X-ray Based ­Visual Inspection

The CUBE XRS is an advanced X-ray inspection module specially developed for the inspection of syringe needles before the filling process. The module can be seamlessly integrated into B+S syringe filling lines with minimal space requirements. The syringe needle and needle cover of various formats can be reliably inspected at full production speed.

We have developed a method for the inspection of syringe needles and syringe covers using X-rays. A low-energy X-ray source combined with sophisticated image recognition and processing technology enables the detection of functional defects such as poor needle alignment of a syringe or defects in the syringe cover. By inspecting syringes before the filling process, you ensure that only flawless syringes are filled and further processed.

While passing through the low-energy X-ray field, any samples and their potential defects, are magnified onto a fast CMOS detector array. The resulting size of the sample or defect image can be calculated due to the distance relations between X-ray source / sample and sample / detector.  

The detector converts the incoming X-rays into light and transfers the picture onto the CMOS diode array. The results are immediately available and are evaluated instantaneously, allowing the processing of high production speeds.

X-ray is an imaging technology which creates 2D images that can then be inspected for defects. In X-ray imaging, not only the detector needs to fulfill certain requirements but also the X-ray source itself is required to obtain some crucial properties. These properties are defined by the field of application. In short the technology defines two types of X-ray tubes. The first one is the closed tube design producing radiation with a focus between 800µm and 1500µm and the second is the micro-focus tube design with a focus between 1µm to 5 µm. In general it is the focus diameter that defines the spatial resolution of such an imaging system or the smallest object which can be made visible in such a picture.