A novel method for the determination of strain in moving objects is presented. It is based on X-ray diffraction in parallel-beam geometry. This geometry is not affected by errors of the sample position. Thus also moving objects can be investigated. Feasibility tests were made investigating the rotor blades of a turbo pump during rotation.

Powder diffraction studies with synchrotron radiation were performed on a time scale down to 2.5 ms at the HASYLAB beamline B2 with a commercial 1024 pixel linear photodiode-array detector system (OMA III, EG&G-PARC). The flux rate of 2 x 10⁸ photons s^-1 at a wavelength of 1.26 Å achieved by using a toroidal mirror and a standard double-crystal Si(111) monochromator was measured with an ionization chamber at the focus. With a synthetic multilayer to select the desired wavelength instead of the standard monochromator, a flux rate of 1.5 x 10¹⁰ photons s^-1 was measured at a wavelength of 1.31 Å. The shortest possible recording times for a complete powder pattern of calcium fluoride were 200 ms with the crystal monochromator and 2.5 ms with the multilayer. The angular resolution for both cases is discussed. The high-speed data collection was successfully applied with the double-crystal and multilayer monochromators to the recording of more-complex patterns and to monitor a phase transformation in order to demonstrate the feasibility of kinetic studies on the millisecond time scale.

Large scale facilities like synchrotron radiation sources offer a variety of techniques for the characterization of materials and processes. These are not only suited to answer academic questions but may also help solving problems of industrial relevance. On the other hand the complexity of industrial products and processes demand sophisticated techniques for their investigation that may go beyond the requirements of pure academic research. The presentation will give examples on how the cooperation of science and industry triggered progress in research for mutual benefit in the field of (in operando) XAFS, diffraction scattering and other techniques. A paramount aspect in this context is the availability of auxiliary (not synchrotron radiation based) techniques, laboratories, equipment and expertise. A non negligible issue is occupational health and safety including radiation and bio hazards. The advanced photon sources at DESY in combination with further laboratories and research institutes on site are an excellent example for an environment enabling the investigation of manifold task of industrial relevance.

The resolution functions for various powder diffractometers using parallel-beam geometry are calculated. These diffractometers consist of monochromator, sample and eventually a post-specimen analyser. The theory is thus similar to that of two- or three-axis diffractometers. Special attention has to be given to the different diffraction mechanisms occurring at perfect crystals, synthetic multilayers or mosaic crystals. Resolution functions for all three types of monochromators are presented. Experiments performed at HASYLAB and other laboratories show good agreement with theory.