Olympus has launched the latest version of its Olympus Stream materials science microscopy imaging software family. Olympus Stream 1.8 provides new and improved features, enhancing the overall capabilities of the software to help users fully integrate and automate their workflows. Users will benefit from the advanced automation of a multiple stage location engine, extended data management, new measurement options and new additions to the optional Materials Solutions functions. These Materials Solutions enable users to build a fully guided, or even automated, system to match the needs of their materialographic analysis.
The newest additions to the Materials Solutions range provide an advanced level of functionality, which is compliant with all relevant industry standards. The Porosity function facilitates the measurement of porosity – especially in steel castings – something which is of great significance within the automotive industry. Dedicated to the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs), the Throwing Power function measures the distribution of copper plating thickness. The Particle Distribution function provides users with a simple method of creating particle distribution histograms according to the size, shape and colour values of particles, while the Phase Analysis function has been updated to allow users to perform analysis on multiple regions of interest at the same time.
In addition to the Materials Solutions, the measurement toolbar can be augmented by three new advanced measurement tools for easy calculation of asymmetries, throat thickness and multiple distances (using multiple perpendicular lines).
Available as part of Olympus Stream Motion, the new Stage Path functionality effectively integrates stage control into the workflow of many Materials Solutions. This simple step-by-step wizard allows a motorised stage and z-drive to be automated via the Materials Solution itself, enabling the definition of a complete workflow inside the stage path, with the option to assign several scan areas per sample.
