Choosing the right X-ray tool for the job: some expert advice can help sharpen your focus when...

Buying an X-ray inspection system is a challenge and requires much research. There are many contradictory arguments that can justify every system from low-cost manual equipment where the operator does all the work and makes all the decisions to automated X-ray inspection (AXI) systems that sit in the middle of the production line and never need an operator.

But no matter the bells and whistles a system has, such as automated movement, CT software, and automated measurements, it all starts with the general setup (Figure 1). The system consists of a microfocus or nanofoc