Xnovo announces GrainMapper3D™ in partnership with Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy
Materials Science Breakthrough: Synchrotron Imaging Capabilities now Available at Laboratory Scale
Non-destructive 3D crystallographic imaging is now possible with new GrainMapper3D technology from Xnovo Technology ApS
Køge, Denmark, July 29, 2015 – For the first time, materials researchers do not require large synchrotron facilities as they may benefit from a new commercial offering: A diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) system on laboratory X-ray microscopes (XRM) developed in a joint venture between Xnovo Technology ApS and Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy Inc.
Diffraction contrast tomography provides access to non-destructive 3D visualization of grain structures in polycrystalline materials. Such insight is required for development of lighter and stronger metal structures e.g. within automotives, aeronautics, power generation or other industries where there is a trade-off between weight and strength.
With the release of the LabDCT™ module for the ZEISS Xradia 520 Versa 3D X-ray Microscopes incorporating Xnovo GrainMapper3D software technology, such 3D grain mapping capabilities are now broadly available to the materials science community.
One of the first to have tested the solution is Philip Withers, Professor of Materials Science at The University of Manchester. He considers it a breakthrough for engineering and material science:
– The unique capabilities of the LabDCT module and the ease of using the GrainMapper3D software will definitely help to accelerate our research. By making 3D grain mapping accessible for academic and commercial use it will accelerate our understanding and optimization of materials across a wide range of industries and sciences.
The transition from a synchrotron technique to a laboratory solution was made possible by completely rethinking the underlying concepts and by turning the differences between synchrotrons and laboratory X-ray sources into advantages for the end-user. Based on this new patented solution, Xnovo Technology ApS was formed as a spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark. Founder and CEO of Xnovo Technology ApS Erik Mejdal Lauridsen proudly states:
– We felt we could really accelerate the field of materials science by commercializing our discoveries. Through our partnership with Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy Inc. our aspirations are finally becoming a reality.
Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Marketing Segments for Carl Zeiss Microscopy, GmbH., Dr. Kevin Fahey elaborates on this unique partnership:
– Xnovo Technology, our partner for LabDCT, is leading the revolution of diffraction contrast tomography. The combination of GrainMapper3D reconstruction engine with correlative microscopy is a unique pairing of Xnovo and ZEISS technologies which delivers advanced 3D characterization methods to materials researchers.
The possibility of imaging 3D material structure evolution over time to create “4D” movies of e.g. damage evolution or grain growth processes provides materials scientists with unique opportunities for testing existing material models and directly coupling the “4D” observations to advanced computer simulations. This capability is highly appreciated by Professor Dorte Juul Jensen, Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark:
– The LabDCT module on our ZEISS Xradia 520 Versa 3D X-ray microscope is a marked advance in our mapping of the microstructure of materials. By using this new tool we can see how metals crack when exposed to heat or pressure and relate the observed failure modes to the surrounding grain structure. As we perform many tests, it is an enormous advantage that we may do them at our own convenience at our labs.
LabDCT is immediately available as an optional module for the ZEISS Xradia 520 Versa 3D X-ray microscope. LabDCT includes GrainMapper3D analysis software developed by Xnovo Technology ApS.
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LabDCT is a trademark of Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy. GrainMapper3D is a trademark of Xnovo Technology ApS.
