Well Log Scanner

Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
We currently use a Contex Hawk Eye Cx 36; which is a wide format scanner.
We use this to scan well logs, usually several dozen feet long.

The glass plate has been scratched by dust attached to the logs being scanned.
There is one deep scratch, a fraction of a mm deep (in line with the drive wheel), and surrounding this there are minor scratches which I presume could be removed by polishing, without reducing the thickness of the glass significantly.

The glass plate is "user-replaceable"; 36 inches long, 45mm wide (39mm top width) 4mm thick, with no obvious optical coatings. There are dark coatings on the top and bottom, masking the 12mm wide transparent scanning winow. It lifts out, and apparently a replacement costs $1500.

Can anyone suggest a way to repair the damage to the glass plate?

This scanner has worked OK, but we have had some issues. A single high powered drive wheel does not offer control (or the "all wheel drive" functionality of their more expensive scanners which they say are designed for delicate media)
This scanner was not designed for delicate media!
Its overkill for scanning 3 inch wide logs!
While we can slow the scan speed down, the start of the scanning process is always very fast and brutal. This can damage the media we are trying to scan, or cause it to rotate, so the resulting scanned image is not straight. There is no guide to stop the scanned media moving sideways (warping the resulting image).
Since we discovered the scratches, we have been trying to find a solution. The customer Service from our local distributor of Contex; Anitech, has been fustrating, and for the most part, completely useless, refusing to return calls or emails from us for the past 9 months, except today, where they provided a quote of $1500 for a replacement glass plate.

We are assessing our options.

We need a scanner which can scan well logs, which are paper, plastic, or films, usually 3-4 inches wide, or 10-12 inches wide, by indefinite length. Up to several hundred feet long, these logs are delicate, and irreplaceable.

The Kodak i280 offers "long document" scanning, however the width is limited to 8 inches and the length to approx 6 metres.

The NeuraScanner has a 12.1" feed; but the main concern we have is the requirement for software licences to run the software, in order to use the scanner.

Are there any other similarly priced scanners out there which are suited for well log scanning?

Are there any reasonably priced scanners out which would do what we need?

Speed is not an issue.
Resolutions do not have to be very high; 200 dpi is usually ample.
Colour depth does not have to be too high. In most cases, relatively low bit depths are suitable.
Paper guidance of some form (such as physical guides, or multiple drive/guide wheels) is required.
Output to TIF, or any other suitable non-proprietry image format.
Interfaced to windows xp.

$15,000 for a glorified fax machine seems a little mad.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top