News on the Advanced Photonix T-ray 4000

Most of the "regulars" here have already read the following update on the Advanced Photonix, (API), T-ray 4000. However, this blog has the potential for reaching a much wider audience so I am reposting it here. A real highlight is the disclosure concerning the development of a handheld THz system, to be used initially by the USAF. As noted this has the ability not only to locate delamination and water intrusion, but allow a more accurate forecast of the materials’ operational life.
Just imagine the potential applications!
Additionally, the disclosure about the continued development of the THz system for use by the AF in the F-35 program, which should have very widespread commercial application, in application coating processes. Potentially, HUGE!
We have known and talked about nuclear gauge replacement. Sounds to me like there is significant progress!!
Lastly, check out the bolded language found in the proxy release which I repost below.

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TERAHERTZ
Sales of T-Ray 4000 ® units, our primary THz product, to various research and Industrial markets, combined with government development contracts, were very strong in the 2009 fiscal year, growing 78% from the 2008 fiscal year. We have been and will continue to work with several industrial and defense companies who are interested in deploying THz on the factory floor. Most of you are aware of the Radome, F-35, and Nuclear gauge programs with which we are involved, but for those of you who are new stockholders; let me bring you up to speed.
The Radome program is a Phase II SBIR contract to provide the Air Force with a handheld THz system that would be used in the nondestructive testing of advanced composite materials used in the construction of radomes. The current method of defect identification and location is subjective, inaccurate and tedious. Our existing T-Ray 4000 ® will incorporate a newly designed handheld scanner capable of scanning a 6 inch width in a single pass. This will provide the Air Force with the ability not only to locate delamination and water intrusion, but allow a more accurate forecast of the materials’ operational life.
Our contract with the Air Force was awarded in October of 2007, and we believe that the system will be delivered in September 2009. While we do not know of any follow on system orders, we believe that the Air Force will find our system a practical and effective system for deployment.
The F-35 program is comprised of two contracts: a Phase II SBIR that was awarded in February 2008 and a Phase I SBIR contract that was awarded in December 2008. Both contracts require us to provide development work using our existing T-Ray 4000 ® product platform for identification of flaws such as voids, dis-bonds, inclusions, improper geometry and dimensions, and incomplete curing in the manufacturing process for application coatings . Working with the major defense prime contractors developing and building the F-35, we have been able to demonstrate our system’s capability and are making progress in the next steps of deployment on the factory floor.
The Nuclear gauge program is a Phase II SBIR contract to demonstrate to the Department of Homeland Security a THz system that would be used as a replacement for the Nuclear gauges used in nondestructive testing on the manufacturing floor for product quality and process control for a wide variety of goods, from consumer products to building materials. A common method of nondestructive testing utilizes an instrument named the beta gauge, which is powered by radioactive material that presents potential safety and homeland security concerns. In addition, the beta gauge has difficulty measuring some properties of interest to industrial customers, which can be measured with THz. Our existing T-Ray 4000 ® product platform is being cost reduced and factory floor hardened, at the same time that several industrial applications are being developed which target beta gauge replacement. We are working with a few lead industrial customers to demonstrate our system’s capability and are making slow but steady progress toward deployment on the factory floor. The current economic environment has slowed some of our customers’ programs and adoption rates, as a result we expect slower product sales during the 2010 fiscal year. While the deployment onto the factory floor has been slowed due to the recession, we are seeing increased activity in application development funded by commercial and government sources, as we continue to make progress toward industrial adoption of our T-Ray 4000 ® product platform. Given the Industrial market sensitivity to the economic conditions, we expect revenues for the THz product platform to resume growth in the second half of the 2010 fiscal year, even in the absence of a major win in the Industrial market.