FAQ
Company Overview
Who is AS&E®?
What distinguishes AS&E from the competition?
Products
What are your product offerings?
What are your offerings for Cargo Inspection Systems?
What are your offerings for Parcel Inspection Systems?
What is your product offering for Personnel Screening?
How safe is Personnel Screening with SmartCheck™?
Does SmartCheck protect an individual's privacy?
Technology
What kind of technologies does AS&E utilize?
What is Z® Backscatter?
How does Z Backscatter technology work?
Does your technology detect liquid threats?
Does your technology detect radioactive material?
What is dual-energy technology?
What is high-energy X-ray technology?
Markets and Applications
Which key markets does AS&E serve?
What are the security applications for AS&E products?
Customers
Who are AS&E's customers?
Why can't you name all of your customers?
Company Overview
Who is AS&E®?
Founded in 1958, AS&E, or American Science and Engineering, Inc., is a publicly held company (NASDAQ: ASEI) with nearly 300 employees that develops and manufactures X-ray inspection systems at its headquarters in Billerica, Massachusetts.
What distinguishes AS&E from the competition?
AS&E's unique combination of detection technologies -- Z® Backscatter™, Transmission, Shaped Energy™ (high-energy transmission), and Radioactive Threat Detection -- provide the highest level of detection in the industry. This proprietary technology gives AS&E products capabilities you simply can't find in other X-ray inspection systems.
Products
What are your product offerings?
AS&E provides X-ray inspection systems that inspect or screen Cargo and Vehicles within the CargoSearch™ line of products; Mail, Parcels and Baggage within the ParcelSearch™ line of products; and Personnel Screening systems. We work with customers to customize the installation and implementation of your system(s) for integration, into existing security procedures.
What are your offerings for Cargo Inspection Systems?
For cargo and vehicle inspection and screening, AS&E provides "solutions approach" support with mobile, relocatable, and fixed-site configurations. Products include: the Z® Backscatter Van™, a revolutionary tool for covert X-ray screening providing unmatched mobility to detect drugs, plastic weapons, organic material for bombs, and hidden suspects; OmniView™ Gantry, the industry's most comprehensive cargo and vehicle inspection system for detecting security threats and contraband; and Z® Portal, a multi-view, drive-through inspection system capable of scanning cars, vans, trucks, and their cargos.
What are your offerings for Parcel Inspection Systems?
AS&E parcel and baggage inspection systems use the most effective X-ray detection technologies -- Z Backscatter plus transmission -- to provide safe and non-intrusive security solutions. AS&E develops and manufactures the Gemini™ for baggage and parcel screening. The innovative Gemini parcel inspection system combines dual-energy transmission with Z Backscatter technology for the most comprehensive threat detection available. It is the only system to combine advanced, commercially-proven technologies in a true multi-technology system. AS&E also offers the Model 101™ Line of parcel products with a variety of tunnel sizes, including open tunnels, to accommodate anything from mail and baggage, to mattresses and small cargo.
What is your product offering for Personnel Screening?
AS&E manufactures and develops SmartCheck, the most effective way to screen for contraband and threats hidden under a person's clothing, with capabilities well beyond that of metal detectors because it simultaneously detects both metallic and non-metallic objects. AS&E has developed a privacy filter that uses a software algorithm to address privacy concerns. The filtered image presents only an outline of the scanned individual and quickly and reliably outlines any potential threats on the body - all while ensuring the person's privacy.
How safe is Personnel Screening with SmartCheck?
Personnel Screening with SmartCheck's Z Backscatter technology is safe for all individuals and complies with all applicable U.S. personnel scanning regulations. The radiation dose from a single scan is less than 10 microRem (0.1 microSieverts). To put this into perspective, 10 microRem is equivalent to:
- The radiation a person receives from flying in an airplane for about two minutes at 30,000 feet (due to the increased exposure from cosmic rays).
- One percent (1%) of the radiation dose received by the average person on any day of the year.
Does SmartCheck protect an individual's privacy?
In response to privacy concerns, AS&E incorporated privacy software into the SmartCheck system. AS&E's privacy filter uses a software algorithm to protect the privacy of screened personnel while still effectively displaying threats. For more information on SmartCheck, click here.
Technology
What kind of technologies does AS&E utilize?
With nearly 50 years experience in developing advanced X-ray security systems, the Company's product lines utilize a variety of technologies including patented Z® Backscatter™, Shaped Energy™ and Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD).
What is Z Backscatter technology?
Our patented signature Z Backscatter technology gives our systems unparalleled detection capabilities, making it the technology of choice when the highest levels of security are required. Z Backscatter technology provides photo-like images that reveal organic threats and contraband, including explosives, plastic weapons and drugs.
How does Z Backscatter technology work?
AS&E creates photo-like Z Backscatter images showing organic materials by directing a sweeping beam of X-rays at the object under examination, and then measuring and plotting the intensity of scattered X-rays as a function of the beam position. Z Backscatter is the most effective X-ray technology for the detection of low Z materials or low density organic materials, and only AS&E offers Z Backscatter on all of its Inspection Systems. For more information on Z Backscatter technology, click here.
Do you have technology to find liquid threats?
AS&E's Z Backscatter systems detect organic materials including liquids. Organic material, specifically explosive material such as liquid and other explosives and drugs, contains low atomic number elements that show up very well on Z Backscatter systems. Our systems detect liquids which are often missed by transmission-only X-ray systems currently in airports. Therefore, our systems have a higher probability, of detecting liquid or any other type of explosives than any other product on the market because the operator is given more information.
Do you have technology to detect radioactive material?
AS&E's Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD) technology detects both neutrons found in nuclear WMD and gamma rays in dirty bombs during routine X-ray inspections, allowing additional functionality without impacting throughput or the flow of commerce.
What is dual-energy technology?
Dual-energy transmission technology uses two X-ray energy levels to determine the atomic number of objects in the parcel and then colorizes the image based on material type. The dual-energy transmission X-ray easily detects metallic objects such as knives and guns. Gemini's excellent transmission image quality allows the user to see fine details such as small wires that may be the components of an IED. In addition, dual-energy provides some information about material type—especially in uncluttered environments.
What is high-energy X-ray?
OmniView's patented Shaped Energy™ technology is a high-energy X-ray inspection solution that provides even more penetration for the inspection of dense sea containers and other objects, without employing a radioactive source while preserving safety and functionality. For more information, click here
Markets and Applications
What key markets does AS&E serve?
AS&E's products provide diverse security solutions for national and international markets including: military and government agencies; ports and borders; aviation and transportation centers; private and public facilities and events; schools, municipalities, and prisons.
What are the security applications for AS&E products?
AS&E's complete range of X-ray inspection products, including Z Backscatter screening systems, CargoSearch, and ParcelSearch inspection systems and personnel screening systems, are used to combat terrorism, drug and weapon smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal immigration. AS&E specializes in detection technologies that can uncover dangerous and elusive threats, including explosives, plastic and metal weapons, and radioactive devices, such as dirty bombs and nuclear WMD.
Customers
Who are AS&E's customers?
AS&E customers include leading governmental agencies, border authorities, military bases, airports and corporations worldwide, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; U.S. Department of Defense, including U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marines; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Royal Thai Police, HM Customs & Excise (U.K.), New Zealand Customs Service, and Hong Kong Customs.
Why can't you name all of your customers?
Due to the highly sensitive nature of the markets that our products serve, AS&E respects the individual requests of our customers to be confidential.