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REGULATIONS The Secretary of State—

ONLY as events recede can we view them in proper perspective. It is then that we discover how often initial judgments were wrong, our fears con‐founded or our hopes dispelled. Treaties to end wars, pacts of eternal friendship and alliance are the debris which litter our uneasy world.

FOR a number of years, the X‐ray macro‐structural examination of metals, alloys and other raw materials has been success‐fully applied in many factories for the detection of internal defects, fractures, cracks, blow‐holes, piping, etc. It has recently been possible also to develop microstructural examination to such an extent that besides being used in research laboratories it is now applied to the practical inspection and testing of materials.

The purpose of this paper is to present improvements in X‐ray equipment, which are leading to wider use.

Developments in X‐ray sources and detectors are described. This is followed by a review of the more innovative equipment available for security and industrial applications.

Technological developments have produced smaller, lighter X‐ray systems and extended their applications to on‐site work. Multiple wavelength systems distinguish between different materials, and stereo systems remove ambiguities from X‐ray security imaging and allow 3D gauging of industrial components.

The paper highlights the availability of portable X‐ray systems and explains the underlying technology.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new method of evaluating the present state of X‐ray machines used in the electronics device manufacturing industry.

There are several kinds of failures that can only be detected by means of X‐ray inspection. The capabilities and properties of such machines, however, alter over a period of time. The effects of these changes are rarely published and when they are, the significance and reliability of the results produced depends very much on the state and capabilities of the machines in question.

The effectiveness and appropriateness of the present methods of calibration have been investigated. The optimization of the prevalence and effectiveness of these calibrations is described. Suggestions are also made as to the necessary adjustments or repairs that are required to reach the ideal optimized state of X‐ray machines. A scientifically substantiated method is also presented that can be efficiently employed in practise during automated X‐ray inspections of electronic devices.

In this paper, a new method of testing automated X‐ray inspection systems is introduced. It is clear that the method currently used by many engineers and inspection system manufacturers is not in itself sufficient, as they do not test grey‐scale and positioning stability in relation to changes that occur over time. Further, there is no evidence that numerical testing of the image quality takes place. Detailed investigations have been carried out to find the best methods to measure these parameters.

This paper seeks to present a novel X‐ray system and associated image segmentation algorithm for imaging the below‐ground root structures of plants.

A matched filter design for segmenting the important root structures from the background clutter in the X‐ray images was presented.

The feasibility of root imaging and the applicability of matched filters to this problem domain have been demonstrated.

This research offers a novel approach over existing methods for in situ monitoring of root structures through the application of matched filters for image segmentation.

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

Two simple instruments for obtaining transient response from the frequency response in a vibrating system have been made available by Costain‐John Brown Ltd., Instrumentation Division, Roxby Place, Seagrave Road, Fulham, S.W.6. They consist respectively of Cosine and Sine cursors engraved on transparent plastic sheet, and are used in conjunction with special graph paper, on which the observed function is plotted. The method and its derivation arc described in a paper ‘An Approximate Method for obtaining Transient Reponse from Frequency Response’ by H. H. Roscnbrock, Proc. Inst. Elec. Engs., Vol. 102, Part B, No. 6, November 1955.

Medical technology (MedTech) is a growth industry, which like other manufacturing sectors has undergone fragmentation of production and emergence of Global Value Chains (GVCs). The purpose of this paper is to compare how two open European economies position themselves competitively within MedTech GVCs: highly developed Switzerland and the emerging Czech Republic.

The research applies a mixed methodology to analyze the performance of each location in the MedTech GVCs. It draws on macroeconomic, industry, trade and a proprietary sample of firm data, combined with onsite interviews.

The economic outcomes and GVC positions differ in both cases, whereas Switzerland focuses on high value-added activities such as R&D and after-sales service. Specialized manufacturing is also located here in spite of high costs. By contrast, the Czech Republic focuses mostly on low value-added activities, like manufacturing disposables, although some domestic innovative companies are notable. The authors generalize four types of firms in the industry, comparing their presence in both locations.

The competitive positions and challenges faced by each location when engaging in MedTech GVCs are summarized and related to economic outcomes. In the Czech Republic, the barriers to upgrading include its business environment, and weak links between education institutions and industry. Switzerland’s high cost structure is offset by adding high value in core competencies. Both countries should protect the inherent advantage their locations offer within responsive European supply chains.

GVC research in the MedTech sector has been limited. There is no comparison of two European countries, and their position in MedTech GVCs, nor of how firms, participate successfully in them.