Metal Analysis Group Blog

If you’re a metal maniac like me, I’m assuming you know about handheld XRF and what a staple it is in Positive Material Identification (and if not, here’s a handy article about that).

But there is another method that is perfectly capable of doing many PMI testing applications for metal identification, and it is, without doubt, a super cost-effective option.

RIgaku KT-100S handheld LIBS analyzer

Is it better than XRF? Like everything else in life, it depends. Read on and make the call for yourself.

The manufacturing industry has little to no tolerance for error. That means suppliers often need to know the exact composition of the metallic alloys they’re dealing with.

Portable optical emission spectrometers (OES) have gained popularity in PMI testing. This is likely due to their portability and ability to provide the full chemistry of a metal including true carbon measurement.

QLX1 Portable LIBS Laser OES from QuantoLux

In this post, we’ll cover questions around portable OES including:

What is an optical emission spectrometer (OES)? An optical emission spectrometer, or OES, is a spark- or laser-based system designed to accurately determine the elemental composition of metals by burning the metal surface and measuring the light wave emissions coming from the plasma created.

And specifically for portable OES:

1. History of portable optical emission spectrometers
2. Pros and cons of using portable optical emission spectrometers for PMI
3. Costs of using portable optical emission spectrometers for PMI
4. Mistakes to avoid when using a portable optical emission spectrometer
5. Portable optical emission spectrometer brands

Today I want to share the Top 5 Reasons you should trade-in your handheld XRF.

1. Avoid Costly Repairs and Lower the Cost of Ownership

If you have ever had to pay for a repair to your handheld XRF, you know exactly what I am talking about. With expensive, fragile components like X-ray tubes & detectors, repairs can cost upwards of 

Handheld LIBS has been around for the better part of a decade but there are still many scrappers out there that either don't know what it is or don't believe in the benefits.

For starters, LIBS guns use a laser, instead of x-ray radiation, for scrap metal sorting.

But I get it. Handheld XRF has been around awhile and is a tried-and-true technology. It's the safe play when the new, laser-based option rolls into the yard promising you the world.

I am not here to promise you the world. Handheld XRF still has its place in some yards, but we are seeing more and more customers see great results after using Handheld LIBS for Scrap Metal Sorting. So what keeps them happy when it comes to LIBS? Utility, Safety, and Profitability.

Accurately measure aluminum chemistry (including magnesium, beryllium, and lithium) - Sort and identify common cast and wrought aluminum alloys (i.e. wrought: 1100, 2014, 3003, 5086, 6061, 7075 + cast: Al 319, 356, 380, 383) and MORE!