In order to assist customers in integrating and mounting a RoentDek detector system or components into their experimental setup, RoentDek offers certain services beyond standard detector procurement and after-sales support.

While detectors with resistive screen readout, e.g. DLD40X or RS-PMT40, are shipped readily mounted for operation, all other DLD, HEX and DET detectors require on-site assembly and mounting by the customer according to the manual. This is not included in the standard procurement service. 

Customers requiring assistance can order on-site support services. Those customers who have ordered a detector with flange mounting option can additionally purchase services prior to shipping:

Shipping Readily Mounted (SRM) Option:

The SRM option is available for most detectors whenever a detector including flange mounting parts is chosen, e.g. DLD40 with FT12TP100. In this case, the detector will be shipped pre-assembled and mounted on the flange, except for the mounting of the MCP stack. It relieves the customer of the task of mounting the detector onto the flange and making the connections for the anode and the MCPs. However, due to the nature of the MCP stack, it is not possible to ship it fully mounted. This option includes a verification of the cable connection (but no function test). However, the customer is required to ensure that all connections are still in place after shipment and that the mounting was not affected by possibly harsh shipping conditions before use (verification procedure as defined in the manuals). The shipping container must be returned to RoentDek in order to receive a reimbursement for it. 

Shipping Readily Mounted and Tested (SRM&T) Option:

Beyond the SRM option, this service includes a function test and calibration and is available for most of our detector systems when ordered prior to shipping. While the SRM shipping option (available for detector systems that include a complete RoentDek flange-mounting gear) only includes the pre-assembly of all in-vacuum detector parts, except for the mounting of the MCP stack, the SRM&T option also includes a calibration of the anode parameters and an assessment of the achievable spatial resolution and linearity for the device via a full function test with an Am-241 (or similar) source at the RoentDek premises.

Customers may be invited to witness this test procedure at their own cost and risk.

On demand, a test option can also be offered for detector systems purchased without standard flange-mounting gear. In this case, the detector will be tested at RoentDek’s premises and later disassembled/shipped like any standard system, with only the test and calibration report additionally included.

For all options, it is mandatory that the MCPs be shipped separately and be re-installed by the customer at the customer’s site. However, RoentDek offers additional on-site support for this task. A customer may agree to collect a detector with mounted MCP from the RoentDek site and transport it to his premises at his own risk.

None of these test options include a warranty that the detector will operate with exactly the same performance at the customer site, even when the same electronic units for readout are used and not even when on-site support by a RoentDek employee is provided. The reason for this limited warranty is that imaging response at the customer site will be affected by many effects, among which are fringing fields, magnetic fields, external noise sources typical of the customer site and also the particle species to be detected.

Optimal performance can only be expected when ideal electronic settings are always applied, when the MCP stack is biased to a saturated operation condition and when the steady global (1 MHz) and local (10 kHz/mm²) particle/photon exposure rate limits (typical for MCP stacks operated in saturated mode) are not exceeded.

Although monitored during the tests, a maximum MCP dark count rate level and uniformity at the customer site cannot explicitly be guaranteed.

On-Site Support:

RoentDek can offer on-site support to any customer for any task within the capabilities of RoentDek personnel, as long as there are no special legal, environmental, or health limitations concerning access for trained professionals in effect at the customer’s site.

Customers may request on-site support services, e.g. for the complete assembly of a detector system and its preparation for mounting within an adequate experimental station and/or assistance during the initial start-up procedure and performance.

A RoentDek employee cannot be made liable for any damage to equipment that was not provided by RoentDek. For that reason, a RoentDek employee will always ask a professional at the customer’s site to handle/operate non-RoentDek equipment. If the RoentDek employee is asked to assist in this, they will do so explicitly under the supervision of the customer’s personnel and on their responsibility.

Whether an installation job can be completed is determined by certain prerequisites. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that these are met. If the customer neglects to ensure proper conditions for an effective installation and/or testing procedure, or in case of Force Majeure, RoentDek will fully charge for the uncompleted work, even if the agreed installation/test cannot be completed.

In this sense, we can only guarantee our commitment if

• the customer has ordered a flange mounted system with SRM or SRM&T option.
• the vacuum requirements are fulfilled: e.g. a decent vacuum, no pumps are present that produce EM noise or emit charged particles into the recipient or require ion gauges near the detector system to be turned on. Mounting flange ports and the space in which the detector is placed during operation must have sufficient clearance from other parts (high voltage safety).
• there are no external EM noise sources that prevent the detectors from functioning.
• all mains supplies are connected to (noise-free) sockets and necessary accessories, like a NIM bin or SHV cables, are available and functional.

Since we can supply a 100% complete system, it is not our fault if a customer “forgot” something (please also read the customer information).

Very important:
We cannot guarantee that we can demonstrate that the customer’s full experiment is working. We may use the customer’s “source” of particles during the test, but if it does not provide operating conditions within the detector specs (i.e. rate is too high), this will have to be solved later. If the customer cannot provide a decent particle source in this sense, we will finish the installation and only test with dark counts.

We will bring our own computer, TDC, and oscilloscope. Thus, we can verify that everything works despite possible problems with the customer’s PC. If the customer’s PC does not work with our hardware, we will try to solve the issue, but success is not guaranteed.

Installation under any other condition than those mentioned above will follow a “best effort” principle without a guarantee of success or a legal commitment to finish the task: If a customer has not ordered a flange-mounted system with SRM option, we will try to assemble whatever is there. It should be very close to the RoentDek flange-mount design or be mounted in any other sensible way, fulfilling minimum conditions, such as: high voltage safety approved and necessary electrical feedthroughs being present within a sufficiently short distance.

Installation/commissioning of a detector takes at least 3 days (incl. one day of spare time). Shorter visits are possible if a system is preinstalled but a guarantee of success cannot be given. In particular, we will not be able to do our job in a short time if things are ill-prepared, e.g. if any of the following applies:

• Poor vacuum vessel/pumping conditions
• Detector assembly/cabling incomplete or incorrect (connections, shorts, no high voltage safety)
• Rest of system incomplete or customer-provided components insufficient
• Not all tests suggested in the manual to be done before biasing the detector have been done.

This list may not be complete.

Not included in the daily charges are the flight/travel costs and accommodation/local expenses. For overseas travel we charge at least for 4 days (2 days of travel plus 2 days of full-day work). Ticket charges should be estimated on the basis of “economy plus” class for a re-bookable ticket plus the re-booking fee.

Other Services:

Besides such installation services, RoentDek can offer on-/off-site training and verification/repair services. This includes customer-defined software integration and adaptation tasks that will be charged for by the hour or as a well-defined work package.