General Questions

What is Ionizing Radiation?

Ionizing radiation consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that are energetic enough to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, ionizing them.

Two of the most common forms of ionizing radiation are gamma rays and x-rays. Both forms of ionizing radiation are almost identical with exception to their source of origination.

How is Ionizing Radiation Generated?

Ionizing radiation comes from radioactive sources such as cobalt 60 and cesium 137 and non-radioactive sources such as x-ray tubes. Radioactive sources are unstable materials where gamma rays originate from the nucleus. x-rays originate in the electron fields surrounding the nucleus or are machine-produced.

What is Ionizing Radiation Used for?

Because of the penetrating properties of ionizing radiation and their ability to kill microorganisms, ionizing radiation is used to sterilize or reduce the microbial load of many different types of products such as medical devices, packaging, cosmetics, foods, and agricultural products. It is also used to alter the properties of many different polymers through recombination, cross-linkage, and cross scission.

Why use x-ray versus gamma produced Ionizing radiation?

Gamma ionizing radiation is produced by radioactive sources such as cobalt 60 or cesium 137 and is dangerous requiring heavy shielding and high levels of security to protect. The unstable material is constantly decaying and cannot be turned off. x-ray ionizing radiation is produced by a x-ray tube therefore it can be turned off when it is not being used and it requires much less shielding. At the end the of unit’s lifecycle, the unit does not have any radioactive source and therefore does not require the expensive disposal costs associated with radioactive sources that continue to degrade over hundreds of years.

Does the RS 3400 require external cooling?

No, the RS 3400 uses a self-contained water to air exchange system.

Is the RS 3400 Blood Irradiator cleared by the FDA for GVHD?

Yes, the RS 3400 was cleared by the USFDA for marketing for the irradiation of blood for the prevention of graft verses host disease (GVHD).

How does the RS 3400 differ from other x-ray irradiators?

The RS 3400 is designed to have the blood bags rotate around the Quastar™ x-ray emitter using our patented carousel and therefore delivers superior uniformity.
Unlike other x-ray blood irradiators, the RS 3400 is completely self-contained and requires no external water supply for tube cooling.
The RS 3400 is engineered for extreme reliability as it uses the proven Quastar™ x-ray emitter.
The RS 3400 has only ONE x-ray tube and ONE power supply.

How does the RS 3400 differ from a Cs-137 gamma irradiator??

The RS 3400 uses a Rad Source patented Quastar™ x-ray emitter and therefore contains NO radioactive isotopes. It can be turned on and off, similar to a light bulb. As a result, there is no Nuclear Site License, Homeland Security issues, or room shielding requirements.

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)

Rad Source NDT products are the solution whether you require an off-the-shelf system or a specialized high volume production. Our x-ray inspection systems are customizable based on your needs. The NDT 1000 is a windows-based inspection system built with the best image acquisition, storage and quality available on the market.

Our Image is Everything™

The Rad Source NDT 1000 Inspection System has the capability to inspect materials and assemblies in industries where quality is a top priority, including aerospace, defense, automotive, electronics, and casting. It has the power to inspect materials up to 0.5″, including piping and welds, in one second. The NDT 1000 is compact and portable. It is mounted on castor wheels, uses a standard 120 Volt outlet, and does not require any external cooling system.

Equipment

NDT Contact Form

Building Your Own Image

Rad Source NDT specializes in custom solutions based on your business needs. With over 35 years of experience in the NDT market, we have extensive expertise providing our partners in Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics, Casting, and many other industries with solutions that improve quality. We offer the following optional customizations:

Automatic Defect Recognition (ADR) – Custom software automatically detects faults in products. Customized for each customer for material and defect type
Pass Through Inspection – Custom process control for high-throughput and inspection results feedback
Manipulation – Multiple axis of movement provide increased inspection capability

Rad Source NDT is a global leader in developing X-ray solutions. We provide reliable solutions that help address some of the industry’s and the world’s most challenging issues.

Learn About Rad Source NDT

Inspection Speed Power

Incorporating an extra-large image viewing monitor brings ease when used with the ADR software. The NDT 1000 can inspect materials of up to 0.625″ in thickness – including steel piping and welds in 1 second with a digitizing panel and displays on a high-resolution monitor.

Hassle-Free Ownership

With customization options, maintenance-free ownership makes the NDT 1000 a proven asset when added to an internal process helping companies reach their goals. Using a standard 110 volt outlet no custom electrical work will be required.

Global Sales and Service Footprint

Our global network of employees and partners delivered an unrivaled combination of the world’s most innovative x-ray based solutions and a highly trained and responsive global service and support footprint.

Equipment

NDT 1000

Rad Source NDT is a global leader in developing both out-of-the-box solutions as well as custom x-ray imaging solutions. Our global network of employees and partners delivers an unrivaled combination of the world’s most innovative x-ray based solutions and a highly trained and responsive global service and support footprint.

Our Image Is Everything, and we are here to help you Build Your Own Image with the customization that you are looking for.

Automatic Defect Recognition (ADR) – Custom software automatically detects faults in products. Customized for each customer for material and defect type
Pass Through Inspection – Custom process control for high-throughput and inspection results feedback
Manipulation – Multiple axis of movement provide increased inspection capability

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