In the fields of electronic manufacturing and general metal finishing, accuracy determines everything. Accurate measurement of coating thickness and composition is crucial for ensuring the integrity of circuit boards and verifying the uniformity of protective coatings. The core of modern XRF equipment is the silicon drift detector (SDD).

If you are engaged in chemical nickel (EN) plating or any complex multi-layer metal surface treatment work, investing in XRF analyzers equipped with high-performance SDD is an inevitable choice.

Usually, XRF analyzers are equipped with two types of detectors: proportional counters or semiconductor detectors. Among semiconductor detectors, silicon drift detector (SDD) is considered a better choice for performance.

Silicon drift detector is a solid-state X-ray detector that measures the energy of X-ray photons by detecting the ionization effect generated in the silicon crystal. SDD can synchronously detect multiple elements, not only reducing the required scanning times, but also significantly shortening the overall measurement time.

The advantages of SDD make it an ideal choice for industrial applications that require high speed, accuracy, and reliability, especially in the fields of coating thickness measurement and elemental analysis.

Chemical nickel plating has been widely used in the fields of electronics, automotive, aerospace, and general metal finishing due to its corrosion resistance, high hardness, and uniform deposition.

Micro area XRF technology has become a key means of analyzing coating thickness in the quality control of the entire process of electroless nickel plating. When preparing alloys with different nickel phosphorus ratios, this technology can accurately measure the deposition of coatings. Due to the fact that the physical and chemical properties of electroless nickel plating fundamentally depend on the phosphorus content (% P), it is necessary to accurately verify the phosphorus concentration in order to ensure the uniformity of the coating thickness distribution and achieve the target phosphorus content.

Traditional XRF devices are unable to handle this: old detectors cannot reliably detect phosphorus elements (especially under air path conditions). Modern SDD detectors, such as those equipped with Hitachi FT230 and FT160 coating analyzers, are capable of synchronously measuring nickel and phosphorus content, and can handle complex geometric shapes with ease.

The high-performance FT160 analyzer equipped with a multi capillary optical system (spot size<30 µ m) can perform non-destructive precision analysis of electroless nickel plating on micro components in the electronics industry. Its robust multifunctional design is capable of handling challenging industrial environments.

The FT230 analyzer is designed with a large-area high-sensitivity silicon drift detector as its core, optimized for coating analysis in the fields of electronics and metal precision machining. This instrument is designed to meet challenging industrial application scenarios with high detection speed and accuracy.

1、 High detection efficiency

Up to 72% of the time in traditional XRF detection is spent on the preparation phase. FT230 addresses this pain point through the following innovative features:

• Find My Part ™ (Search for my samples): Automatically load detection plan (including calibration program, collimator size, and analysis parameters) through machine vision technology

• Auto focus positioning system: reduces preparation time by 60% and achieves distance free measurement

• Wide angle observation camera: improves positioning efficiency by 20%, especially suitable for large and complex workpieces

These functions work together and can save approximately 150 working hours per operator per year.

2、 High performance SDD ensures detection accuracy

The FT230 configured silicon drift detector has three core advantages:

• High resolution: precise separation of adjacent feature peaks

• Fast acquisition: meets the needs of high-throughput detection

• Low noise characteristics: Reliable detection of low-energy elements such as phosphorus

This makes it an ideal choice for chemical nickel plating testing, where precise measurement of phosphorus element is crucial for coating performance.

3、 Intelligent software platform: FT Connect

The FT Connect interface designed specifically for operational convenience includes:

• Panoramic sample view: intuitive positioning

• Streamlined control interface: focus on detecting targets and presenting results

• Automatic data export: seamless integration with SCADA/MES/ERP/QMS systems

This design not only shortens the training cycle, but also effectively reduces human errors, allowing even non professional users to quickly get started.

As a multifunctional XRF analyzer, FT230 can be widely used in various application scenarios in the electronic manufacturing and metal surface treatment industries. This instrument performs well in precision measuring gold, nickel, and copper coatings on printed circuit boards (PCBs), ensuring the reliable performance of electronic components.

In connector coating testing, it can accurately verify the thickness and composition of coatings such as tin, silver, nickel, etc. These parameters are crucial for conductivity and corrosion resistance. For plastic electroplating applications, FT230 ensures uniform metal deposition on non-conductive substrates, providing support for quality control of decorative and functional coatings. In addition, the instrument is also suitable for general metal surface treatment tasks and can accurately analyze complex multi-layer coatings and alloy compositions.

In all application scenarios, the silicon drift detector (SDD) equipped on FT230 can provide fast, accurate, and reproducible detection results, helping manufacturers continuously meet strict quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Hitachi has a deep heritage in the field of coating XRF analysis, with its technological accumulation dating back to the late 1970s. As a result of global R&D cooperation, FT230 draws on the essence of extensive customer feedback, deeply understands the practical challenges of XRF users, and provides innovative and practical solutions.

In today's fast-paced manufacturing environment, precision and efficiency are uncompromising bottom lines. Whether you are plating connectors for smartphones or coating corrosion-resistant coatings for aerospace components, the ability to accurately measure coating thickness and composition is crucial.

Silicon drift detectors are the key to achieving this level of accuracy. The Hitachi FT230 provides you with a complete solution that integrates cutting-edge detection technology, user-friendly software, and automation functions.

If you are committed to improving the quality control level of electronic manufacturing or metal surface treatment (especially electroless nickel plating), FT230 is not only a testing tool for you, but also a powerful tool for building competitive advantages.