Spectro Analytical Instruments has introduced a faster, more powerful and more flexible version of the Spectro Midex micro XRF spectrometer.
The new model is faster, more powerful and more flexible than its predecessors.
It has been designed for the electric and electronics industries, precious-metal market, the automotive and aerospace industries and forensic laboratories.
The Spectro Midex is an XRF instrument equipped with an air-cooled low-power X-ray tube with micro focus.
The spectrometer uses software-controlled collimated point excitation.
The size of the measuring spot can be optionally set in steps between 200 micrometers and 4mm.
The current model, into which the formerly separate Midex and Midex M versions have been combined, uses the latest generation silicon-drift detector.
The detector can now process up to 250,000 pulses a second.
Dirk Wissmann, product manager for XRF spectrometers at Spectro, said: 'The new detector makes the Midex even faster.
'It scans the microelectronics on an EC board, a standard size for printed boards, in 30 minutes.' During point analyses, the Midex will determine the entire contents of a sample in two minutes.
The stronger detector also delivers exact results even with a working distance of 20mm, opening new areas of use.
Wissmann added: 'We can examine the high components of a mounted printed circuit board with varying heights, without damaging the board.
'It is just as easy to non-destructively search for inclusions in finished automotive components.' The Midex has a sample chamber that may be optionally equipped with a motor-driven XYZ table.
For mapping analyses, the travel path can be freely programmed along a surface of 240 x 178mm to examine all of the capacitors on an electronics board, for example.
Spectro has equipped the sample chamber with an integrated video system for point measurements.
Users can exactly set the measuring spot and even document the analysed point in a video image.
The Midex supports two types of operation: with the standard configuration, the distance between the excitation source and the measuring spot is 2mm.
This mode is suited to rapid point measurements - testing precious metal alloys, for example - as well as line scans and mappings of flat surfaces with a large measuring spot.
This configuration can be supplemented with an optional helium flush, enabling the Midex to measure the light elements such as magnesium and titanium.
The Midex can also be configured so that the distance between the excitation source and the measuring spot is 20mm.
This distance is ideal for the non-destructive analysis of the lower lying components on a sample.
It can also analyse 3D topologies such as very high boards or pieces of jewellery with structure surfaces.
