Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of hand-held instruments . . . Who manufactures them? A: Advantages: Can quickly verify hardness, coating thickness, metal alloy composition Disadvantages: Precision is limited Qualitative information in most cases Must understand the minimum detection limits of each instrument Coating Thickness Instruments Fischer Technology, Inc., Windsor, CN Krautkramer Branson, Lewistown, PA Ferrous or Non Ferrous Metal Substrates Can verify Ferrite content of austenitic steels or duplex steels Magnetic Induction (Fischer & Krautkramer) Eddy Current (Fischer) Ultrasonic (Krautkramer) Hand-held Hardness Instruments Mitutoyo, Paramus, NJ Krautkramer Branson, Lewistown, PA Both units can do RB, RC, HV, etc. Both have approximate upper limits of HV = 900, HRC = 68 Some models go to higher hardness Hand-held Composition Instruments Niton Corporation, Billerica, MA XRF (X-Ray Florescence) Uses radioactive isotopes, depending on particular elements sought - 109CD, 241AM, 55Fe Half life Cd=463 days, Am=433 years Detection limits depend on the matrix but are generally 10s to 100s ppm Sample size (couple of grams) Multi-element unit has all three isotopes Flaw Detection Instruments To be precise, eddy current testing, X-Ray transmission, magnetic particle inspection, etc. are failure prevention techniques because they are generally used before parts go into service.  They are also used "post mortem" when major manufacturing flaws are suspected e.g., porosity in cast steel or aluminum alloy parts. Advantages: Help provide complete characterization of a failed part Non destructive Fast Service labs and hand-held equipment available Eddy Current: SE Systems, Inc., Hayward, CA Panametrics (NDT Division, Waltham, MA Defects found in metal parts, e.g., Cracks, Seams (cold welds) corrosion, weld defects, defective coatings, inclusions High frequency and low frequency units measure thickness and thickness uniformity in nonferrous metals, polymers, ceramics X-Ray Diffraction/Fluorescence: Rigaku, The Woodlands, TX Stress Analysis of Surface Texture Determination (cold working, etc.) Phase Determination Fluorescence = Elemental Analysis Mapping of the above related to sample location Robotic manipulation of small parts available Service Laboratory Beam focus down to about 10-2mm = 0.0004 in radius XRF Portable Optical Emission Spectrometer and Portable Optical Emission Spectrometer: Metorex (formerly Outokumpu), Ewing, NJ XRF: 25 elements can be automatically programmed from K (19) to U (92), hand-held "gun," program alloys by major elemental composition OES: Portable, but not hand-held, arc excitation Can do sulfur, phosphorus and carbon thickness uniformity in nonferrous metals, polymers, ceramics To view photographs of the above instruments, click here to go to the Characterization Photo Gallery.