Faxitron X-ray machine

Thread Starter

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
I have a friend who has a working Faxitron X-ray unit (see attached picture):

Faxitron CS-100AC X-Ray Machine (92 KV @ 100 mA) with a Focal Spot: 8 micron, Xray Tube: Stationary anode, end window construction, w/ Beryllium window (0.127mm thick) & 46° (beam angle) • Maximum board size: 18"x24" • Real Time Image Resolution: >26-50 line pairs/mm (magnification dependent) • Camera Type: High Resolution CCD Camera with 6:1 Motorized Zoom Lens • Equipped with: Electronic "Z Axis" X-ray tube adjustment (affects FOV = Field of View, Magnification, Resolution, Electronic "Z Axis" detector motion (expands FOV range & sensitivity) • Equipped with Rotation & Tilt Fixture • Laser Pointer • Cabinet w/casters, leveling pads, lockable storage area, & pull-out printer shelf = 1250 Pounds. Last safety inspection: May 2010.

I believe he got it as a surplus unit. He's interested in selling it, but has no idea what it's worth (and you don't need to suggest he search ebay, as he's an expert ebay seller and has been looking for a week). It appears that it was once used as an inspection device for PC boards.

I have two questions for the folks here:

1. Do any of you have any experience with this device? If so, what is it typically used for?

2. Do you have any suggestions as to what the unit would be worth?
 

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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Alcatel used to have one of those I believe, it's biggest use was looking under ball grid arrays for solder voids, but that wasn't the only use.

I would focus on the new price, then go from there. Has he contacted the parent company, assuming they exist, for how much they cost new?
 

Thread Starter

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
He finally found out that the original selling price for the device he has was in the $150k-$200k range. But that has little to do with what the thing would be worth to someone today, both because of a depressed economy and I can tell that some of the machine's parts were overpriced.

Still, if the machine works and is reliable, there's probably an interested buyer somewhere. Perhaps a reasonable strategy would be to put it on ebay with a reasonably high reserve price.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
This machine is not for looking at biological. I suspect to see through metal it has a lot more Xrays, while hospital (animal and otherwise) try to get by with less.

Note the enclosure, it is designed for piece parts.
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

The machine is probably to look at continuity of traces on the PCB (as the photo show a PCB).
The X-rays will be much to "hard" for a biological use.
Biological X-rays are much softer (less energy).
(they ususaly measure the energy in eV (electron Volts) ).

Bertus
 

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
Hello,

The machine is probably to look at continuity of traces on the PCB (as the photo show a PCB).
The X-rays will be much to "hard" for a biological use.
Biological X-rays are much softer (less energy).
(they ususaly measure the energy in eV (electron Volts) ).

Bertus
I think you may be confused, Bertus.
The medical x-ray machines generally use harder x-rays that will pass through the soft tissue without being absorbed at all, if they used soft x-rays many more of them would be stopped by the soft tissue and increase the received radiation dose.
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

It could be. The time I had a X-ray training is long ago (more than 10 years).
The knowledge must have sunk deep and got confused.

Sorry,
Bertus
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
Hey we use that very machine where I work!

We make hybrid microcircuits here (or we did till last December when they moved production off to PA). In this case, "hybrid" means a custom ceramic substrate with printed gold conductors, often printed resistors too, with the chips being literally bare silicon chips connected with .001" gold wires. All that goes inside a package, ceramic or metal, and is hermetically sealed.

It's used for inspection, inline for things like eutectic flow inspection (how good did the metal flow under the big power die) or sometimes as the initial step in a failure analysis (BEFORE the package is milled open).

I may even have a buyer for it. ;)
 

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
Hello,

It could be. The time I had a X-ray training is long ago (more than 10 years).
The knowledge must have sunk deep and got confused.

Sorry,
Bertus
No worries, your point is sound. This is definitely NOT supposed to be used on anything with a brain.
 
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