INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
Figure 2: The alternative to the dark room with film radiography is the digital radiography screen with easy to use joy-stick/button controls (Yxlon UX20 shown.)
software tools available with DR will combine to make operators more efficient and effective, and this is true. But having the technology to create more detailed images can affect other departments. In an ideal world, it would be a benefit to see “more” detail, however, practically speaking, seeing higher detail can have a large impact on production and isn’t always appreciated for its benefit, especially by the quality control department. Keep in mind, the “cost of quality” concept helps rationalise what it takes to avoid a potential recall or audit due to missed defects, and the costs associated with them.
Service and maintenance costs are additionally important to consider, as is a spare parts strategy. In a business where even a single production hour lost can affect production schedules - or even profit and loss statements - it is very important to
ensure the system has the least amount of downtime possible. Many industrial X-ray system manufacturers offer service plans that include regularly scheduled maintenance visits where they inspect all components and parts. It is important to have a spare parts strategy in place, especially for those parts known for regular replacement due to wear and tear and to know the costs associated with it. This should be discussed with the manufacturer to ensure you are not caught with a shortage of parts necessary to keep the system running on schedule.
Seize the opportunity The goal of transitioning from film X-ray to DR is not simply to replace film, but to upgrade to a digital solution that can be implemented quickly and efficiently into production. As technology advances in all other areas
of production, it has also moved forward in part inspection with X-ray. It is no longer a question of if you need to transition from film X-ray to DR but a question of when. Economic slowdowns, be it due to a pandemic or other reasons, offer an excellent opportunity to review equipment and processes to invest, and consider new technology that will offer immediate savings on personnel, consumables and time, especially those that offer additional future savings in productivity, and in other areas such as storage and floorspace.
All in all, there are many variables to consider when calculating the return on investment for this transition from film to digital imaging.
Yxlon
www.yxlon.com
JUNE 2021 | ELECTRONICS TODAY 37
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