Officials overseeing the security of a major, high-volume Italian port needed x-ray detection systems to assist in inspecting cargo and vehicles entering the country. They found such systems at American Science and Engineering Inc. in Billerica, Mass.

American Science and Engineering, through its local distributor in Italy, AUS.TECH S.p.A., gained a multimillion dollar order for the company’s OmniView Gantry system and the Z Backscatter Van (ZBV).

The OmniView Gantry combines 6.0 MeV high-energy transmission inspection with three Z Backscatter imaging modules (left, right, and top-view) to deliver threat-detection capability. This combination of technologies provide port security agents a means of detecting contraband and threatening materials, such as weapons and explosives hidden in cargo containers, tankers, and vehicles.

This order marks the first for the OmniView Gantry and the ZBV from a major Italian port, says Anthony Fabiano, president and CEO. “These systems will operate within a total security protocol for the port,” he says. “The OmniView Gantry will be used to inspect incoming containers, while the mobile ZBV will be used by port officials to perform rapid inspections of suspect vehicles. The OmniView Gantry’s high-penetration capability will enable the port to inspect dense and complex cargo while the ZBV will facilitate flexible mobile screening to secure the vicinity around the port.”

The OmniView Gantry provides high penetration into inspected objects; in fact, its bidirectional scanning platform can penetrate up to 14 inches of steel. The company’s Z Backscatter Van, a maneuverable screening system built into a commercially available delivery van, reveals contraband such as explosives and plastic weapons that transmission x-rays miss.

For additional information, visit American Science and Engineering Inc. online at www.as-e.com.