Radiation Safety for Cargo and Homeland Security
Posted by
Tom Trisco on Mon, Oct 03, 2011 @ 02:45 PM
Anybody who says working in manufacturing is not exciting doesn’t know what he’s talking about. By way of example, Vulcan is part of the international team (comprised of scientists and suppliers from more than 90 countries) helping to build the Large Hadron Collider that straddles the border between France and Switzerland. We also work with the USA Luge team on sled and body-suit design issues, as well as on innovative products in a whole bunch of different industries.
One area of interest to us is port and cargo security. Not long ago we had an opportunity to help a cargo-inspection-equipment manufacturer in based in Billerica, Massachusetts, produce a prototype built around an advanced inspection concept. Our customer had developed a new approach to inspection technology called Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF). This technology identifies cargo by its chemical composition rather than by the way it looks when x-rayed.
This is neat stuff because NRF technology really speeds up cargo container and vehicle inspection at ports of entry and border crossings. The improvements grow in large part out of the system’s ability to eliminate false alarms triggered by ambiguous images. Anything suspicious must be inspected manually to confirm that the cargo contains no prohibited items or material. NRF is not only faster than x-ray inspection. It is also super accurate.
It’s gratifying to have customers of this caliber to work with. Suppliers that can support their need for manufacturing solutions in the supply chain learn how to become stronger companies in the process. In the simplest terms, working with the best companies challenges us to keep getting better. By staying good enough to work with the best we avoid falling behind our many competitors who are also striving to work with the best.
By providing the kind of radiation safety and x-ray protection customers are looking for, better and faster than other companies, we will keep our place in the most advanced supply chains.