Miniaturization in industrial X-ray

X-ray sources, such as X-ray tubes and high voltage generators, have been built for more than 100 years. Although the principal design of the tube has not changed during this period, the size of the tube has decreased due to the availability of new materials and better processing technologies. Miniaturization of tubes and generators in the last 10 years has made it possible to develop extended applications in nondestructive testing and materials analysis. Today, these tubes and generators play a very important part in a number of applications, such as medicine, material science and quality control. X-rays are used to examine body parts and airport luggage and are used in radiation therapy. Some other important applications of X-rays are the investigation of atomic structure and chemical composition of materials. A more recent application using X-rays in the monitoring of the thickness of sheet metal during the rolling process. Here, X-ray technology has replaced the use of isotopes. X-rays can be switched on and off on demand - a great advantage over isotopes, which need much more care during storage and handling.