Mission: Applying emerging technology to the hardest questions in NDE

The original testing centre was built in Pocatello, Idaho in 2003. This is close to the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory where the original Positron technology was developed and patented. The centre is also right next to the Idaho Accelerator Center - one of the branches of Idaho State University. Proximity to these is highly valuable as some of the world’s top physicists are close at hand. Positron has business agreements with both partners. Positron started to develop their first technology in 2001 - the Induced Positron Analysis or IPA system. In 2007, Positron licensed the use of a monochromatic X-Ray technology from the medical field. This is called Phase Contrast Analysis or PCA. Up until 2006, all services were provided locally at this test centre, but in 2007 the company started to develop specific tests to proliferate around the world.





Goals:

• Commence material characterization from day one to failure
• Convert “life limited” components to “on condition” monitoring
• Find material defects down to 10 nanometers
• Inspect material in-situ, without teardown
• Improve asset reliability and availability
• Improve safety
• Reduce environmental impact through reuse and reduction
• Reduce capital cost of replacement
• Reduce manufacturer warranty costs

Positrons' goals are significant. As you read through the list, you will see that each of the goals will have significant impact to industry. For example - the conversion of “life limited” components to a regime of replacement “on condition” will save industries like aviation and power generation billions each year. Such a goal is not without challenges of course, but it is well worth trying for. One major international airline claims they discard US$800 million worth of components each year because the ‘manual says so’. As engineers, we know that design life is set very conservatively. That is for good reason, but it also reflects our materials knowledge at the time the component was designed. Consider a new capability that can see how the material wears from the day of manufacture on - there are significant benefits.

Another significant benefit of these new technologies is to the environment. Using IPA and PCA, manufacturers and operators can reuse many components and reduce the creation of new ones - often with a further benefit of reduced dangerous chemicals used in manufacture.

Are you ready to think differently with us?





The New Spectrum of NDE


Consider for a moment any material from pure metal through to advanced composite across the top of the model. Then consider time from the day of manufacture, through the degradation process to the point the component must be discarded down the left hand side. Current NDE technologies works in the shaded area. As you know, we have very few NDE capabilities with the most advanced composites, especially at the early stages of failure.

Induced Positron Analysis (IPA) is a very early detection capability that works primarily on metals. It has totally unique capabilities in the earliest stages of degradation and offers us significant insight into material degradation regimes. It looks at the dislocations in the crystal lattice structure of a material - at the nanometer level. The large gap between nano level and micro level defects, and the entire spectrum of composite materials to be evaluated is now filled with Phase Contrast Analysis (PCA). Positron has a capability that can see defects in any material, and we can see them starting at about 4 nanometers in size.

significant new capabilities!

The Business Case
There are three business cases that can be made with our technology. We will highlight them here. To have a business case built for your specific needs, request one now.

The availability of raw, exotic materials used in advanced engineering is becoming restricted due to significant economic trends in both the supply and the demand side. This increases costs but the restricted supply can also elongate product development cycles significantly. Project delays are usually more costly than the materials cost increase.

There are significant cost benefits to customers of our technology. These arise from a greater ability to perform in situ inspection, better predictive capability of component failure, reduced warranty costs to manufacturers and the potential to extend component life through better predictive models.

A major potential benefit is to change the way many components are managed - from “life limited discard” to “on condition inspection”. By challenging the traditional thinking and learning more about material characterization from day one to failure, we can significantly reduce the maintenance burden.

The Environmental Case
There are environmental benefits of our technologies too. Any reduction in the demand for raw materials reduces the amount of raw extraction, transportation and processing. The processing often requires harsh temperatures and chemicals - the reduction in demand will reduce hazardous waste. In addition, extended component life will slow the rate at which old components are discarded.