Surface Analyzer with Smart Analytics for Quantifying Material Surface Quality

A new surface analyzer from Cincinnati-based BTG Labs has been built on the success of earlier models with new smart analytics for quantifying material surface quality. Surface Analyst 5001 can be used for surface measurements of a wide variety of thermoplastics and is used widely within the aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical device, consumer products and packaging industries.

In addition to validating surface cleanliness and precisely inspecting the readiness of surfaces for adhesion, the Surface Analyst 5001 is said to equip manufacturers with the analytics businesses need to reliably predict whether cleaning processes and adhesion will be successful.

The Surface Analyst 5001 provides access to data that allows surface cleanliness and adhesion to be measurable and predictable throughout the entire product lifecycle—from product design, process design, industrialization and manufacturing. Using the Surface Analyst 5001, design teams are armed with new intelligence that will help them control cleanliness and adhesion

Advanced functionalities of the Surface Analyst 5001 include:

 ▪  Automatic and streamlined data capture provides statistical process control and longterm trend analysis that monitors process drift.

 •  Completely nondestructive testing eliminates contamination risks during testing and can be used directly on manufactured parts and surfaces.

 ▪   Precision contact angle measurements that are scientifically proven to correlate to surface energy, the key indicator of surface readiness for adhesion.

 •  Designed specifically for manufacturing, the handheld device is used to identify contamination and improperly prepared surfaces near-to-action on the production line.

 •  Multiple access points to device controls including on the unit’s body or on the flexible inspection head.

 •  Extended controls available in the Universal Inspection Head provide device controls, status lights, and audible feedback. These extended controls and feedback features enable users to conduct one-handed inspections.

 • The new, wearable, Surface Analyst Sling provides a convenient, hands-free method for housing the Surface Analyst 5001. It enables users to have greater agility and freedom of movement while they conduct their one-handed inspections.

 • The Surface Analyst 5001’s innovative design provides unprecedented contact angle measurement accuracy on real-world surfaces that have complex geometries and in unpredictable manufacturing environments

Said Dr. Giles Dillingham, founder, CEO, and chief scientist of BTG Labs. “IoT is eliminating silos both on the factory floor and throughout the manufacturing supply chain. With the proliferation of smart technologies, including production floors equipped with sensors and Wi-Fi, intelligent factories have become the norm. The powerful analytics packed into each Surface Analyst 5001 unit allows users to leverage the collective expertise of BTG Labs expert material scientists, engineers, and technicians.”

Said BTG Labs’ product manager Mike Geren, “Our customers are extraordinarily busy people faced with ongoing daily challenges. They need reliable, predictable processes that enable them to keep production lines running on schedule, with minimal waste and zero defects. The ease-of-use of the Surface Analyst 5001 literally puts the power of data at users’ fingertips. Shared data enables teams to remotely analyze everything from incoming material from suppliers, verifying plasma and cleaning processes, or measuring the effect of product handling and storage.’