Vidisco NDT Division Manager, Mr. Ron Pincu has 12 years of experience in aerospace field NDT.

He worked on fighter jets – radiography tests of F15 and helicopters in the Israeli air force both as a soldier for 5 years and in reserve service. He was the commander of the one of the biggest laboratories in the Israeli air force and its founder.

He has NDT Level II and a degree in practical engineering.

He worked in NDT inspections on commercial aircrafts in the Israeli aerospace industry for an additional 7 years.

He has a first degree in economics and a second degree, an MBA.

He has been with Vidisco for the last 8 years and taken part in leading development of cutting edge portable digital x-ray inspection systems.

Abstract

A Review of Digital Radiography in the Service of Security

Digital Radiography has existed in various forms (e.g. CCD & amorphous Silicon imagers) in the security X-ray inspection field for over 20 years. Today, as Digital Radiography takes its prominent place in the X-ray inspection market, security operators have also made the transition to this technology and it is no longer a niche option.

Security X-ray inspections in the field are especially challenging, as all factors of the inspection cannot be anticipated and largely remain unknown during the inspection itself. The location is determined only when the operator is called on to conduct an inspection, the approach may be difficult and the conditions far from the ideal/pristine laboratory, with no direct electricity connection available.

The security operator has to make the most out of the conditions available on the inspection site. The content of suspect object is unknown and may be dangerous. Fast and conclusive results combined with simple operation and controlling the inspection from a distance are the key to saving lives! High level images are crucial to making informed decisions, based on which action to neutralize a threat is taken immediately. Both the inspector and the public are dependent on cutting edge equipment to achieve a high security level.

The lecture will review the main requirements of a security field x-ray inspection and how digital radiography portable systems facilitate these needs, with a focus on fast and safe inspection. Applications such as bomb disposal (EOD/IED and the differences between them), customs, VIP protection and forensics will be shortly presented. A special review will concentrate on the role of Dual Energy X-ray imaging for organic/inorganic detection, as this capability plays a special role in detecting explosives (bombs) or drugs (contraband), which is important to many security applications.

Vidisco brings with it over 20 years of experience in digital X-ray for security, which has undoubtedly impacted on our NDT work over the last decade. It is common to assume that high level NDT X-ray knowledge leaks into the security X-ray field. We want to present a rare example in which the opposite occurs. A case study of material separation (water vs. adhesives) in Aerospace NDT, based on the dual energy technology developed for security applications, will be briefly reviewed.