|aminer offers both technological and economical benefit.
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