Mobile truck scanner uses Seifert X-Ray source

Contraband detection and tariff evasion
The smuggling of illegal items such as drugs and weapons is a serious problem in many countries. The social costs of allowing them to reach the streets are enormous. On the other hand requiring that imported goods be thoroughly inspected will have an adverse impact on a country's ability to trade internationally, unless the task is carried out efficiently. The income from import duties is also a major source of revenue for many governments especially in developing economies. The avoidance of such duties can be a serious problem and often result in a significant loss of income for governments concerned. Extensive manual searching is both expensive and unpopular. Goods are significantly delayed and are often damaged in the process. Perishable goods are particularly vulnerable. These difficulties also discourage internal investment since companies will not want to set up businesses if it is difficult to import raw materials, spare parts and other essential items needed to operate effectively. Cargo inspection systems PerkinElmer Instruments is a division of PerkinElmer Inc, a high technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts. One of their product lines is the cargo screening systems that provides custom and security services with a fast, efficient, safe and cost-effective method of inspecting large volumes of cargo.

For many years SEIFERT has supplied PerkinElmer with X-ray units for their cargo inspections systems. That long-term relationship is based on Seifert's history of equipment capability and support for all applications.

The use of cargo inspection systems allows rapid inspection of incoming goods without the need for manual search. With unparalleled image detail, one can detect very small items in large containers or trucks. Consignments are checked against their manifest paperwork in minutes instead of hours. Not only are these systems very effective they are also an excellent deterrent. Many people smuggle because the probability of being caught is low. Just increasing the odds of being detected will deter many from even attempting to smuggle at all.

CX-450M Mobile Truck Scanner
One of the PerkinElmer Detection systems is the CX-450M, a fully mobile system that can be used to examine any road legal vehicle. It uses a Seifert 450 kV X-ray source and a sophisticated linear diode array mounted in a boom that is suspended over the truck being scanned. The scanned truck remains stationary while the CX-450M moves past it to create the image. Considerable emphasis was placed on making a system that is reliable, simple to operate and easy to maintain. The operators have a comfortable environment to work in and equipment is easy to access.

The X-rays are generated by a Seifert 450 kV source supplied by GE Inspection Technologies. The output of the tube is collimated into a narrow fan beam that is projected onto a linear array of nearly 3000 Cadmium Tungstate detectors. The output from these is sampled 40 times a second to build up a detailed image of the contents of the truck that is being scanned. This data is displayed to the inspector in the back of the CX-450M, who has a number of image processing tools to help him analyze the image.

The CX-450M can be deployed in 15-20 minutes. It is capable of penetrating over 100 mm of steel and produces images with a resolution unmatched by any other system of its type. This image quality significantly improves the chances of recognizing the anomalies that indicate the presence of contraband or other suspicious objects in a cargo.

The system also features a very low point of view. This maximizes the amount of the truck that can be scanned and provides a particularly good view through the truck floor, a location that is commonly used for concealing contraband.