Bruker AXS Expands Instrumentation Product Line for Die Casting Analysis with World's First Handheld XRF to Include Silicon Drift Detector

Bruker AXS announces another technology breakthrough for the die casting industry with the introduction of its new TRACERturboSDTM, the world's first handheld X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) instrument that uses a Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) for dramatically improved speed, sensitivity and resolution. Bruker's industry-leading proprietary XFlashTM SDD, previously available only in high-performance laboratory XRF instruments, now offers unprecedented speed and analytical specificity when integrated into the novel handheld TRACERturboSD
With this announcement, the Bruker AXS Handheld business, until recently known as Keymaster Technologies Inc., builds on its long tradition of technology leadership in the handheld XRF industry that includes:

2001 - First tube-based handheld XRF
2004 - First vacuum handheld XRF, co-invented with NASA
2008 - First SDD-based handheld XRF

The revolutionary TRACERturboSD with integrated SDD offers unparalleled speed, sensitivity and energy resolution, previously found only in more expensive laboratory systems. Now all handheld XRF customer segments can benefit from these compelling performance advantages in their analytical work. In the aerospace metals industry, the proprietary Bruker SDD technology enables TRACERturboSD users to better and faster analyze sophisticated light element alloys, even without the use of a vacuum or helium attachment. In the general metals analysis markets, the Bruker TRACERturboSD offers higher speed, sensitivity and selectivity for many demanding handheld XRF applications.

This detector provides a major improvement in the analytical performance of handheld alloy analyzers. The measurement precision is improved by a factor of two to three times, in addition to making the measurement of light elements such as Mg, Al and Si possible when operating in air mode. The TRACERturboSD provides a new capability of measuring aluminum in titanium alloys and magnesium and silicon in aluminum alloys, with no vacuum or helium required. For additional sensitivity, the well-known joint Bruker-NASA vacuum technology can be combined with the SDD to provide the best sensitivity possible in a handheld XRF instrument.

The TRACER turboSD includes all of the standard features of the highly-regarded Bruker S1 Tracer analyzer, such as Grade ID and chemistry, a unique PASS/FAIL analysis capability and the largest Grade library in the industry. The capabilities of the TRACERturboSD make it the ideal analyzer for the measurement of all types of alloys. In addition to the new high-end TRACERturboSD, Bruker AXS continues to offer the standard S1 TracerTM handheld instrument with traditional SiPIN diode technology for routine analysis

John Landefeld, Vice President of Bruker AXS Handheld, stated: "This breakthrough continues our tradition of technology leadership, going back to the initial introduction of tube-based XRF handhelds in 2001. Following the joint NASA-Bruker development of vacuum technology for handhelds in 2004, Bruker proves, once again, to be the overall technology leader in handheld XRF instrumentation, especially in the metals industries."

"The die casting industry will be particularly pleased to find that high-end handheld XRF can now approach the capabilities of laboratory systems," added John Patterson, Director of Marketing and Product Management of Bruker AXS Handheld.
For more TRACERturboSD information, please visit: www.bruker-axs.com/handheld.