Particle Size Analyzer – Automated SEM EDS

The automotive industry uses particle size distribution analysis in order to control contamination both before and during the assembly process. Information about particle type, size distribution, and morphology is used to identify potential contaminates, as well as minimize the cause of contamination. In order to combat contamination, identifying and sizing particles is the first step to eliminating foreign debris.

Whether utilized in the pre-building, production, or post-production stages, eliminating contaminates from the final product is a challenge manufacturers face daily.
Since the auto industry uses various different types of materials, the foreign particles entering the product must be monitored in order to maintain the critical cleanliness instituted by the manufacturer.

From paint to oil, engines to steel content, being able to quickly and accurately analyze particle contamination that could affect the quality of the final product is a necessary step. Since contaminates in steel can alter the grain size, and debris in oils and fluids can effect product life, it is advantageous to take precautionary measures to ensure not only that the end product is up to code, but in order to prevent wasted materials that do not meet the company standards. One tool used to help identify and categorize these particles is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) capabilities.

The Aspex Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) comes standard with an EDX spectrometer and utilizes a silicon drift detector (SDD). EDX technology is used in various industries, such as the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, for foreign particle analysis, corrosive evaluation, and compositional analysis. With EDX resolution of 135 eV and a particle detection range of 100nm to 5mm, small particles are easily identified and sized.

Aspex also has several different software platforms to fit all your analytical needs. The Advanced Quality Control (AQC) software, part of the Perception Suite, provides manufacturers with the capability of evaluating the size, shape, and composition of all particles present in a sample. By inserting the PSEM with AQC into the product line, problem spots can be isolated and controlled, pinpointing where particles are entering the line well before the end product testing is started, thus saving the manufacturer from wasting time creating faulty products.

Whether in the lab or in the shop, the PSEM with EDX capabilities and the AQC software provides the manufacturer with reliable particle analysis techniques to help ensure that the quality of the design is maintained in each step of the manufacturing process.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/industrial-automation.html