Together with scientists from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), X-ray specialists from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are now also offering their industrial partners access to state-of-the-art material analysis of 3D printed workpieces.
To this end, Empa recently became a member of the Swiss technology transfer center "ANAXAM" (Analytics with neutrons and X-rays for advanced manufacturing) in Villigen. On the one hand, membership promotes the exchange of experience among researchers in the growing field of additive manufacturing. Above all, however, industrial companies now have access to important additional analytical equipment. An important factor in staying ahead in quality control in 3D printing.
Three Empa devices are likely to be of particular interest to developers of 3D printing solutions: The Linac high-energy X-ray tomograph, which is particularly suitable for large workpieces, the RX X-ray tomograph, which can produce images with a resolution of 0.6 μm, and Empa's phase-contrast X-ray machines, which are used specifically for examining lightweight materials such as plastic components. The equipment available at Empa's X-ray center is supplemented by the Empa platform for image analysis, which uses highly developed image processing methods to make the information in the two- and three-dimensional X-ray scans accessible. And with training courses for industry, Empa's experts ensure that the analytical methods are used safely and effectively.
