QUALITY ENGINEERING Software Aids Image Analysis


Complex inspection tasks and detailed microscopy can now be made easier with image enhancement software.


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maging specialist company Olympus has taken further steps to make the task of performing inspections using microscopes simpler, more repeatable and more auditable with the addition of the company’s Olympus Stream 2.4 software for use with its microscopy systems.


Users in diverse industries, including electronics and semiconductors, general manufacturing, steel production and automotive manufacturing, can now conduct fast and precise observations on a large variety of samples while maintaining data security and measurement reliability.


USER SIMPLICITY The software was designed with ease of operation in mind so that inspectors can focus on their product knowledge and skills rather than the operation of equipment. Simple camera and microscope controls make analysis easy for users who often change their workstations and intuitive step-by-step workflows enable multiple operators to use the same software for different inspection tasks with all results being centralised in one location. The software is available in eight languages and guides


operators at every step, from image capture and measurement to sharing results, reducing the need for training and thereby saving time and cost.


By sharing the same workflow across multiple operators,


quality engineers can be more confident of repeatable inspection results. The same simple approach is used in the creation of


inspection reports with the Olympus Stream software enabling users to produce smart, sophisticated and easily-editable reports in a very simple and clear way. In addition, the software also includes a comprehensive range of the latest international materials science standards within it so that users can be confident of the product’s compliance to their relevant industrial and regional standards.


TECHNICAL SCOPE The Olympus Stream software now supports Infrared (IR) imaging for enhanced, non-destructive inspection of silicon wafers and solar cells at the end of the manufacturing process. It also supports various illumination methods, including


❱ ❱ Image analysis software enables users


of any experience level to conduct complex image analysis tasks, from image acquisition to reporting, under any imaging condition


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MIX observation, which enables users to highlight defects and differentiate raised surfaces from depressions that are normally difficult to see with conventional microscopes. For real-time analysis on the production line, the live imaging function means users can immediately respond to complex problems, thereby reducing overall analysis time and increasing productivity. The new dendrite arm spacing function automatically measures the mean secondary dendrite arm spacing in lightweight aluminium casting to monitor solidification time, a key factor for improving mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and elongation in foundry applications. For fabrication industries, an enhanced ability to measure simple and complex porosity means that users can be confident in their weld assembly and additive manufacturing inspections.


IMAGE SYNTHESIS When an operator needs to be able to quickly capture a larger, panoramic image, or where they need an extended depth of focus, Olympus Stream is able to deploy the Extended Focus Image (EFI) function, which combines multiple Z-level images to build a single synthesised image that is entirely in focus. Instant Multiple Image Alignment (MIA) enables users to create panoramic images simply by moving the XY stage, without the need for a motorised stage. The Olympus Stream 2.4 software is optimised for the company’s own hardware so that everything is controllable using the same interface.


With a number of significant updates featuring in the latest release of Olympus Stream, users are now more easily able to acquire sharp, crisp images for quantitative measurements and reporting based on the latest standards.


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