Open-Air SEM Analysis Transforms Quality Control for Electrical Insulators

In the quest for manufacturing excellence, inspection methods matter. AirSEM’s open-air analysis technology is changing how industries verify electrical insulators—from tiny semiconductor components to massive high-voltage machinery—without any preparation steps.

This breakthrough allows manufacturers to achieve both high-magnification imaging and chemical composition analysis of ceramic materials that traditionally resist inspection. The impact? What once took hours now happens in minutes, with better accuracy.

Alumina ceramics have presented two significant challenges for traditional SEM inspection: outgassing properties (trapped air in the material’s porous structure) and their dielectric nature. As non-conductive materials, electrons build up on their surface during inspection, causing glare. While metal coating can address this issue, it makes the sample unusable for further testing.

Since AirSEM operates in open air with no need for a sealed, vacuum environment or sample preparation, it provides the only solution that delivers both detailed imaging and chemical analysis for ceramic samples. This capability helps manufacturers precisely control ceramic material properties during production to meet specific voltage requirements.

The technology reveals invisible defects that traditional methods often miss, giving manufacturers unprecedented verification capabilities and providing customers with definitive quality assurance. This advancement significantly improves quality control across industries that depend on reliable electrical insulators.