Prospector Micro Materials Tester

Introducing Nordson Dage’s new micro materials tester – Prospector. Designed for the most advanced failure analysis investigations, Prospector brings 5 new perspectives into the one instrument to ensure you can find every failure.


Do it all on one machine! Quality issues cost money and impact new product ROI. In modern products you need to know with certainty how they perform in a range of thermal, mechanical and environmental situations. Prospector™ is the most advanced micro tester on the market and covers the widest range of test scenarios. You no longer need multiple test machines to find every failure. Multiple interchangeable test modules mean you can easily test any new unknown sample, immediately – everything from shear testing, scratch testing to bending testing!
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Uncover failures you couldn’t see before Prospector™ has five unique test modes which can be used in combination to characterise any device. This allows you to get the information you need to make more informed decisions about suspected failure modes. All these features are controlled inside Paragon™ Materials software.
Electrical: Read in test instruments and analogue signals.
Thermal: Dynamically heat samples from -50 °C to +155 °C.

Mechanical: Perform cyclical and dynamic multiaxis tests.
Force or displacement-controlled X, Y and Z tests.

Acoustic: Measure sounds emitted from your sample under test.
Optical: Integrated optics for high magnification video and image capture.


Total characterisation for micro-electronics Prospector uses new Paragon™ Materials analytical software which controls every aspect of your test. For example: Use integrated direct thermal control (heating and cooling) during mechanical tests. Incorporate other lab equipment to trigger failure mode capture points (e.g. resistance meter). Automatically calculate stress and strain while performing custom test modes such as cyclical routines, displacement or force control.
Micro-electronics thermal shock Prospector gives the capability to thermally cycle while applying a mechanical load – this is an excellent method of accelerating thermal shock experiments.
Flexible and wearable electronics For these materials it is essential to be able to perform mechanical testing while measuring electrical resistance. Perform long term wear and fatigue testing.
5G boards and components With 5G there is a need to test the boards themselves but also each individual component and soldered device. Acoustic testing gives another level of sensitivity for bend and scratch testing.

Accelerate your workflow Prospector is designed for test flexibility and ease of use. Operators can perform a wide range of test types with minimal training. In the example below six different tests were required to isolate the correct failure mode. Prospector and Paragon™ Materials software make easy work of even the most complex test plans. Switch tests fast: Prospector’s auto test setup quickly configures hardware and software so you’re ready for the next test.

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