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Custom Resistor Dividers from Exxelia Ohmcraft Help Enable Innovative Downhole X-ray Inspections

ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 22, 2020 — In order to safely and successfully abandon and cap off oil wells, downhole X-ray technology is used to check the wells for any structural damage or radioactive materials. Exxelia Ohmcraft—a leader in thick-film, high-voltage, high-precision resistor design and ...

...and manufacturing—was recently tapped to develop a custom, high-voltage resistor divider for this application

For more than 15 years, Exxelia Ohmcraft has provided custom resistors for petrotechnical analysis equipment used in downhole drilling. That’s why manufacturers of the downhole X-ray inspection platform turned to Ohmcraft to help develop a custom solution for use in this new and innovative diagnostic tool, which has already generated significant demand in the market.

While cameras are able to capture images of a well’s exterior, downhole drilling X-ray platforms enable oil companies to clearly examine the inside of the well despite harsh conditions, including exposure to high temperatures, high pressures, and fluids. The X-ray inspection helps to ensure the well’s integrity and mitigate any risks.

“The process of taking X-rays deep down inside of a well involves very powerful and specialized equipment, for which the design required reliable high-voltage resistor dividers in a small form factor—a combination that manufacturers struggled to find,” said Eric Van Wormer, Vice President of Exxelia Ohmcraft. “Given our experience in downhole drilling applications and the development of custom resistor solutions, we were able to work closely with the engineers to meets their needs and help them bring this technology to life for their customers.”

Exxelia Ohmcraft’s technology utilizes the proprietary Micropen electronic printing system to “print” precise, narrow, serpentine lines with resistive ink on a ceramic substrate, producing higher performance resistors over a wider range of values on a smaller surface area than is possible with conventional film resistor technology.

Published on 23 Sep 2020 by Rebecca Charles

Exxelia Ohmcraft's cutting-edge resistors redefining reliability in the aerospace industry

Exxelia Ohmcraft provides designers of space instrumentation with resistors that are the foundation for building robust power supplies, sensors and imaging equipment. Exxelia Ohmcraft products have helped push forward scientific advancements in mass spectrometry, image intensifiers, X-Ray sources and spectroscopic analysis. We provide standard and custom products to many market leaders with the reliability that makes Exxelia Ohmcraft the resistor of choice for such critical scientific space applications.   Our unique Micropen precision printing technology produces ultra-stable resistors with exceptional reliability that are perfectly suited for space flight applications. For over 20 years, Exxelia Ohmcraft has been designing resistors used in instruments on various spacecrafts. Our resistors enable the analytical equipment designed for strategic science missions which creates the space technology that explores outer space. Exxelia Ohmcraft technology produces a superior resistor. The combination of our longer serpentine pattern and high-aspect ratio gives our resistors unmatched design flexibility, linearity, stability and low noise capability as well as:     Ultra High Voltages up to 60 kV Extremely tight tolerances to 0.1% Very low TCR with extended temperature range Very low noise / Very low VCR Ultra-high stability         Custom designs for Space applications Exxelia Ohmcraft ability to design and deliver custom resistors is essential for space instrumentation designers. Our engineers work closely with you to design resistors that match your exact specifications. Surface-mount resistors, dividers and networks Extensive experience designing custom resistors and supporting source control drawings (SCD) for existing and new designs Engineering Models Flight Models Exxelia Ohmcraft can perform Lot Acceptance Testing (LAT) on our resistor products using a number of Space and Military Specifications, including: NASA EEE-INST-002 Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 MIL-PRF-55342, MIL-PRF-49462 and MIL-PRF-83401 MIL-STD-202 ESCC 4001 (ESA/SSC 4001)   Our expertise in designing for military applications spans across a spectrum of products, each contributing significantly to advancing military capabilities: Scientific Instrumentation   Products: MCH, HVR, HVD, HVA and Custom designs Applications: Mass Spectrometers Ion Mobility Spectrometers Test Equipment Signal Generators Chemical / Mineral Sample Analysis Instrumentation Power Supplies   Products: MCH, HVR, HVD, HVA and Custom designs Applications: High Voltage Custom Power Supplies Vision Systems   Products: MCH, HVR, HVD, HVA and Custom designs Applications: Image Intensifier Circuits  Optical Spectrometers Photomultipliers     Exxelia Ohmcraft is the leader in high performance resistor design and manufacturing. Our proprietary Micropen precision printing technology enables superior precision thick-film resistors. Exxelia Ohmcraft can meet the most challenging space instrument specifications for high voltage and high value resistors.   Exxelia Ohmcraft’s sister division, Exxelia Micropen Medical is at the forefront of medical device product development, providing design engineers with unique insights on conceiving and implementing new designs and features. 

Microwave Ferrites, Coaxial & Dielectric Resonators : Ask now !

Exxelia offers a wide range, including: Coaxial resonators : Resonators generally used in filters, duplexers, DRO's, and VCO's over a wide frequency range: 300 MHz to 6 GHz. They are available in several dimensions: 2x2, 4x4, 6x6, and up to 12x12 mm, offering the best compromise between impedance, Q factor, and resonance frequency.     Dielectric resonators : The dielectric resonators are designed to replace resonant cavities in microwave functions such as filters and oscillators. Exxelia, with the support of the ESA and CNES, has developed the E7000 series which offers narrow bandwidth with reduced size. The E7000 dielectric resonator is based on Ba-Mg-Ta materials which combine ultra-high quality factor and the possibility to obtain all temperature coefficients on request. E7000 presents the high performances required for space use in the frequency range of 5 to 32 GHz and ensures up to Qxf > 250,000 at 10 GHz. As one of the few manufacturers producing its own raw materials, Exxelia perfectly masters the production of dielectric resonators. Encouraged by the success of this new range, Exxelia is now able to supply larger batches (up to 20 kg of powder) while retaining the same product properties.   Ferrites : Ferrites are magnetic materials used in a variety of applications. They are particularly effective in suppressing electromagnetic interference and noise in high-frequency applications, making them indispensable for modern communication systems. Ferrites are offered in disc, triangle, or specific designs. These materials are based on Exxelia formulations, offering low deltaH (ΔH) conducive to reducing IMD. Their combination with a dielectric material allows for a wide choice of composites (FDA) to miniaturize isolator/circulator designs. Exxelia's ferrites are distinguished by their exceptional quality and superior performance. These ferrites are made from high-quality materials and benefit from state-of-the-art design and manufacturing processes. They have been tested for use in demanding environments and have demonstrated exceptional reliability in applications up to 40 GHz. Contact us to help you choose the ferrites that best suit your needs.
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