Nikon Metrology News
Case Studies and Product News
Volume 09
High resolution ct scanning to shed new light on human evolution
High voltage CT system advances inspection of automotive turbochargers Laser scanners replace tactile probing for body-in-white inspection at FIAt-tOFAĹ&#x; In-process X-ray inspection improves quality control of circuit boards Laser Radar for automated inline automotive inspection
Multi-Sensor CMM Productivity
The right sensor for every measurement task
CAMIO Multi-sensor software
Nikon Metrology offers true multi-sensor CMM capability, allowing best-practice selection of sensor technology for each task. By combining touch trigger, analog scanning and 3D laser scanning sensors within the same inspection program, results are obtained in the fastest way. Nikon Metrology CMM solutions featuring Nikon ALTERA CMMs, CAMIO software and multi-sensor probing provide manufacturers with greater measurement flexibility and a better insight of product conformance while increasing CMM throughput.
The right sensor for every measurement task
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Content High voltage CT system advances inspection of turbochargers
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Laser scanners replace tactile probing for body-in-white inspection at FIAT-TOFAĹž
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High accuracy horizontal arm cmm inspects next-generation automotive fixtures
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Reaching the peak of video measurement
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High resolution ct scanning to shed new light on human evolution
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Surface measurements with picometer resolution 17 Laser Radar for automated inline inspection
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First teaching laboratory in Denmark with scanning electron microscopes
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In-process x-ray inspection improves quality control of circuit boards
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New stereo microscopes bring incredible sharpness throughout a wide magnification range 25 X-ray Computed Tomography expands horizons of anthropology at Duke university
Cover picture: The Taung Child specimen being placed into a micro-CT scanner (Photograph courtesy of University of the Witwatersrand)
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High voltage CT system advances inspection of turbochargers
Computed Tomography transforms automotive turbocharger R&D at BorgWarner by non-destructively inspecting components and assemblies A microfocus Computed Tomography (CT) system from Nikon Metrology is being used by BorgWarner Poland to improve research and development of turbochargers for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. The high power (450 kV) X-ray equipment is able to penetrate the dense materials used in turbocharger production, allowing the internal material quality of castings to be checked non-destructively and the integrity of welded assemblies to be inspected. In addition, dimensional data for specific components is acquired more quickly than is possible with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), both from external and internal dimensions.
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With Euro 6 emissions regulations due to take effect in Europe in 2014, which will further cut the amount of harmful gases and particulates allowed in a vehicle’s exhaust, manufacturers of engines and their suppliers are deploying ever more advanced technology in the design and development of air management systems. The goal is not only to reduce pollution, but also to improve fuel economy and enhance vehicle performance. BorgWarner’s three production plants on the Podkarpacki Science and Technology Park in the Rzeszów area of southern Poland includes a production facility constructed in 2009 with the capacity to produce more than one million turbochargers annually. They are used in petrol and diesel engine cars built throughout Western and Eastern Europe. A new Technical Center recently opened on the same campus, to serve BWTS turbocharger production by providing application engineering and design, simulation, testing and validation as well as material analysis. This development significantly broadened US-owned BorgWarner’s engineering, research and development capabilities within Europe.
2D X-ray image
Reconstructed 3D volume
Combined NDT defect analysis and dimensional inspection It is in the new Technical Center in Poland that the Nikon Metrology XT H 450 microfocus CT system was installed in February 2014. Łukasz Krawczyk, Team Leader / Material Laboratory Manager, said, “We buy in our turbocharger parts, ranging in size from aluminium compressor discs to stainless steel or cast iron housings, from a number of different sources. “Before we put an assembled turbocharger onto an engine emulator for endurance and thermo-mechanical testing, we need to check the quality of the individual components and sub-assemblies. Previously we did this by sectioning sample castings and machined prototypes and checking them on a CMM. But that meant we were wasting valuable prototype or pre-series components. Additionally, the parts we were testing were representative examples from the same batch, rather than the ones we actually inspected, which were of course destroyed. Now we know that the components under test are only the ones we inspected dimensionally and, in the case of castings, for the presence of porosities or inclusions as well.” Overall, much more information is available than previously, enabling more rigorous analysis, and money is saved as parts can be reused for further tests. Software enables correlation of any inspected volume against a CAD model, or a master sample, either via direct comparison or through GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) measurements. In castings, for example, it is possible to ascertain the location and size of a void or crack emanating from it and determine the likely cause of the fault and whether it is due to the type or quality of the material or the component design.
CT reveals voids in castings
Also a bearing assembly can be X-rayed to check that all components are present, avoiding the cost of dismantling. The electron beam weld that joins the impeller to the shaft can be inspected to check for porosity and mechanical integrity, a job that is impossible to do visually. Mr Krawczyk said that CT has become much more widely accepted of late as an inspection technology and is so flexible that they use it wherever possible in preference to CMMs and other metrology equipment on site.
Selection of the CT system Five potential suppliers of high power CT systems were reviewed by Mr Krawczyk and his team. The Nikon Metrology 450 kV microfocus system was selected, as it had an ideal specification for BorgWarner’s applications, producing a higher level of image detail for more comprehensive analysis and measurements. It was also best value for money, bearing in mind that both a flat panel detector and a curved linear diode array (CLDA) were included in a single system, whereas other vendors were offering either one or the other. It is easy to swap between detectors to suit the level of resolution required and the material being inspected. A flat panel is best for obtaining an image of a complete component and is the preferred mode for scanning quickly to detect defects. CLDA, on the other hand, takes a one-dimensional section image to build a more detailed picture of a part. This technique is ideal for preventing X-ray beam scatter when dealing with denser materials such as those used for turbine housings. The latter mode is also used for metrology, due to the high level of detail generated. There is another cost-saving aspect to using the XT H 450. The price of filaments is low and they can be exchanged by the machine operator, without having to call in a service technician, lowering expenditure on maintenance. Mr Krawczyk also points to excellent service from the equipment producer, with rapid response to technical issues and requests for advice.
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CT has become much more widely accepted as an inspection technology and is so flexible that it is used wherever possible. Ĺ ukasz Krawczyk, Team Leader / Material Laboratory Manager, BorgWarner
Background to CT and the XT H 450 system Today’s manufacturers face ever shorter lead-times for introducing new products at lower cost and the number of prototype iterations is consequently fewer. Destructive testing is no longer wanted, as a multitude of tests need to be carried out on a single prototype. Tactile or scanning CMM inspections provide dimensional insight of outer dimensions but can only investigate complex internal structures if the sample is cut or disassembled. CT offers a solution that is easy to use, fast and provides detailed insight for dimensional, material structure and assembly inspection, resulting in faster problem solving and more effective decision making. CT is fundamentally a simple process. An object is placed on a rotating stage between an X-ray source and a detector, which acquires simple 2D radiographic images of the object as it rotates. After the object has turned through 360 degrees, the 2D X-ray images are reconstructed into a 3D volumetric map of the object. Each element is a 3D pixel (voxel) which has a discrete location and a density. Not only is external surface information acquired, as with a 3D point cloud from laser scanning, but data on internal surfaces is also revealed and by mapping the density, information is provided on what is between the surfaces. The X-ray tube is at the core of a CT system. Several different open or closed tube designs exist, but essentially an X-ray source consists of a cylinder in which there is a filament (similar to a light bulb) at one end, together with a high voltage cathode and anode, a magnetic lens and a metal target, normally tungsten. Nikon Metrology provides in-house designed, open tube sources that allow the filament to be replaced regularly, resulting in lower cost of ownership compared with closed tube sources, which are replaced at considerable expensive when they fail. A current is applied to the filament, which causes it to heat up and emit electrons. The electrons are repelled by the cathode and attracted to the anode by the high voltage field, which accelerates the electrons up to 80 per cent of the speed of light toward the end of the tube. Before they leave it, the electron beam is focused onto the target material using an electromagnetic lens. The electrons
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slam into the target and 99 per cent of the energy is expended in heating it. Less than one percent produces X-rays that are generated in a cone beam from the target. The higher the voltage applied, the more energy is in the beam, and consequently the more power is transferred to the target, the larger the spot size and the more X-ray power is produced. A limitation of CT in industrial applications is that high material density, especially of metals, attenuates the X-rays more. Many system suppliers only offer microfocus sources up to 225kV, while their more powerful sources are mini-focus, producing more X-ray flux but with a spot size an order of magnitude larger, reducing the accuracy of the data collected. A microfocus source is needed to acquire accurate and detailed CT data for most high-accuracy industrial CT applications. The Nikon Metrology XT H 450 delivers 450 W of continuous power, without any restriction on measurement time, whilst maintaining a small spot size of 50 to 113 microns and delivering a scatter-free CT volume with 25 micron repeatability and accuracy. Samples weighing up to 100 kg can be inspected within a 400 x 600 x 600 mm working envelope, providing a combination of 3D NDT defect analysis and dimensional inspection in a single, highly productive facility.
Laser scanners replace tactile probing for body-in-white inspection at fiat-tofaş
Close-up of one of the XC65Dx-LS laser scanners mounted on a DEA continous wrist interface
Turkish automotive manufacturer FIAT-Tofaş is implementing new inspection methodologies for their diagnostic measurements of sheet metal components and body-in-white (BIW) assemblies. A key element involves the installation of Nikon Metrology XC65Dx-LS Cross Scanners and CAMIO multi-sensor metrology software, which are retrofitted on an existing Hexagon double-arm coordinate measuring machine (CMM) at Bursa. Inspection is now twice as fast compared to touch probes and provides better insight, reducing the time needed to diagnose problems and raising efficiency.
Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Istanbul, TOFAŞ (Türk Otomobil Fabrikası A.Ş.) manufactures cars, taxis and vans in Turkey and sells them internationally. Employing over 6,000 people, the company is one of the top two automotive manufacturers in the region, with a production capacity of 400,000 units per year at its factory in Bursa. Products are offered under several brands including Fiat (which jointly owns the company), Peugeot, Citroen and Opel. The Tofaş-built Fiat Linea is Turkey’s best-selling passenger car, while its Fiat Doblò (also produced as Opel Combo) claims first place in the light commercial vehicle category.
Nikon Cross Scanners installed on Hexagon CMMs Since 2013, the Cross Scanners have been installed on two Hexagon DEA BRAVO horizontal arm CMMs that are equipped with a continuous wrist CW43 interface. Incorporating three lasers in a cross pattern, the XC65Dx-LS captures full 3D details of features and surfaces in a single scan. By digitizing complex features from three sides, the cross scanner acquires the complete 3D geometry of the features, driving the accurate extraction of positions and dimensions. Smart laser intensity adaptation allows any surface, such as those with varying color or high reflectivity, to be scanned without the use of a matt spray or other user interaction. This is enabled by automatic, real-
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Nikon Metrology XC65Dx-LS Cross Scanners are fitted to a Hexagon double-arm CMM at the Bursa factory of TOFAŞ.
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Inspection is now twice as fast as when we used touch probes, reducing lead-time between design iterations and raising efficiency. Özgür Ogur, Diagnosis Measurement Lab Leader at Tofaş
Laser scanning of car body panels yields a wealth a data, enabling virtual assembly of body-in-white and geometry evaluation in software.
time adjustment of sensor settings between successive laser stripes and for each individual point along the laser stripe. The XC65Dx-LS installed at Tofaş has a longer stand-off distance and offers distinct advantages. By capturing geometry from up to 170 mm away, the scanner gains optimum access to BIW structures and can scan over the clamps that hold components in position. The scanners can be used in combination with tactile probes for alignment of a part or for a mixed measuring routine. DMIS-based CAMIO8 software from Nikon Metrology provides a rich programming environment, with intuitive software tools for both tactile and laser scanning applications. A wide variety of inspection tools is available including full part-to-CAD comparison, intelligent feature extraction with GD&T tolerancing and profile analysis. CAMIO is optimized for processing large point clouds, making it perfectly suited to measuring sheet metal panels and assembled car bodies. During vehicle development, the scanners are used instead of touch probes for inspecting both individual car panels as well as for complete diagnosis of the BIW, after the car's sheet metal panels have been welded together but before the bonnet, doors and boot lid have been added. In this way, the vehicle’s entire sheet metal structure is inspected to very close tolerances, showing the interaction between the panels and allowing parts issues to be separated from process issues. Also completed vehicles are inspected, mainly for gap and flush spacing between different car panels.
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Advantages of the laser scanning based inspection process Özgür Ogur in the quality department at Bursa commented, "The savings are significant when using scanners instead of tactile probes for feature and surface inspection of BIW on our CMM. "Laser scanning fulfills our accuracy requirements and there are no significant differences in accuracy between tactile and scanning. We require 0.2 mm uncertainty on a 5.5 metre diagonal and as the inspection device has to resolve to one-tenth of the tolerance band, the scanners need to measure down to 20 microns. Measurements have proven that the scanners achieve this requirement in line with their listed specifications. "Nikon Metrology's laser scanners are much better than other types we have used. Their repeatability of down to 1 micron is really excellent and beyond our expectations. Inspection is now twice as fast as when we used touch probes, reducing lead-time between design iterations and raising efficiency." Diagnostic measurement of anything from individual components to finished vehicles is carried out on the Hexagon horizontal arm CMM using the Nikon Metrology laser scanning heads, which check for gap
The meisterbock is a complex fixture to verify the assembly of different panels of a prototype vehicle
& flush as well as inspecting features and surfaces. The equipment is used continuously over two shifts every day and it is rare to find touch probes on the end of the two arms. The data generated by the scanners gives full geometrical detail by fully digitizing the parts. The large amount of part-to-CAD comparison information provides greater insight when analysing the inspection results, ultimately leading to faster decision making. Scanning on the CMM has eliminated the need for dedicated, standalone measurement systems and supersedes the use of laser scanners on portable measuring arms. Compared with dual horizontal arms scanning, which would require two operators to measure both sides of a car, the CMM measures automatically and is inherently more accurate and repeatable. With portable scanning, an operator needs to be told which features to inspect, whereas on a CMM it is simply necessary to call up a program from a library and start the cycle. Further advantages of scanning are that it greatly broadens the application scope of horizontal-arm CMMs, allowing better use to be made of the capital investment. Moreover, the controlled, process oriented measurements are ideal for SPC. The technology leads to faster detection of problems and more prompt corrective actions, as well as greater flexibility and economy in the quality control laboratory due to the ability to run inspection cycles unattended for long periods.
Virtual assembly to reduce the prototype phase In such a dynamic production facility, the company needs a modern quality control function to support the development phase of new vehicle models. All body parts constantly undergo comprehensive checks, but the individual pieces of data collected do not show how well adjacent parts fit together. It is therefore necessary to assemble mating panels on high precision fixtures, called meisterbocks, that replicate the body shop’s assembly tooling and process. In this way, design, fit, function, gaps and flushness of sheet metal elements can be visually assessed and measured dimensions can be compared with the CAD model of the car. The ultimate goal of TofaĹ&#x; is moving towards a situation where it will scan completely all prototype sheet metal panels and parts and create a virtual assembly using the 3D digital copies for geometry evaluation in software. This new geometric verification approach is already revealing potential part fitting issues and aims to reduce the duration of individual prototype cycles as well as the number of prototype iterations needed to produce different car panels, saving time and cost. The 3D measurement data of initial prototype parts will also serve as a reference to analyse dimensional changes during serial production. Fiat is leading the study project and deployment is expected in one to two years.
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High accuracy horizontal arm cmm inspects next-generation automotive fixtures
RapidFit modular gauging and holding fixtures with additively manufactured locators provide major benefits in vehicle manufacturing Materialise Group spin-off, RapidFit, has deployed a horizontal arm co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) from Nikon Metrology to check the accuracy of bespoke gauging and holding fixtures it produces for the automotive industry.
Based in Leuven, Belgium, RapidFit has reduced costs and lead-times by making use of additive manufacture (AM), also known as 3D printing, to produce workpiece locators that are added to standard fixture components. The technology enables vehicle production to be streamlined, as innovative fixtures can be constructed with enhanced functionality and better repeatability. Often, this is achieved by incorporating complex clamping elements with freeform contours that are traditionally produced by conventional machining, which is expensive, time consuming and creates a lot of waste material. Integration of intelligent quick-release mechanisms that do not damage the component being retained is another possibility. Even moving elements like hinges can be printed, as well as features such as clips, pins and holes. High-wear plastics are used to manufacture the components, sometimes with steel inserts or bushings. Alternatively, parts can be produced from aluminium-filled nylon powder, allowing robust elements to be printed that may be subsequently milled and drilled to an accuracy of Âą 0.05 mm.
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Tactile inspection with a TP200 touch probe
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Customers will only accept measurement results if they trust the equipment that generates them. Stefan Roeding, Marketing Manager at RapidFit
Users of the fixtures are mainly manufacturers of plastic and composite components for vehicles, from relatively simple, light housings or small sheet metal parts to full body panels, dashboards and bumpers for sports cars. Customers include automotive OEMs such as Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Volvo as well as leading players in their supply chains, for example Mecaplast and Valeo. Shorter lead-time from receipt of order to delivery of the fixture, especially when complex geometries are involved, is a result of not having to program a milling machine to remove typically 90 per cent of material from an aluminium billet, or expending time and expense having a casting made and then machining it. Users are given more time and flexibility to fine-tune their product designs and still meet deadlines. An added advantage is that the locators and contours are typically half the weight of their conventionally machined equivalents and therefore the fixture is lighter and less tiring for operators to use. A high degree of modularity is provided using standard holding elements, such as the Aluquick range from German firm, Horst Witte, to support the bespoke 3D printed locators. The system allows easy modification by simply replacing them, so fixtures can be reconfigured inexpensively to accommodate design changes. The patented, customized products supplied by RapidFit are of two types. Gauge fixtures are for inspecting automotive components after manufacture to verify their accuracy, while holding fixtures support components as they are built into a vehicle and measured using CMMs or other metrology equipment. Both types provide comprehensive management of dimensional accuracy, which is vital to the overall quality of the final vehicle.
Accuracy is critical for RapidFit customers This in turn means that quality control of the fixtures is crucial. There was a need at the Leuven facility for higher accuracy when checking fixture calibration and to achieve this, an LK H 40.16.16 premium performance, horizontal arm CMM was supplied in early 2013 by Nikon Metrology, together with the manufacturer's CAMIO8 multi-sensor programming and analysis software. The machine provides almost unrestricted access to the 4m x 1.6 m x 1.6 m measuring envelope and features ceramic guideways and air bearings for stability at high velocity and acceleration. A Renishaw PH10-MQ motorized indexing head with in-quill head mount and autojoint probe mount together with a TP200 touch trigger probe and various extension bars formed part of the package. The facility is housed in a climate controlled metrology room and is currently operated over a single shift. Stefan Roeding, Marketing Manager at RapidFit, commented, "Customers will only accept measurement results if they trust the equipment that generates them. The accuracy and repeatability of the LK CMM is very high for its large size. It can measure two of our fixtures at a time, resulting in high productivity in the inspection department. Installation of the machine has been a big step forward in assuring the quality of our products before delivery and avoiding costly reworking. It is fulfilling all of our customers' requirements." Filip Dehing, RapidFit's CEO, added “With a worldwide sales and support network, our company is in an ideal position to grow by
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The RapidFit fixture locks a car bumper as it was built into a car.
becoming a preferred partner for large automotive companies on a global scale and by fully exploiting new opportunities. “Underpinning all of this is our commitment to high quality. Our inspection department with the Nikon Metrology CMM breathes accuracy, making it an important marketing tool when customers and prospects visit us.”
Offline programming maximizes use of CMM equipment A typical project at RapidFit starts with the customer sending a CAD drawing of the component to be fixtured and instructions on how it should be clamped for the required application. The fixture is virtually constructed in CATIA by one of RapidFit’s nine design engineers and the 3D locator elements are output as STL files so that they can be produced in one of the company’s powder laser-sintering AM machines. After 3D printing, the locators are assembled with standard holding elements and a measuring program is created in CAMIO8, in this case offline in RapidFit’s Kiev subsidiary. The offline programming allows maximum use of the CMM in the facility. As each fixture is different, ease of programming based on the original CAD file is a critical advantage. The program is transferred to the control of the LK H 40.16.16 and the inspection cycle is run to verify that all fixture dimensions are in tolerance. If changes are needed, engineers modify the fixture and run the cycle again, which can be adjusted in teach mode if necessary.
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The CAMIO8 inspection programs are offline generated to maximize the use of the CMM.
Turn-around for a fixture of average complexity is three to four weeks, although a very complex fixture can take up to six weeks. The customer is invited to the RapidFit measurement room for acceptance and sign-off. Investigations are now being carried out into checking contours more quickly by laser scanning. The heads available from Nikon Metrology are interchangeable with touch probes and both are supported by CAMIO8 software. The technology offers twice the resolution of camera-based optical systems, so is suitable for quality control of RapidFit’s automotive fixtures. It could therefore replace relatively slow touch probing routines in parts of the cycle that involve collection of freeform data.
Reaching the peak of video measurement
New VMA-4540V/4540 and VMA-6555V/6555 models iNEXIV CNC Video Measuring Systems automatically inspect the dimensions of a variety of precision equipment and electric parts, using optical measuring and image processing technologies. By precisely detecting the edges of the sample using CCD camera images and data processing, the measurement of complex sample shapes is possible. The iNEXIV series has been complemented with two larger models models.
Suitable measuring range for large parts of or multi-part inspection The large 450 x 400 x 200 mm (VMA-4540) or 650 x 550 x 200 mm (VMA-6555) stage strokes support the high-speed measurement of large printed substrates and tall plastic-injection-molded parts, and the mass inspection of multiple parts simultaneously, resulting in a significant reduction in inspection costs.
Clear images with wide field of view A wide Field-of-View (FOV) makes the search and alignment of measuring targets easy. An excellent Apochromat objective lens with high NA (0.11) and low distortion has been specially designed for the iNEXIV series, providing crisp, clear images. The new systems are equipped with episcopic, diascopic and 8-segment ring LED illuminators to suit the sample shape. Combining these illuminators and adjusting light intensity and direction, makes the accurate detection of low contrast edges possible.
Fast and accurate vision Auto Focus The VMA-series is equipped with highly repeatable vision AF that offers high-speed, high-precision focusing of sample surfaces or edges, referenceplane settings and height/depth measurement. Non-contact measurement using vision AF has the benefit, it does not damage or deform parts. Laser AF is available as an option, enabling the height measurement of flat surfaces with high repeatability at any magnification or depth of focus.
The VMA-4540 /6555 can accommodate touch probes for tactile 3D shape measurement.
iNEXIV VMA-6555 large stroke model
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High resolution ct scanning to shed new light on human evolution
The Taung Child specimen being put into the micro-CT scanner by Dr Kristian Carlson. (Photograph courtesy of University of the Witwatersrand)
The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg is using a Nikon Metrology micro-CT scanner in its Palaeosciences Center Discovered in South Africa in 1924, the Taung Child was the first hominin fossil to show both human and ape-like characteristics, a species later named Australopithecus africanus. Estimated to be 2.5 million years old, the fossil consists of most of the face, a mandible with teeth and a natural limestone cast of the inside of the cranium (endocast). Anatomical studies of this and similar fossils show that the species regularly walked upright, but the brain was only ape-sized.
Over the years, academics studying the Taung fossil have said that the child, who was estimated to be three to four year old at time of death, had a skull with open sutures that permitted extensive post-natal brain growth. This suggested a larger brain size as an adult than had previously been thought, implying that it was a true ancestor of Homo sapiens (modern humans). More recent studies relying on medical CT (Computed Tomography) technology reinforced that view.
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Now the Palaeosciences Center of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, is taking another, more in-depth look at the partial cranium and endocast using a Nikon Metrology microfocus X-ray CT scanner. The idea is to see if the previous research conclusions can be corroborated using the much greater spatial resolution, typically 10 to 100 times that of a medical CT scanner. There are few such nondestructive, radiographic 3D imaging facilities in the world available to institutes studying prehistoric life. Dr Kristian Carlson, Senior Researcher in the Wits Evolutionary Studies Institute (ESI), said, "The higher resolution surface detail yielded by our Nikon Metrology equipment enabled better, more precise analysis of the partial cranium and curved surfaces of the endocast than had previously been possible. Prof Ralph Holloway of Columbia University, Prof Douglas Broadfield of Florida Atlantic University and I have written a paper on the subject that is currently undergoing peer review, which we hope will be published later in the year." The Taung Child specimen was scanned in the Nikon Metrology XT H 320 dual source micro-CT system, which uses the manufacturer's Inspect-X software for controlling the machine and for image reconstruction. The scanner can accommodate objects falling within a 23 cm sphere, or longer items if sections are scanned and data
“ Overhead view of the Taung Child's partial cranium and endocast, with the face pointing towards the bottom. (Photograph courtesy of Dr Kristian Carlson.)
stitched together. For maximum operational flexibility, the machine is equipped with both rotating and static reflection 225 kV targets and a more powerful 320 kV static target to enable denser fossil and geological samples to be penetrated. Visualization and analysis software packages used are VGStudio Max from Volume Graphics and Avizo Standard and Avizo Fire from FEI Visualization Sciences Group. The flexibility of being able to equip the system with different sources together with the presence of a very experienced local service and support team were two of the main reasons that the research center opted for Nikon Metrology as a supplier. To obtain a detailed 3D image of the partial cranium, the X-ray source was set at 135 kV and 400ÂľA, with 6,000 projections created of the rotating specimen. The magnification of the projected fossil image on the panel resulted in an isotropic voxel (3D pixel) size of 55.5 Âľm, giving very fine spatial resolution. Automated protocols for correcting beam hardening and reducing noise were applied.
Non-destructive analysis is the key to research of precious specimens Fragile, rare and often valuable specimens can be investigated without damaging them using CT imaging. Rather like MRI scanners in hospitals that use radio waves to scan a patient, CT takes X-ray cross sections through a specimen and reconstructs them digitally to produce a virtual 3D computer model that can be manipulated,
The higher resolution surface detail yielded by our Nikon Metrology equipment enabled better, more precise analysis of the partial cranium and curved surfaces of the endocast than had previously been possible. Dr Kristian Carlson, Senior Researcher in the Wits Institute for Human Evolution
sectioned, dissected and measured, internally as well as externally. A major advantage of CT is that it can separate materials based on their density characteristics, so hardened sediments can be easily separated from fossilized bone in the 3D visualization. Another useful application is the ability to reconstruct broken bones virtually and to mirror-image a right-hand bone to simulate what the left would look like to build a more accurate picture. Additionally, if a decision is taken to physically dissect a specimen, it can be done faster, more accurately and more safely by running a CT scan first to identify the location and orientation of a fossil within a rock. This type of research can be carried out by scientists in many other disciplines and the data shared with colleagues all over the world. Already the micro-CT facility in Johannesburg is being used by other researchers within Wits involved in botanical sciences, medical research, geology, mining and archeology, as well as by the university's School of Art. Collaboration extends beyond the university, with people from four or five museums and a similar number of academic institutions in South Africa taking advantage of the equipment. The Karoo region of the country is yielding dinosaurs and even more ancient reptiles and amphibians for analysis. Prof Bruce Rubidge, Director of the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits, commented, "One of the goals in purchasing this equipment
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Dr Carlson reviewing high resolution CT scan results on screen. (Photograph courtesy of University of the Witwatersrand.)
was to build human capacity and expertise amongst southern African scientists and to lead virtual-based palaeontological studies, rather than having this work undertaken by overseas specialists. “We are excited to see this goal being realized as more scientists and students utilize the equipment and learn the necessary skills in the process.”
CT scanning opens new possibilities for 3D printing Having acquired X-ray slices through a specimen to produce digital files, it is an easy step to translate the resultant CT datasets into STL (stereolithographic) files to feed into a 3D printing machine for creating a physical model of a fossil, even if it is still encapsulated inside a rock. The value of this approach was recognized at the outset by the team at Wits, which also bought a Z-Printer 450 additive manufacturing machine from Z-Corp to build models layer by layer from powder. A slightly textured surface is important when recreating prehistoric specimens, as shiny surfaces would look unnatural. The powder layers, which are down to 87.5 microns thick, are ideal for imparting the right appearance. Color can be introduced, giving variety to displays in the Palaeosciences Center. Models can be scaled up or down to assist in education or research. A direct 1:1 facsimile of the specimen can be printed from which a mould can be made to produce accurate casts of particularly delicate specimens. STL file sizes are smaller than the 3D volume from which they were made and so they can be conveniently emailed or embedded in technical papers.
Conclusion Micro-CT is a powerful, non-destructive imaging technique for visualizing 3D objects, both externally and internally, allowing rich detail to be revealed without any damage to the specimens. Digital preparation can be quicker than many mechanical or chemical preparations. It also offers the flexibility to revise the virtual preparation
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Left: high resolution microfocus computed tomography (CT) virtual sections through the Taung Child specimen obtained using the Nikon Metrology XT H 320 LC during the present study. It consists of isotropic voxels with a spatial resolution of 55.5 µm. Right: lower resolution medical CT data, consisting of anisotropic voxels with a spatial resolution of 312.5 µm. (CT images courtesy of Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna.)
or try different potential outcomes, whereas physical preparation is permanent. Original CT data can be stored with the actual specimens to provide a permanent digital record, with the option of repeating the imaging process in the future as technology advances. Eventually, entire collections of museums and universities around the world could be available in digital form over the web to scientists and the public. The Natural History Museum in London, which also owns a micro-CT scanner, contains approximately 75 million specimens that will take generations to digitize to reveal hitherto hidden secrets. It is particularly fitting that Wits also owns a high performance CT scanner, as the university is the custodian of one of the largest collections of fossils in the southern hemisphere. All Nikon Metrology X-ray machines are built at the group’s factory in Tring, Hertfordshire, UK. An even more powerful 450 kV micro-CT scanner is also manufactured there. The high energy source is capable of investigating larger or denser samples and can therefore open new avenues of research in the palaeosciences, and specifically in palaeontology.
Surface measurements with picometer resolution
BW-S50X series White light interferometric microscope systems Building on Nikon’s Industry leading Double Beam Interferometry objectives, Nikon Metrology has launched a series of White Light Interferometry (WLI) Systems, which will set a new the standard in 2D and 3D surface profiling.
Nikon’s new Focus Variation with White Light Interferometry (FVWLI) moves the technique into new ground. With effective height resolution of 15 pm (picometer), more precise and accurate 3D surface height measurements are now achievable. Integrating Nikon’s existing industrial research grade microscope range with the latest WLI technology, Nikon is able to combine a WLI system, with standard optical techniques such as Brightfield, Darkfield, polarized light, DIC and Epi-fluorescence, making the BW series, truly versatile imaging systems. The BW series offers a variety of options including: a choice of high speed and high resolution cameras; a range of Nikon DI Objectives; piezo objectives and nosepieces; and manual or motorized scanning stages, all of which add up to numerous systems suitable for all customer’s needs and budgets.
Graphene layer height measurement (image courtesy of Dr. Peter Blake, Graphene Industries Ltd)
VLSI Step Height Standard: 8nm
Planarized SiC Wafer
Applications for the BW series include surface and roughness analysis of: glass; ceramic; silicon wafer; ball bearings; image sensors; thin films; graphene; molds; rubber; metals; plastics.
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Laser Radar for automated inline inspection
Flexible inspection, absolute measurements
Today’s inspection methods during automotive assembly It is important for automotive assembly plants to continuously monitor process quality during the manufacturing process. Locations of holes, slots, studs, welding lines and other features need to be measured on the vehicles in Body in White (BIW) assembly. Also, flush & gap for door or hinge lines need in-depth verification in the Trim and Finish section. These inspections ensure that vehicles are built within the stringent tolerances set by automotive manufacturers. These measurements in the past have been primarily performed by either horizontal arm CMMs offline or on the production line using dozens of sensors individually aimed at each of the features that are to be inspected. Although CMMs provide highly accurate absolute measurements, they require an expensive metrology lab and can only be used offline. A large amount of time is required to remove the vehicle from the line, fixture and align it in the CMM and then perform the time-consuming measurements. At best, two vehicles can be inspected per shift on a CMM. This is a very small sample considering that over 1,000 vehicles can be built each day in a single automotive plant.
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Dual horizontal arm setup for Body-in-White inspection
Traditional inline systems can have over 100 fixed sensors that are all individually aimed at features on the vehicles. These fixed sensors are demanding to install and maintain and do not provide ‘absolute measurements’ of the features in the car’s coordinate system. They can only detect presence/absence of the features in a local reference frame making it impossible to do a complete dimensional check on the vehicle. In addition, most assembly lines now are ‘flexible’, meaning that they can produce more than one type of vehicle. Fixed sensors cannot be used between different vehicles styles, every vehicle requires its own custom set of sensors.
Nikon Metrology’s Laser Radar The Laser Radar provides a unique alternative to the shortcomings of the traditional inspection methods. The Laser Radar performs automated, highly accurate, contactless measurements by using a focused laser that is controlled by precision azimuth and elevation drives. To perform a measurement, the Laser Radar only needs a fraction of the laser’s signal to be returned giving it the ability to measure almost any surface, including highly reflective bare body panels as well as shiny painted surfaces and even transparent headlights, which are very difficult to measure with typical line scanners. This robust measurement ability means that the Laser Radar can be used for both BIW and Flush and Gap inspections on finished cars. The Laser Radar also has a large measurement range (up to 50m for the MV350), allowing it to easily measure objects that have the size of cars, trucks, and other large vehicles.
Inline inspection with the Laser Radar For the inline inspection, Laser Radars are mounted to 6-axis robot arms that are located on each side of the production line. This type of robot is common place in automotive production facilities, is very robust and can easily handle the payload of the Laser Radar.
Multi-sensor inline inspection system with fixed cameras
features on the floor pan; repositioning the Laser Radar to an alternate location will make these features visible once again without the need for multiple sensors. After the robot repositions the Laser Radar, it automatically measures alignment points on the vehicle or pallet. This occurs each time the robot moves the Laser Radar, guaranteeing that all measurements are collected in vehicle coordinates and ensuring measurement accuracy is independent of the robots ability to position the Laser Radar. In each location the Laser Radar can measure dozens of features on the vehicle. These measurements are preprogrammed in the inspection software directly from the vehicle’s CAD model. After the initial programming, data collection and reporting is fully automated. Unique inspection scripts can also be written for each vehicle style and model made on the production line making the Laser Radar inspection station completely flexible. Adding vehicle styles in the future only requires reprogramming of the inspection plan and does not require any physical changes or new hardware.. The interaction of the Laser Radar, robot, and analysis software are fully integrated; the inspections are completely automated and do not require manual intervention during runtime, improving both the speed and quality of the measurements over traditional methods. With the need for shorter and more flexible production cycles, automotive manufacturers are continuously looking to cut time and costs whilst maintaining quality. For automotive inline inspection, the automated Laser Radar on a robot offers the right capabilities to meet the need for flexible and absolute measurements directly on the shop floor.
The robots are used to automatically reposition the Laser Radar so it can inspect areas that are hidden from the line of sight of a single Laser Radar location. For example the door frame or other body panels could be blocking the line-of-sight to some
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First teaching laboratory in Denmark with scanning electron microscopes
The new SEM laboratory within Nanoteket at the Technical University of Denmark is populated with five JEOL NeoScopes from Nikon Metrology.
Five Nikon Metrology SEMs will attract hundreds more students every year with the aim of promoting physics and nanotechnology Staff and students at schools and universities throughout Denmark are excited about a new facility housing multiple scanning electron microscopes that has opened within Nanoteket, a nanotechnology teaching laboratory at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), near Copenhagen. The laboratory operates in collaboration with the university’s physics department and center for electron nanoscopy. The latest project has been funded by three private foundations - Villum Fonden (the main sponsor), Otto Mønsteds Fond, and Marie & M. B. Richters Fond.
To supplement the university’s existing scanning tunnel microscopes and atomic force microscopes dedicated to teaching, five scanning electron microscopes were purchased from Nikon Metrology in February 2014 as the basis for the new facility. They are being used by students and undergraduates from all over Denmark to carry out physics experiments that were previously impossible within the country’s academic structure, as there was no SEM teaching laboratory available for high school students to use. Researchers and students alike, in particular those from secondary schools, have shown great interest in the microscopes, with 130 visiting in the first month alone. Nanoteket attracts around 3,500 visitors per year, including 1,600 school pupils. Staff expect that the scanning electron microscopes will attract an additional 500 or so interested people. Nanoteket is managed by Ole Trinhammer, the head of the laboratory, and Louise Haaning, project manager responsible for the electron microscopes. She holds an MSc in Engineering from DTU within the field of physics and nanotechnology and until 2011 worked as a teaching assistant at Nanoteket. Eleven physics and nanotechnology students from DTU are currently
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An insect magnified to micrometric scale being studied using a Nikon Metrology NeoScope SEM at Nanoteket.
Zeolite, an aluminosilicate mineral, magnified 2,400 times by a Nikon Metrology NeoScope SEM at Nanoteket. Louise Haaning, project manager responsible for the SEM laboratory at Nanoteket.
employed as teaching assistants, so it is primarily young people who teach other young people. The considerable benefit of this approach is perfectly summarized by Irvin Svensson, a teacher at Rosborg High School in Vejle, Jutland, who usually accompanies a class of students to DTU once a year. He said, “It’s always a delight to visit the university and the arrival of the new SEM equipment in the physics department is incredible. “Our students enjoy the microscopy exercises, as it’s a lot of fun to peer into a microscope and enter a whole new world. The students from DTU, rather than the staff, help and coach visitors from schools and it’s fantastic to see how they deal with them. It’s much more exciting for pupils to work with someone who’s only a bit older than they are.” Louise Haaning added, “We need the scanning electron microscopes for educational purposes, as we want to teach students from schools and universities about nanotechnology and electron microscopy and give them hands-on experience with such equipment.” An advantage of the JEOL NeoScope SEM from Nikon Metrology is that it has both a secondary electron detector and a back-scattered electron detector. Most SEMs have secondary electron imaging to produce very high-resolution images of a sample surface with a large depth of field, revealing 3D detail down to single figure nanometres. However, the NeoScope’s ability to detect electrons that are backscattered from the sample means that the instrument can also detect the amount and distribution of different elements within the specimen. Thus the microscope can provide much more information and broadens the range of possible applications.
About the Neoscope JCM-6000 A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with atoms in the sample, producing various signals that can be detected and that contain information about the sample's surface topography and composition. The electron beam is generally scanned in a raster scan pattern, and the beam's position is combined with the detected signal to produce an image. The new JCM-6000 "NeoScopeTM," is a touch panel controlled, multi-functional desktop scanning microscope that answers the increasingly diversified needs among users worldwide. The NeoScope benchtop SEM combines the familiarity of a digital camera with the high resolution and depth of field of a powerful SEM. Born from the combined expertise of Nikon and JEOL, the NeoScope SEM’s advanced features are complemented by simplicity and affordability.
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In-process x-ray inspection improves quality control of circuit boards
Advanced X-ray technology will pay for itself in less than two years Swiss-owned electronic and mechatronic systems manufacturer, ESCATEC, has deployed a new X-ray inspection machine that sits alongside two lines producing printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) at its factory in Heerbrugg. Supplied by Nikon Metrology, the XT V 160 machine is used for real-time, in-process quality control and replaces post-process X-ray inspection methodology. The in-line procedure is more efficient at detecting defects, has reduced the lead-time from order to delivery by one day, and optimizes costs by freeing an operator and a test engineer to be deployed elsewhere in the factory.
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Dr Martin Muendlein, Engineering Manager at the ESCATEC plant, commented, “Modern electronic components are becoming smaller and smaller, increasing the need for sophisticated techniques to ensure that every solder joint is perfect. Visual inspection is increasingly difficult as more and more leads are hidden under the components, which means that the solder joints are only detectable by X-ray. “Our latest Nikon XT V 160 X-ray inspection system, installed as part of a continuing process optimization program, enables us to look at hidden solder joints with an image resolution down to 1 micron. So we are ready to meet the increasingly stringent quality control requirements demanded by the miniaturization of electronics.” Aimed mainly at the industrial and medical sectors, ESCATEC’s electronic systems are to be found in survey equipment, network analyzers, medical respirators and similar top-end instruments. Such systems contain advanced, high-density PCBAs including
BGA sample.
Voids and other decision criteria are clearly visible in the solder balls of the magnified BGA.
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Tilting the image reveals head-in-pillow issues.
Visual inspection is increasingly difficult as more and more leads are hidden under the components, which means that the solder joints are only detectable by X-ray Dr Martin Muendlein, Engineering Manager at the ESCATEC plant
components such as ball grid arrays (BGA), quad-flat no-lead (QFN) interconnections, microchip carriers and fine pitch connectors. Detection rates using the company’s two previous X-ray systems had fallen from 100 per cent to around 70 per cent over the past decade as the features of interest on PCBAs became smaller and more difficult to inspect. All boards produced were checked half a day or one day after they were manufactured to determine if they had passed or failed. The Nikon Metrology equipment, with its ability to zoom in to 2,400x magnification, once again allows all features to be investigated, despite their smaller size. Its installation, on the factory floor, just a few meters from two SMT (surface mount technology) production lines, has also brought a fundamental change to quality control at Heerbrugg in that it is now an in-process rather than a post-process function. Dr Muendlein continued, “Rather than trying to find every error produced on every board during SMT, we use the Nikon XT V 160 as a tool for verifying that the manufacturing process is operating at a high quality level.
According to the defined sample rate, normally between 5 and 10 per cent, PCBAs are inspected and analyzed immediately after solder reflow. Findings are continuously fed back to the SMT lines to optimize production parameters. Results are stored in test logs for traceability. It has been a fundamental shift in our quality control procedures, whereby we monitor and manage the performance of the SMT lines, rather than find out a day later how many defective boards we have. Sporadic defects in hidden solder joints will not be detected by sample inspection but systematic defects are reduced by 20 per cent, which means we end up with more good boards. At the same time, delivery lead-times have been cut and the engineering effort needed for inspection has been reduced. We estimate that we now need one fewer full-time operator on X-ray inspection. Based on this saving and much lower test engineering effort, our investment in the Nikon equipment will be amortized in less than two years.”
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Example of correct quad-flat nolead connection.
Example of failed QFN joint connections due to lack of solder paste.
The new inspection process Total quality is the driving force behind ESCATEC’s market success. Manufacturing of PCBAs is complex and both SMT lines are changed over up to seven times per day on average. Batch size is typically between 50 and 100 boards. Only between 5 and 10 per cent of all possible PCBA defects, mainly lack of solder joint integrity or shorts under BGA’s, QFN’s, etc, are detectable by X-ray. Positioning and orientation of components on boards are inspected in-line on automatic optical inspection (AOI) machines that view all of the boards produced. The same team of inspection operators at Heerbrugg is in charge of both the 100 per cent optical inspection and sample X-ray quality control. The latter is a semi-automatic process. More than 250 different PCBAs are produced at Heerbrugg, most of them double-sided. First, a program for each side is written to instruct the XT V 160 to run sequentially to all the spots of interest on the board. With a near-perfect example of any particular PCBA (golden board), a sample inspection protocol with reference images is created so that the operator is able to compare an actual image with the reference image. An ESCATEC operator visually appraises each feature and decides whether it passes or fails.
Purchasing decision Two other ESCATEC production facilities, in Malaysia, first evaluated and installed Nikon Metrology XT V 160 X-ray machines. One has an image intensifier detector for checking boards of lower sophistication and the other a flat panel detector. The latter is capable of inspecting more complex, multi-layered boards and was the model chosen for Heerbrugg after further extensive trials. A difficulty with ESCATEC Heerbrugg’s previous X-ray machines was that they were based on a different technology involving automated laminography and needed complex test programs written. The inspection process was carried out in two steps. First, all PCBAs were automatically inspected and separated into good boards and bad boards with suspected faulty solder joints. During the second step, an operator inspected the latter boards to verify which were good and which really contained faulty joints.
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Complex boards often have stacked multiple layers, making X-ray a helpful tool to inspect individual components.
This type of machine is limited in that it can look at slices only from the top and bottom of the sample. There was no way to tilt the flat panel so that the operator could view the sample from the side. Additionally, the image resolution was not always sufficient for the decision process, especially for fine pitch BGAs, QFNs and similar. It is very difficult to see certain defects from one end of a PCBA, such as a BGA solder joint defect known as head-in-pillow. It is of major concern in the electronics industry, as the joint may have electrical integrity in the beginning but insufficient mechanical strength, making it prone to failure in the field, leading to costly repairs. The ability of the XT V 160’s flat panel to tilt the sample by up to 60 degrees, combined with variable magnification, allows headin-pillow and other defects to be seen easily by the operator. A further advantage is the open tube design, allowing simple replacement of the 160 kV / 20 W filament source, unlike on the former X-ray machine which had a closed tube. It was also temperamental, leading to high maintenance costs. Dr Muendlein states that the Nikon Metrology machine costs much less to maintain and to run. When reviewing the market for its new X-ray facility, the team at Heerbrugg considered a number of different potential suppliers. They decided that the XT V 160 was the best fit for their application, as its cost-to-performance ratio was better than that of the other machines evaluated. pillow and other defects to be seen easily by the operator. A further advantage is the open tube design, allowing simple replacement of the 160 kV / 20 W filament source, unlike on the former X-ray machine which had a closed tube. It was also a temperamental system, leading to high maintenance costs. Dr Muendlein states that the Nikon Metrology machine costs much less to maintain and to run.
Incredible sharpness throughout a wide magnification range
New stereo microscopes feature enhanced optical performance and operation Nikon has introduced 3 new stereomicroscopes: SMZ1270, a stereo microscope with the largest zoom ratio in its class; SMZ1270i, a version of SMZ1270 with intelligent features; and SMZ800N with enhanced optics and operability.
With their newly redesigned optics and advanced features, these new stereo microscopes provide incredible optical performance and enhanced operability, enabling researchers to carry out high-magnification, large-zoom-ratio and highdefinition imaging with ease. The clarity of the images and improved ease of use will benefit researchers in a variety of fields, from medical to industrial.
SMZ1270i – Intelligent function for status readout In combination with the Camera Control Unit DS-L3 or imaging software NISElements, the SMZ1270i can detect zoom magnification data. In addition, with the Intelligent Nosepiece P-RNI2 attached, data related to the objective in use is also detected. Calibration data is automatically altered, following changes of magnification, to display the appropriate scale and measurement results on the images.
New digital cameras for microscopes Beside these new microscope models, Nikon has introduced the DS-RI2 and DSQI2 digital cameras equipped with a Nikon FX-format CMOS sensor. They offer 16.25-megapixel high-definition images. The DS-Ri2 provides superior color reproduction and fast frame rates. The monochrome model DS-Qi2 enables highsensitivity and low-noise images.
1270i SMZ1270i can detect zoom magnification data to display the appropriate scale and measurement results on the images.
800N Basic, affordable model with improved operability
The new DS series are the first Nikon microscope digital cameras equipped with a Nikon FX-format CMOS sensor, offering 16 megapixel images.
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X-Ray Computed Tomography expands horizons of anthropology at Duke university
Megaladapis (koala lemur) skull, front view. As this genus is extinct, non-destructive scanning and a permanent 3D record are vital to research.
At Duke University (Durham, NC), the school’s X-ray micro Computed Tomography equipment spans a growing number of disciplines and users. One of the main researches is related to anthropology studying the origin of mankind. But also biotech firms, electronic materials companies, government research organizations, and many others have interest in using CT to investigate and characterize materials on a micron scale.
Housed at the Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, the XT H 225 ST micro CT X-ray machine from Nikon Metrology (Brighton, MI) along with Nikon’s 3D reconstruction software was installed in March 2013 and envisioned from the start as a shared university resource. Cataloging life’s diversity Dr.Doug M.Boyer,assistant professor in Duke’s Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, considered access to micro CT X-ray technology essential. “The research I do relies on micro CT data 100 percent,” he says. “We were really pleased that Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences also saw the acquisition of this equipment as a good investment for the research environment on campus.” Anthropology, literally the study of humankind, is often perceived as socio-cultural science (as in cultural anthropology and its emphasis on a culture’s beliefs, history, and behaviors). “Then there’s physical anthropology – how diversity in biology of humans and other non-human primates provides evidence for questions about human nature and
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Digitization of skeletal specimens in 3D to which you can provide worldwide access is changing the nature of biological study Dr. Doug M. Boyer, assistant professor in Duke’s Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Daubentonia madagascariensis (name "Aye aye") foot scanned at Duke’s Micro CT facility, included in MorphoSource, Duke’s digital 3D museum.
origins,” Boyer adds. “You probably have a more accurate perspective of the kind of research my colleagues and I do here if you think of it as a subfield of evolutionary biology. Diversity in skeletal and anatomical structure among primates (including humans) is my area of focus. But the approaches I take and the broader implications of the questions I address are directly applicable to biological research generally. Raw data are the measured quantities of anatomical samples, and documenting them is essential for repeatability.” Micro CT ameliorates a number of difficulties involved with evolutionary anthropology, Boyer further explains. For one thing, there are the skeletal and anatomical samples themselves needing to be cataloged and referenced. Many are one-of-a-kind specimens housed in university and museum collections around the world. Time and travel expenses just getting to them are significant. “If we can post digital images of the bones in our studies, then it takes the field to a new level of accountability: not only can a skeptical researcher re-analyze the measurements I put in my appendix tables, but he/she can directly check the individual measurements I provide. This is impossible (or at least fundamentally impractical) currently.” Not only yielding information, but sharing it as well. MorphoSource (www.morphosource.org) is Duke’s initiative to build a digital 3D specimen archive to better enable a worldwide user base to study the diversity of life in its anatomical form. Researchers not only can store, organize, share, and distribute their own 3D data, any registered user can immediately search for and download 3D morphological data sets that have been made accessible through the consent of data authors. Duke has begun by scanning thousands of samples from its own extensive collections and also those of other institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, among others.
“Digitization of skeletal specimens in 3D to which you can provide worldwide access is changing the nature of biological study,” Boyer says. “Retention and sharing of 3D is a problem facing the greater academic community who study one-of-a-kind samples. MorphoSource is taking a data-driven field and applying new means of obtaining and interpreting that data.” A slightly more lofty goal is to tap the potential for automation of analysis of anatomical structural data on a broad scale. “Right now analysis of molecular data (on DNA, the genetic code) is highly automated. Big data sets are relatively easy to amass because of digital sharing: morphological data hasn’t reach this point, for obvious reasons – scanning is the only way to generate comprehensive numerical representations of bones, but such data have been few and far between until recently. MorphoSource will start to build the large-scale samples needed to bring the study of anatomical structure in-line with the genome,” Boyer says. He is currently working with applied mathematicians and statisticians at Duke to “automate” the measurement and analysis of biological structures. “Another reason why the skeleton is under-studied is that most researchers don’t have the expertise to identify or define relevant measurements. With automated algorithmic routines, we hope to avail morphological data to any interested researcher.”
Training and certification Duke not only provides micro CT scanning for the school’s medical, sciences, and engineering departments, it also trains and certifies users on how to use the equipment. “This isn’t a 9 to 5 operation, it’s 24-7,” says R&D engineer and CT specialist Jimmy Thostenson. Users interested in certification are trained in lab safety and procedures as well as equipment operation, working one-on-one with SMIF’s micro CT staff.
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News_Volume 9_EN_0814– Copyright Nikon Metrology NV 2014. All rights reserved. The materials presented here are summary in nature, subject to change and intended for general information only.
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