With over 70 years of experience creating safe and reliable radiometric instrumentation, VEGA has cemented its place as a leader in radiation-based measurement. Over the decades, VEGA’s radiometric products have earned the praise and accolades of professionals across many industries; most recently, VEGA took the top spot in the Radiometric level instrumentation category in Control Magazine’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards – a position it has occupied for over a decade. But for the radiometric measurement experts at VEGA, success is not defined by awards and accolades, but by how well their products improve the processes of customers. This customer-oriented mindset is what drove the creation of the new VEGASOURCE 80 series source holders.

When designing the new VEGASOURCE 80 series products, VEGA’s radiometric experts assessed its last seven decades worth of source holder designs, making note of what worked well and identifying potential areas for improvement. At the same time, the team assessed the global market needs for source holders in modern process measurements. This research process helped the team identify key features to incorporate in the VEGASOURCE 80 series.

With the VEGASOURCE 80 series, VEGA outlined a few key design criteria, all of which made their way into the finished products now available. These criteria were:

  • Long-term reliability of the shutter mechanism through enhanced sealing and an optional rugged cap accessory.
  • Exceptional repeatability of gamma field strength after open/close shutter sequences.
  • Effective and efficient use of shielding material.
  • Modularity in system components across the line to create an economy of scale, allowing VEGA to optimize costs and meet customer demand.
  • Designed for the various global radiation stray field limits.

VEGASOURCE 80 source holders are lighter and more compact than previous generations thanks to the engineering of the shutter mechanism. Despite the lighter weight, VEGASOURCE 80 series products are built for long-term reliability; the base models are primarily made of stainless steel, providing resistance to weathering and corrosive atmospheres. Also available is an optional source holder cap for extreme shielding of the shutter mechanism and mechanical protection for the shutter itself.

VEGA’s radiometric products have always been designed and tested to ensure the highest possible levels of safety and reliability, and VEGASOURCE 80 is its most rigorously-tested series of source holders yet. As a result, this latest generation of source holders boasts industry-leading radiation shielding, on/off shutter reproducibility, and optimization of source holder size based on source capsule activity.

The radiation beam angle has been engineered for maximum effectiveness and radiation safety; VEGASOURCE 80 source holders feature the widest selection of collimation angles of any major source holder on the market, with a total of five angles (5, 30, 40, 45, and 60 degrees). This allows the beam spread to be trimmed down to the detector length most efficiently, so that little radiation is broadcast beyond the physical measuring range. Source holders with fewer collimation angles do not allow for the minimization of the radiation beam spread outside of the detector length, meaning VEGASOURCE 80 series units provide superior adherence to ALARA principles.

VEGA is always discovering new ways to improve its customers’ processes. Through a litany of rigorous testing and a thorough analysis of previous source holders and market needs, VEGA has delivered its finest source holders yet in the form of the VEGASOURCE 80 series.