Size matters in cargo scanning
As government budget cuts squeeze spending on customs and border agencies, suppliers and contractors 
must innovate to maintain market share. To that end, Smiths Detection has launched an X-ray cargo scanner that is smaller, more cost-efficient and easier to operate than traditional mobile systems.
Unlike radioactive source-based scanners, the HCVM e uses the power of a 4MeV X-ray accelerator and can penetrate 200mm (eight inches) of steel to check both for threat items and that the cargo matches its manifest.
Fuel-efficient, lightweight and manoeuvrable, the HCVM e is the only system of its kind that can be driven in the US without the need for a commercial driver’s licence. Its small footprint makes it ideal for operating in cramped urban environments. The HCVM e can scan up to 25 trucks an hour in mobile mode, traversing the parked vehicle, and up to 80 in pass-through mode, where the truck is driven through the scanner, to inspect only the cargo area behind the driver’s cab.
Next generation scanner wins key approval
Smiths Detection’s revolutionary new scanner for screening checked baggage has gained a key EU approval, 
mandatory for long-term aviation security applications introduced from September 2014 onwards.
Developed in co-operation with Analogic Corporation, the HI-SCAN 10080 XCT uses Smiths Detection’s expertise in multi-view, multi-energy x-ray technology, together with Analogic’s three-dimensional Computed Tomography (CT).
The high-speed system, which can handle up to 1800 bags an hour, is designed to maximise both detection and throughput capabilities to help meet increasingly stringent security requirements and allow easy integration into existing baggage-handling configurations.
The EU Standard 3 approval, under its EDS (Explosives Detection Systems) categories, means that the 10080 XCT has passed the strictest performance requirements covering a range of detection capabilities and false alarm rates. It is scheduled to undergo evaluation for certification by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) later this year.