- Rapiscan Systems
Rapiscan Systems is a global company that specializes in walk-through
metal detector s, andx-ray machines for airport luggage and cargo screening. The company is owned byOSI Systems [cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/06/16/afx5119170.html|publisher=r Thomson Financial News |title=OSI Systems security unit gets two contracts totalling $16 million|date=16-06-2008|accessdate=2008-06-29] .The company headquarters is in
Torrance, California which is the is the primary location for research and development, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and customer service support. The European headquarters, and location of Rapiscan Systems Limited, is atSalfords inSurrey close toGatwick Airport inEngland . The primary centre for development and distribution of x-ray systems for hold baggage screening is at Salfords. InEspoo ,Finland , Rapiscan Systems designs and manufactures its Metor Metal Detectors, used in people screening applications.Rapiscan also has significant research and development, distribution, support and manufacturing facilities in
Melbourne inAustralia ,Singapore ,Sunnyvale, California ,Johor Bahru inMalaysia ,Ocean Springs, Mississippi andHyderabad inIndia .cite web|url=http://www.rapiscansystems.com/ourcompany.html|title=Our company|publisher=Rapsican Systems|accessdate=2008-06-29]History
Rapiscan was formed in the
United Kingdom in 1972 as the Security Products Division of International Aeradio Limited (IAL) [cite web|url=http://www.kimzanti.com/portfolio/RapiscanCorpBackgrounder.pdf|accessdate=2008-06-29|title=Rapsican Systems|work=Corporate Backgrounder|date=Novermver 2001] . This company then then acquired metal detector manufacturer Adams Electronics in 1984. Two years later Rapiscan's X-Ray Division and Adams Electronics were combined, and relocated to Salfords. In 1993, OptoSensors, Inc. in theUSA formed Rapiscan Security Products, Inc., which then acquired Rapiscan in the UK. Opto Sensors, Inc. became OSI Systems.Rapiscan "Metor" walk-through metal detectors stems originally from
Outokumpu , which was one of the first companies to develop walk through metal detectors for security screening. The systems were originally adapted from metal detectors used in the mining industry to locate parts of broken drill bits in minerals on a conveyor belt [ Jarvi A, Leinonen E, Thompson M, Valkonen K,Designing Modern Walk-Through Metal Detectors,ASTM Digital Library / STP / STP1127-EB / STP15320S, Jan 1992, DOI|10.1520/STP15320S] . The Metor company was spun off from Outokumpu and later acquired by Rapiscan.As of 2008 the company had installed in excess of 50,000 security and inspection systems globally and in April 2008 Rapiscan Systems UK won the Queen's Award for International Trade in recognition of its growth over the the previous three years, tripling its revenue during 2005-2007cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/sphereNews/idUS86972+30-Apr-2008+BW20080430?sp=true&view=sphere|title=Rapiscan Systems Wins Prestigious Queen's Award, Recognition of Company's Continued...|accessdate=2008-06-29 |publisher=Thomson Reuters |date=30-04-2008] .
References
External links
* [http://www.rapiscansystems.com/ Company website]
* [http://www.kimzanti.com/portfolio/RapiscanCorpBackgrounder.pdf Corporate background]
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