Nikon Metrology is already highly regarded for their range of Best in Class Industrial Stereo and Compound Microscopes. However, are you aware that the Eclipse LV range is fully modular in design and so can be configured to overcome many of the problems that a traditional Microscope solution may have? There are times when a standard outfit Microscope simply does not fit exactly what the user is looking to do. This is where the ability to create your own “Bespoke Microscopy solution” becomes necessary. Nikon’s Eclipse LV range is designed to be modular and enable extremely variable configurat ..read more

To celebrate the start of the Formula 1 motor racing season, Dr. Andrew Mathers (X-ray CT Project Manager) scanned a 1:32 scale, 3D printed, 2022 Formula 1 car with a Nikon XT H 225 ST 2x X-ray CT system. The continued growth of additive manufacturing (AM), which includes 3D printing, spans a considerable number of industries and applications (including automotive, aerospace, medical, dental, renewable energy and military) but the one thing they all have in common is the need to evaluate the accuracy and quality of the AM process and its products. Nikon X-ray CT systems enable us to non-destru ..read more

January is National Book Month and therefore we focused our scan of the month on something related to reading. We decided to scan a manuscript from ancient book belonging to a colleague fascinated by old books and texts. The scan was done by Sergei Kolobov, applications Engineer X-Ray & CT specializing in XTV systems. The manuscript is written on two sides and contains both black and red ink. We took a closer look on the page and found some fascinating details on the surface of this old page. Due to the content difference, the red ink is much more visible for X-Rays although we can still d ..read more

To celebrate Christmas it is appropriate to make a scan of a Christmas Cake. Our German Application Engineer X-ray Thomas Dreisbusch scanned the very popular German Christmas cake, the Christstollen and its components. The Christstollen is a traditional German pastry for Christmas which German people eat since the Middle Ages. Because of its special ingredients and recipe, the “cake” is always juicy and stays moist. The explanation for the particular shape of the pastry is a beautiful one :  The ‘Stollen’ breathed in sugar is supposed to remind of the baby Jesus in diapers, which is why ..read more

This scan of the month features a titanium DfAM heat exchanger from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) which is currently being investigated by the additive manufacturing research group of KU Leuven. The scan was performed by Lauren Enghien (Applications engineering manager X-ray & CT). X-ray CT enables non-destructive visualization of the inner structures and defects of metal additively manufactured parts and to simulate the behavior of the parts before being installed. Figure 1: absolute permeability (flow direction) analysis performed in VG Studio Max 3.5.1   The scanned o ..read more

This year to celebrate Halloween, Dr. Andrew Mathers (X-ray CT Project Manager) scanned a brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus). X-ray CT enables us to non-destructively visualise the bat’s anatomy in 3D with exceptionally high detail. The various 3D renderings shown, help us visualise not only the bat’s fascinating skeleton but also, its extraordinary anatomical features.     Bats typically use echolocation to find prey, however due to their enormous ears, long-eared bats can sense and hunt prey with the use of hearing alone. This ability is thought to have evolved as a counter m ..read more

Philipp Wachenfeld with the Nikon NEXIV VMZ-S We spoke to our NEXIV Application Engineer, Philipp Wachenfeld – who has worked vastly on semiconductor projects with fully automated metrology tools, about his knowledge and experience with wafer inspection using the NEXIV’s.   Hi Philipp, please can you talk us through Wafer Inspection in the Semiconductor industry & the different requirements the Nikon NEXIV can accommodate? Of course! The Semiconductor industry is a fast growing and developing industry with a very high level of requirements that need to be fulfilled by the ..read more

Today we spoke to James Finch, Applications Engineer within the X-ray Business Unit, about his responsibilities and his expertise with the Contract Inspection Bureau. Hi James, could you please tell us what are your individual responsibilities within Nikon Metrology? As an Applications Engineer within the Contract Inspection Bureau, I provide non-destructive testing using our range of X-ray CT systems. We provide this service for individuals or companies that either don’t have enough demand to buy an X-ray system themselves; have surplus demand for a system they do own; or simply cannot inspec ..read more

With medical devices, failure is not an option. From the simple to the most complex applications, the reproducible examination and inspection of key components is vital. With the high image resolution and ultra-fast CT reconstruction, the sharp images provide a fundamental insight to ensure reliable and repeatable performances. X-ray CT is particularly suited to verify the dimensions of drug delivery systems’ inhaler chamber or dispenser mechanisms, syringes, stents, pacemakers and many more. This month, Thomas Dreisbusch (X-ray Application Engineer), scanned an insulin syringe. X-ray CT ..read more

In the previous months, we have been sharing a lot of details on inspections of batteries and electric cars. This month, we have scanned a more usual car part although it’s still from a famous electric car. The steering wheel and stalks remain one of the most important parts of the car to get from point A to point B. Inside the part are a lot of interesting electronic connections to control different steering and safety mechanisms.      Both the plastic and metallic parts are beautifully visible and are outlaying the complete of this automotive part. Ideal for an assembly check ..read more