TeraMetrix™ Displays New Products for the Non-Destructive Testing Market at ECNDT

http://lunainc.com/terametrix-displays-products-non-destructive-testing-market-ecndt/

The TeraMetrix division of Luna will be announcing two new products for the non-destructive testing (NDT) market at ECNDT in Gothenburg, Sweden (http://www.ecndt2018.com).  The products will be displayed in the booth of Baugh and Weedon NDE, http://www.bw-nde.com (Booth #:  C04:01).

Both the pulsed terahertz SPG (Single Point Gauge) and the LSG (Line Scan Gauge) will be available for demonstration.  These handheld terahertz sensors are easy to use, and can make multiple measurements.

The SPG is a tool for analyzing the waveform return (A-scan) from an object, and displaying on the handheld screen a variety of measurements, including multi-layer thickness, delamination, water ingress and more.  The SPG is connected to the T-Ray 5000 TCU (Terahertz Control Unit).

The LSG uses the same control unit, but provides a cross-sectional image of the sample under test (B-scan).  The LSG provides a real time image useful for identifying defects, or sub-surface structure of an object.

The SPG and the LSG were both originally developed for use in manufacture and testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.  For more information contact terahertzsales@lunainc.com.

Email from Irl Duling Director of Terahertz Business Development- F-35 and other news

(My note: Out of the blue I just got this email from Dr. Irl Duling Director of Terahertz Business Development at Picometrix, which he gave me permission to share with readers here. Thank you Dr. Duling for the update!).

Hi Randy,

Steve asked me to contact you.

As you have probably heard there are big tidal shifts here as:

1. API was purchased by Luna

2. Rick Kurtz left the company

3. Rob Risser took over and then passed away

4. Luna sold the HSOR business (and the Picometrix name) to MACOM

We are currently working on settling the THz portion of the company within Luna without the rest of what was Picometrix.

In spite of all that turmoil we have been making good progress on the THz product line.

All sales volumes are on an upward trajectory.

I hope that as things settle you will start seeing a steady flow of information, since some of the impediments to that have now been removed.

Concerning our work with the F-35, we have continued working with Lockheed Martin (LM) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NGC).

With NGC we have been measuring the external coating as it is applied in the paint booth.  That required a CID1 certification, which we have obtained (for the measurement head).

At LM, our SPG (Single Point Gauge), which is a handheld THz measurement tool is being used on the production floor to verify the coating thickness as the plane is being assembled, and before it goes into final test.

The SPG is also being tested on other airframes.

The third application that is being developed is our LSG (Line Scan Gauge) which runs a Step-Chek software package to measure the step and gap between panels as the plane is assembled.  We have delivered the first items to LM and they are going through the testing process.  The LSG is also being used by NASA on the Orion spacecraft.

As with any government program, the pace is slow, but steady, and we expect to see increased traction in the coming years.

Best regards,

Irl

Irl Duling, PhD
Director of Terahertz Business Development
Picometrix, a division of Luna Innovations
2925 Boardwalk
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Advanced Photonix Introduces Handheld Terahertz Product

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/advanced-photonix-introduces-handheld-terahertz-133000289.html

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Photonix, Inc.® (NYSE MKT: API) announces the introduction of the T-Gauge® SPG (single-point gauge), an addition to the T-Ray®5000 product family. This handheld accessory is targeted at measuring material thickness for quality control in the aerospace and nondestructive testing markets. The T-Gauge® SPG is designed for at-line manufacturing environments and makes use of terahertz properties to nondestructively penetrate many opaque materials to allow measurement of layer thickness. The T-Gauge® SPG can make layer thickness measurements with the pull of a trigger in single or multi-layer products made from a wide variety of materials such as plastics, rubber, paper, paint and other coatings.

Incorporating fundamental technology advances developed by Advanced Photonix, and its subsidiary Picometrix, LLC, over the past 18 years, the T-Gauge® SPG provides layer thickness resolution that surpasses that of other measurement tools. With a simplified user interface, the same tool can measure multiple product configurations, and with a variety of tips, even hard to access locations can be examined.

"We are pleased to announce this addition to the terahertz product family which has recently begun shipping to the aerospace market for application on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. This product will be used to spot check layer thickness during production, which is complimentary to the recently announced handheld accessory product development contract with the US Air Force to assist in the assembly and maintenance of the F-35. The T-Gauge® SPG will help us further penetrate the aerospace market and open up new markets where existing technologies have limitations, including measuring through air gaps or measuring products with varying substrate properties," according to Dr. Irl Duling, Director of Terahertz Business Development at Advanced Photonix.

The handheld tool is connected to a T-Ray® 5000 intelligent terahertz control unit (TCU) that provides the optoelectronics that drive the T-Gauge® SPG. The industrially ruggedized T-Ray® 5000 TCU meets the high standards of speed and accuracy required for high-volume manufacturing as well as the advanced research laboratory (UL and CE marked).  The T-Gauge® SPG has been designed to meet the high standards of precision, portability, and ruggedness set by the T-Ray®5000.

The T-Gauge® SPG will be demonstrated at Photonics West in the Advanced Photonix booth number 401. The show is in San Francisco from February 10-12, 2015.

About Advanced Photonix, Inc.Advanced Photonix, Inc.® (NYSE MKT: API) is a leading supplier of optoelectronic sensors, devices and instruments used by Test and Measurement, Process Control, Medical, Telecommunication and Homeland Security markets. The company has three product lines: Optosolutions focuses on enabling manufacturers to measure physical properties, including temperature, particular counting, color, and fluorescence for Medical, Homeland Security and Process Control applications. The Terahertz sensor product line is targeted to the Process Control, to enable quality control, and Security markets through nondestructive testing. The T-Gauge® sensor can measure subsurface physical properties, like multi-layers thicknesses, density, moisture content, anomaly detection and some chemical features, online and in real time. High-Speed Optical Receiver (HSOR) products are used by the telecommunication market in both telecommunication equipment and in test and measurement equipment utilized in the manufacturing of telecommunication equipment. For more information visit us on the web at www.advancedphotonix.com.

The information contained herein includes forward looking statements that are based on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable but are subject to inherent uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, unforeseen technological obstacles which may prevent or slow the development and/or manufacture of new products; potential problems with the integration of the acquired company and its technology and possible inability to achieve expected synergies; obstacles to successfully combining product offerings and lack of customer acceptance of such offerings; limited (or slower than anticipated) customer acceptance of new products which have been and are being developed by the Company; and a decline in the general demand for optoelectronic products.

CONTACT: ir@advancedphotonix.com

CUNY-Center for Advanced Technology

MY NOTE: Thanks to IV poster uncnchs1, for this link, and who speculates the second entry below may have something to do with Richard Kurtz comments on the Advanced Photonix recent conference call that: "We're also in the process of launching a new Terahertz product designated as the single-point gauge, or SPG, targeted at the offline inspection for fitness measurements. While, we cannot disclose the near-term market opportunity due to Department of Defense instructions, we will have more news about the SPG product and the industrial market opportunities in future earnings calls."
I have no opinion on this, one way or the other, but if someone has any information regarding the date of this webpage entry or about the project please let me know.
http://www.cuny.edu/site/cat/rt-opportunities/technology-opps/mhd.html

DESCRIPTION OF PAST RESEARCH & CAPABILITIES FOR MILITARY & HOMELAND DEFENSE:

DETECTION OF BACTERIA, SPORES AND VIRUSES

Applications: Homeland defense and medical

Project Description: Develop real-time, in situ methods to detect the presence of bacteria, spores and viruses using optical spectroscopy. This research is focused on determining the optical signatures of bacteria, spores and viruses, which will form the basis of a real-time, in situ method to detect bio-agents.

Benefits: Easier, faster and more accurate methods to determine the presence of bioagents

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INFRARED TERAHERTZ PROBING AND IMAGING TECHNIQUES 

Applications: Homeland defense and industrial

Project Description: Investigate terahertz (Thz) beam generation and detection in order to develop a time-domain Thz-spectroscopy technique for studying the far-infrared transmission and dielectric properties of organic and inorganic composite and biological organisms. Potential uses include detection of hidden objects for security and counter terrorism and detection and imaging of corrosion and/or cracks on metallic and ceramic surfaces beneath paint for industrial applications.

Benefits: Easier, more accurate imaging and probing technology than currently available

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NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR WIRELESS SENSORS 

Applications: Military communications and sensors

Project Description: Develop self-organizing sensor network infrastructures to gather and disseminate real-time information for controlling dynamic enterprise systems, such as battlefields, where very large numbers of highly mobile sensor data sources and users may be scattered over a wide area with little or no fixed network support. These large surveillance sensor networks must adapt rapidly to dynamic changes in sensor nodes configuration. Dynamic query processing and target tracking through this unstructured sensor network of surveillance information sources and users must use appropriate distributed services and network protocols to solve the problems of mobility, dispersion, weak and intermittent disconnection, dynamic reconfiguration and limited power availability.

Benefits: Improve communications in dynamic situations, including new features.

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OPTICAL IMAGING THROUGH CLOUDS, FOG, SMOKE AND WATER

Applications: Military, industrial, communications, medical and transportation

Project Description: Develop optical imaging systems to detect hidden objects for industrial, communications, medical and transportation applications using ultrafast lasers and streak camera detection schemes. In particular, improve vision for locating targets or vehicles in smoke, fog, under water and other adverse atmospheric conditions. Extend existing theory and algorithms to compute and simulate the light propagation in turbid media, such as clouds, fog, smoke and water.

Benefits: Improve effectiveness of vision and target recognition systems in the battlefield

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OPTICAL WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Applications: Homeland defense, environmental monitoring and pollution control

Project Description: Develop photonic sensors for water quality measurements in the field using fiber optic and diode laser source technology. Develop algorithms for determination of water quality parameters, including turbidity, yellow substance and algae.

Benefits: Lower cost and increase performance for water quality measurement technology

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TUNABLE MULTIPLE QUANTUM WELL GAN/ALGAN UV PHOTODETECTORS

Applications: Ultraviolet spectroscopy, florescence and reflectance based instruments for military, medical and industrial uses

Project Description: Develop next generation UV photodetectors with high efficiency and high response speed. These GaN/AlGaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) photodetectors can be used in space-to-earth and space-to-space communication, missile plume detection, combustion sensing and control for aircraft engines, optical storage, air quality monitoring, and personal UV exposure dosimetry.

Benefits: Higher sensitivity (gain) than currently available devices