Hitachi’s FT230 is a new ground-breaking X-Ray fluoresence (XRF) coating thickness analyzer that effectively ‘sets up’ itself, making it possible to analyze many more parts within a single shift.
FT230 | XRF coatings analyzer | Simply smarter
Video credit: Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science
Most of the user's time will be spent on the preparation and setup of the XRF analyzer, not the actual analysis. With increasingly tiny and complex components, tightening specifications, and the need for 100% inspection, every second matters.
The new FT230 from Hitachi cuts right to the heart of this problem. Every element of the FT230 is designed to reduce the time it takes to complete an XRF measurement so that users can act on their results faster, reducing waste and increasing throughput. As a result, the XRF should no longer be the bottleneck in production.
From minute electronics components to large-scale plated parts, the FT230 helps users achieve more in less time, making it easier to achieve 100% inspection.
Why Select the FT230?
Automated Focusing with Auto Approach and Auto Focus
The instrument setup has been improved by providing users with a choice of two automated focusing options. The auto approach is used when a fixed working distance is preferred. With a single click, the instrument automatically moves the X-Ray tube to that distance.
Autofocus, sometimes called distance independent measurement, allows the instrument to obtain accurate results even when the working distance changes. This can save a huge amount of time over a day of analysis, especially when measuring components that have complex geometries or different samples with features of varying heights.
Smart Recognition with Find My Part™
The FT230 includes newly developed smart part recognition for a fast and foolproof analysis setup. Find My Part™ selects the right analytical routine for the part that is to be measured.
The XRF analyzer will make decisions about where and how to measure and send the results and reports where the user needs them. This is faster than a manual process, reducing the potential for user error and freeing up operators to perform other tasks. For new parts, it is simple to add them to the on-board library.
Smart and Simple Interface
The FT230 is the first product to run Hitachi’s new FT Connect software. The most notable difference is the interface. Instead of a screen full of controls and options that the user needs to navigate, the FT Connect screen prioritizes the sample view and clear presentation of the analysis results. This makes it much easier to position parts correctly and act quickly on the results.
The routine measurement screen – where users spend nearly all their time with the XRF – shows only the controls needed to set up and start a measurement and evaluate results.
The FT230 presents the largest in-software sample view in the industry. With the majority of the screen showing the part, operators can more easily view the features on the surface, helping them pinpoint the right area for analysis and making it much easier to navigate around the surface of the part.
In addition, the FT230 comes with the option of a second, wide-view camera, to make it even easier and faster to find features on a large circuit board or metal-plated component. When the two cameras are used together, the user can quickly switch between measurement sites on a single part or between multiple parts in the chamber, without getting ‘lost’ in the details.
Data handling for Industry 4.0
FT Connect is built for data. For instant feedback and floor-level decision-making, the results are prominently displayed on the main measurement screen, enabling users to immediately take the appropriate action.
In addition, the FT230 can send results in JSON format, ready for integration with the user's SCADA, QMS, MES and ERP systems, integrating seamlessly with the wider production processes already in place.
Diagnostics and instrument health information can be shared with Hitachi’s technical support team over ExTOPE Connect – Hitachi’s cloud-based data management and storage service – to help keep users FT230 operating with maximum reliability and efficiency.
The FT Connect software includes powerful reporting features that allow users to generate customizable reports for internal or external customers. Data can also be exported in JSON or spreadsheet format to local or networked drives for close inspection by the user's analytical experts.