Characterization efficiency could be improved by new desktop scanning electron microscope
Thermo Fisher Scientific (MA, USA) have announced the launch of Thermo Scientific Phenom ParticleX, a desktop scanning electron microscope (SEM) that promises to boost characterization efficiency, providing automotive suppliers and additive manufacturing companies faster quality control analyses of materials used in development and production.
Efficient and reliable analysis is crucial for lean manufacturing. Trisha Rice, vice president and general manager of materials science at Thermo Fisher Scientific, explained: “The new automated system in the Phenom ParticleX offers multiple sample analyses, including chemical and morphological classification, outlier detection and identification of contamination that allow users to validate produced goods against industry-approved standards.”
A range of industrial and additive manufacturers could find use for the Phenom ParticleX, which can characterize size distribution, particle homogeneity and foreign contaminants to evaluate the purity of metal particles at the microscale. The high-resolution imaging and chemical analysis capabilities of a SEM compared with an optical microscope allow users to confirm whether components fulfil specifications according to VDA19 or ISO16232 standards.
