When we talk to customers who are interested in learning more about XRF, there are some questions that we answer all the time. Check out some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers below.

Electroless nickel (EN) is industry’s most common plated finish. It’s widely used for applications that demand wear resistance, hardness and corrosion protection—particularly if parts have complex geometries. It is also used in PCB manufacturing within a process known as ENIG, electroless nickel immersion gold. 

Current trends for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures in metal manufacturing plants are becoming more stringent. The need for 100% measurements for alloy verification is frequently becoming part of these procedures.

Years ago, metal fabricators and quality control personnel needed to conduct expensive, time-consuming laboratory tests to perform material verification.

Innovations in the electronics and semiconductor industries have birthed two relentless trends. Both profoundly impact both product designers and those charged with assuring that what was designed is what was manufactured. The trends are: higher densities for components, boards and processors, and the need for very high precision in the metal plating that enables functionality.

Bowman has debuted an important addition to their suite of benchtop XRF plating measurement systems.

For metal producers, processors, recyclers, contractors and others, continuous quality control plays a key role in establishing the identity and composition of various metals and alloys from initial melt to finished product or end use.

X-Ray Fluorescence analysis plays an important role in protecting consumers by detecting possible toxic heavy metals in electronics, automobiles and medical devices before they make it to market.

X-ray fluorescence is an elemental analysis tool that has been a mainstay of test labs for decades. A versatile NDT method that demands only minimal sample prep and can be run by novice operators, it is perhaps most valued for delivering accurate results quickly. Today, evolving XRF capabilities are moving this quality assurance workhorse into critical new roles in a widening spectrum of industries.

Timothy He was previously principal scientist with Tribogenics Inc.