Rapiscan Systems
Encyclopedia
Rapiscan Systems is a global privately held company that specializes in walk-through metal detector
s, and x-ray
machines for airport luggage
and cargo screening. The company is owned by OSI Systems
.
The company headquarters is in Torrance, California
which is the primary location for research and development, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and customer service support. The European headquarters, and location of Rapiscan Systems Limited, is at Salfords
in Surrey
close to Gatwick Airport in England
. The primary centre for development and distribution of x-ray systems for hold baggage screening is at Salfords. In Espoo
, Finland
, Rapiscan Systems designs and manufactures its Metor Metal Detectors, used in people screening applications.
Rapiscan also has significant research and development, distribution, support and manufacturing facilities in Melbourne
in Australia
, Singapore
, Sunnyvale, California
, Johor Bahru
in Malaysia, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
and Hyderabad in India
.
The company is certified to ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standard (Certificate #C2008-02776-R1, expiration Date Dec. 7, 2011) by Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.
in 1972, as the Security Products Division of International Aeradio Limited (IAL). This company then acquired metal detector manufacturer Adams Electronics in 1984. Two years later Rapiscan's X-Ray Division and Adams Electronics were combined as IAL Security Products, located in Crawley, West Sussex. In 1993, Opto Sensors, Inc. in the USA formed Rapiscan Security Products, Inc., which then acquired Rapiscan in the UK
. Opto Sensors, Inc. became OSI Systems.
Rapiscan Metor walk-through metal detectors stems originally from Outokumpu
, which was one of the first companies to develop walk through metal detectors for security screening. The systems were originally adapted from metal detectors used in the mining industry to locate parts of broken drill bits in minerals on a conveyor belt. The Metor company was spun off from Outokumpu and later acquired by Rapiscan.
As of 2008, the company had installed in excess of 50,000 security and inspection systems globally and in April 2008, Rapiscan Systems UK won the Queen's Award for International Trade
in recognition of its growth over the previous three years, tripling its revenue during 2005-2007.
(see this articles for controversy over this technology) system for screening airport passengers, the Rapiscan Secure 1000. On 23 September 1998, the device's inventor, Steven Smith, assauged the concerns of radiation security experts dubious about the possible risk posed by the device, saying "The places I think you are not going to see these in the next five years is lower-security facilities, particularly power plants, embassies, courthouses, airports and governments... I would be extremely surprised in the next five to 10 years if the Secure 1000 is sold to any of these."
The company have developed a fast 3D X-ray CT
scanner for hold luggage the RTT80. The company announced in 2008 that it would undergo tests in Manchester Airport and that it would shortly undergo testing by the TSA
. The system was originally developed by CXR Ltd in Surrey and the EPSRC funded a grant for the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester
to work on the reconstruction problem for Rapiscan. The RTT80 has an 80 cm diameter capacity and the company has announced an intention to develop an RTT120 with a 1.2m aperture.
With the University of Manchester and Manchester Airport the company has a research project EMBody, for the development of the "next generation walk-by metal detector". Rapiscan with the University of Manchester and the Mines Advisory Group
have a project initiated by Sir Bobby Charlton
on civilian land mine clearance.
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
s, and x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
machines for airport luggage
Airport security
Airport security refers to the techniques and methods used in protecting airports and aircraft from crime.Large numbers of people pass through airports. This presents potential targets for terrorism and other forms of crime due to the number of people located in a particular location...
and cargo screening. The company is owned by OSI Systems
OSI Systems
OSI Systems, Inc. is a worldwide company based in California that develops and markets security and inspection systems such as airport security X-ray machines and metal detectors, medical monitoring and anesthesia systems, and optoelectronic devices...
.
The company headquarters is in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
which is the primary location for research and development, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and customer service support. The European headquarters, and location of Rapiscan Systems Limited, is at Salfords
Salfords
Salfords is a village in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It lies approximately 3 miles or 5 km south of Redhill on the A23 London to Brighton road. It was the original UK home of the Monotype Corporation and Salfords railway station was originally built to service the...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
close to Gatwick Airport in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The primary centre for development and distribution of x-ray systems for hold baggage screening is at Salfords. In Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Rapiscan Systems designs and manufactures its Metor Metal Detectors, used in people screening applications.
Rapiscan also has significant research and development, distribution, support and manufacturing facilities in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
in Malaysia, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States, about east of Biloxi. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,225 at the 2000 census...
and Hyderabad in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The company is certified to ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standard (Certificate #C2008-02776-R1, expiration Date Dec. 7, 2011) by Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.
History
Rapiscan was formed in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1972, as the Security Products Division of International Aeradio Limited (IAL). This company then acquired metal detector manufacturer Adams Electronics in 1984. Two years later Rapiscan's X-Ray Division and Adams Electronics were combined as IAL Security Products, located in Crawley, West Sussex. In 1993, Opto Sensors, Inc. in the USA formed Rapiscan Security Products, Inc., which then acquired Rapiscan in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Opto Sensors, Inc. became OSI Systems.
Rapiscan Metor walk-through metal detectors stems originally from Outokumpu
Outokumpu
Outokumpu is a group of companies headquartered in Espoo, Finland, aimed at stainless steel. The company has approx. 8 000 employees in about 30 different countries worldwide...
, which was one of the first companies to develop walk through metal detectors for security screening. The systems were originally adapted from metal detectors used in the mining industry to locate parts of broken drill bits in minerals on a conveyor belt. The Metor company was spun off from Outokumpu and later acquired by Rapiscan.
As of 2008, the company had installed in excess of 50,000 security and inspection systems globally and in April 2008, Rapiscan Systems UK won the Queen's Award for International Trade
Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses...
in recognition of its growth over the previous three years, tripling its revenue during 2005-2007.
Recent developments
Rapiscan manufactures a Backscatter X-rayBackscatter X-ray
Backscatter X-ray is an advanced X-ray imaging technology. Traditional X-ray machines detect hard and soft materials by the variation in transmission through the target. In contrast, backscatter X-ray detects the radiation that reflects from the target...
(see this articles for controversy over this technology) system for screening airport passengers, the Rapiscan Secure 1000. On 23 September 1998, the device's inventor, Steven Smith, assauged the concerns of radiation security experts dubious about the possible risk posed by the device, saying "The places I think you are not going to see these in the next five years is lower-security facilities, particularly power plants, embassies, courthouses, airports and governments... I would be extremely surprised in the next five to 10 years if the Secure 1000 is sold to any of these."
The company have developed a fast 3D X-ray CT
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
scanner for hold luggage the RTT80. The company announced in 2008 that it would undergo tests in Manchester Airport and that it would shortly undergo testing by the TSA
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
. The system was originally developed by CXR Ltd in Surrey and the EPSRC funded a grant for the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester
School of Mathematics, University of Manchester
The School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester is one of the largest mathematics departments in the United Kingdom, with around 80 academic staff and an undergraduate intake of roughly 400 a year and another 200 postgraduate students...
to work on the reconstruction problem for Rapiscan. The RTT80 has an 80 cm diameter capacity and the company has announced an intention to develop an RTT120 with a 1.2m aperture.
With the University of Manchester and Manchester Airport the company has a research project EMBody, for the development of the "next generation walk-by metal detector". Rapiscan with the University of Manchester and the Mines Advisory Group
Mines Advisory Group
The Mines Advisory Group is a Non-Governmental Organisation , which assists people affected by landmines, unexploded ordnance and SALW ....
have a project initiated by Sir Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
on civilian land mine clearance.