Zeiss Microscopy recently announced an exclusive strategic partnership agreement with Xnovo Technology, a Danish company developing software-based 3D X-ray imaging and analysis products.

Zeiss and Xnovo have already been working together for two years. The strategic partnership, announced earlier this month, is meant to advance and expand the laboratory-based diffraction contrast tomography technique on the Zeiss Xradia 520 Versa. Zeiss introduced the technique to the market in 2015 as LabDCT.

The LabDCT technique combines grain orientation information with microstructural features such as cracks, porosity and inclusions, according to Zeiss. It opens up new capabilities in 3D materials science because the technique had previously only been available at synchrotron imaging facilities.

Zeiss touts LabDCT as a boost to research into new materials for 3D printing, bioengineering and more.

“At Zeiss, we work diligently to understand the job our customer needs to do and invest in innovation to ensure their success. We look forward to working with Xnovo to develop important new analytical capabilities for our 3D X-ray microscopes,” said Lourens Steger, head of the product center X-ray microscopy at Zeiss.