You’ve received the wrong alloy from a supplier. The paperwork for a shipment is missing, or a metal has been incorrectly stamped. Your materials have got mixed up in the warehouse.
What do you do?
Do you assume and take a risk that could have catastrophic consequences to your clients and business. Or, do you introduce a rapid and reliable quality control (QC) process?
If you do introduce a QC process to achieve 100% Positive Material Identification (PMI), you are setting your instrument high expectations.
Our LIBS expert Mikko Järvikivi gives six reasons why a handheld laser analyzer, like the Vulcan from Hitachi High-Tech, can make a difference to PMI QC processes.
Laser technology has evolved a lot over the years. Vulcan is a second generation LIBS analyser and it’s known for being one of the fastest on the market making it an ideal tool for rapid verification of incoming materials, controlling warehouse inventories and factory floor quality control.
Accidents do happen but Vulcan is built to be strong so your repair and maintenance bills should be lower. The measurement optics are protected with sapphire glass, one of the toughest materials known today.
Also, unlike XRF handheld analyzers, which use x-rays to analyze materials, you don’t have to go through expensive certifications or training courses. The laser doesn’t result in ionising radiation so samples can be held in your hand when you test them.
Laser technology is virtually a non-destructive technique. A small burn mark will be left on the sample surface, but only a microscopic amount of material is consumed. The visibility of the burn mark depends on the material being analyzed (e.g. Al or stainless steel). Many customers consider the LIBS burn mark as surface roughness, not a product defect.
The Vulcan has an extensive set of calibrations that cover all common alloy types including aluminium alloys, stainless steels, low alloy steels, nickel alloys, and more. With a built-in grade library of over 1500 alloys, it provides reliable grade identification when you need it.
You’ll want to avoid user related errors. With a Vulcan, there are no complex settings, or the need to have a bench-top stand or shield when measuring small parts. Those can be safely held in hand while measuring, unlike when using an XRF analyzer. The 4.3-inch screen is easy to read, and up to 8-10 hour battery life means it can be used all day long, delivering accurate results on thousands of samples.
Reports can be downloaded to a USB stick, or sent via Wi-Fi to the cloud service where you can access the data anytime, anywhere.
Want to find out more about how a Vulcan could help you with your quality control? Talk to one of our experts today or book a demo.
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