“The University of Derby is a teaching and research institution dedicated primarily to undergraduate students, and researchers for Masters degrees and PhDs”, the company said. “To aid students in their studies, the University has invested in a Keyence VHX-7000 Digital Microscope, which combines high magnification and precision with versatility and ease of use.
“The all-in-one microscope, boasting an impressive ultra-high accuracy 4K camera and monitor, is being employed across all levels of undergraduate degree teaching, where it provides a fully automated system for students to carry out their own sample observation and analysis in up to 6000x magnification.
“In particular, it is seeing extensive service with final year undergraduate students during their independent study projects, where they work largely unsupervised on a research topic of their choice. Although these projects vary significantly in nature, many require the availability of a microscope and image capture software, and the VHX-7000 combines both functions in a convenient and compact package.”
Applications
“One recent example involved a student who was seeking to analyse mucus flow rates from coral samples. Here, the time lapse photography and video features of the VHX-7000 proved invaluable, providing detailed high-resolution images.
“Another project was for a geology PhD researcher working with micro-fossils. The multi-lighting capability of the VHX- 7000, as well as the depth composition and flexible stage and tilt features, allowed the capture of high-quality images on a non-destructive basis.
Commercial projects
The VHX-7000 is also being used in commercial projects undertaken by the University. “A local company approached the team with a request to use the VHX-7000 and scanning electron microscope to solve a problem with its production processes,” Keyence said. “The company was a producer of titanium aerospace fasteners, and a problem with the forging of these items was resulting from contamination in the process. The VHX-7000 captured highly detailed images of the contaminated areas and, in conjunction with the University’s electron microscope, ultimately enabled the company to identify where in the process this problem was occurring – and take appropriate remedial action.”
About the microscope
The VHX-7000 allows both 2D and 3D measurements to be carried out in a matter of seconds, swiftly switching between surface features, contamination and grain size among others. The data is saved on the integral 1TB hard drive, with the system then able to generate automatic reports. Millions of images can be saved, then shared via LAN or USB as needed.
A combination of optics, digital camera, electronics, software, and a wide choice of motorised XYZ and rotating stages, allows performance of all types of inspection and analysis via a single system. This means applications traditionally performed on stereoscopic, metallurgical, measuring and even SEM microscopes can be transferred to the VHX-7000, as it combines the features of these four types of microscopes in one.
The ability to use the optical shadow effect mode also enhances the quality of sample analysis in research, as this function makes it possible to detect surface defects and inconsistencies, rivalling images obtained by a SEM.
“The VHX- 7000 is extremely beneficial to our operations here,” Richard Duff of the University of Derby commented. “It is rapid, repeatable, high-resolution and has a wide variety of image enhancement features, yet is also very easy to use and very quick to train a new user. This is particularly beneficial as we frequently need to train new students to use the system, and its intuitive operating system makes this very straightforward.”
