Aspex
Encyclopedia
Aspex Corporation, originally founded in 1992, is a supplier of electron microscopy tools to researchers, developers and manufacturers working on Process control
Process control
Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...

 through automated Scanning Electron Microscope
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...

 and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is an analytical technique used for the elemental analysis or chemical characterization of a sample. It relies on the investigation of an interaction of a some source of X-ray excitation and a sample...

.

ASPEX specializes in the manufacturing integrated Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is an analytical technique used for the elemental analysis or chemical characterization of a sample. It relies on the investigation of an interaction of a some source of X-ray excitation and a sample...

 and electron microscope
Electron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...

. The company develops automated algorithms for routine production monitoring and control. Aspex's microanalysis solutions are seen in a wide range of production environments, including critical cleanliness, microcontamination analysis, product purity, contamination diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and other statistical process control initiatives. Aspex instruments are typically more industrialized then standard SEM equipment. You will typically find them installed in non-traditional locations, like steel mills and automotive assembly lines. The most common usage revolves around automated feature analysis for particle characterization.

Market Divisions

  • Steel, which includes a broad range of steel
    Steel
    Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

     producers and universities interested improving the production process through Non-metallic inclusions
    Non-metallic inclusions
    Non-metallic inclusions are chemical compounds and nonmetals that are present in steel and alloys. They are the product of chemical reactions, physical effects, and contamination that occurs during the melting and pouring process. These inclusions are categorized by origin as either endogenous or...

     content control.

  • Pharmaceuticals, which includes developers and manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, Medical devices, and new drug delivery tools.

  • Forensics, which includes institutes, universities, crime labs conducting various Trace evidence
    Trace evidence
    Trace evidence is evidence that occurs when different objects contact one another. Such materials are often transferred by heat induced by contact friction....

     applications and Gun Shot Residue Analysis.

  • Military, which customized field deployable units to monitor jet engine wear debris and Predictive maintenance
    Predictive maintenance
    Predictive maintenance techniques help determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to predict when maintenance should be performed...

     on military aircraft.

  • Automotive, which includes automotive suppliers and producers interested in characterizing the Parts cleaning
    Parts cleaning
    Parts cleaning is essential to many industrial processes, as a prelude to surface finishing or to protect sensitive components. Electroplating is particularly sensitive to part cleanliness, since molecular layers of oil can prevent adhesion of the coating. ASTM B322 is a standard guide for cleaning...

     practices and the critical cleanliness of components and assemblies.

Locations

Aspex Corporation maintains research and development and sales operations in Delmont
Delmont, Pennsylvania
Delmont is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,497 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delmont is located at ....

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.

History

The origins of Aspex Corporation date back to 1992 (formally a division of RJ Lee Group, Inc.) where developers recognized the limitations and costs associated with traditional scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result, the company developed and introduced the world's first "personalized" SEM, or PSEM. The timing of the introduction coincided with a number of important trends, including increased emphasis on materials characterization, the outsourcing of R&D applications to service laboratories, and the "quality revolution" of the 1990s. Since then, Aspex has continued to develop various industrialized SEMs for quality and process control purposes.

Competitors

  • Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
  • Phenom-World B.V.
    Phenom
    Phenom is a progressive rock group from Bangalore, India, notable for being one of the first Indian rock groups to release their work under a Creative Commons license .-The College Years:...

  • Hitachi
    Hitachi, Ltd.
    is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...

  • JEOL
    JEOL
    is a manufacturer of electron microscopes and other scientific instruments. Its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan, with 25 subsidiaries and two associated companies....

    , Inc.
  • Semtech solutions
    Semtech Solutions
    SEMTech Solutions is a supplier of used Scanning Electron Microscopes. Founded in 2000, SEMTech Solutions has grown to providing services worldwide. They have sold microscopes in a number of different countries abroad and across the United States....

    , Inc.
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