Industrial CT scanning is the technique of seeing through an object that has an opaque surface. CT scanning has been used for many different purposes including looking through the human body to see any injuries, it has been used to see through rubble after a house fire, and for engineers to see the internal inspection of components they are working on. Here is a beginner’s guide to this kind of industrial scanning.

What is it?

This type of scanning is a a computer-aided tomographic process that uses irradiation– the apparent extension of the edges of an illuminated object to make an object seen against a dark background.

Key Uses for Industrial X-Rays


Industrial scanning has many uses including:

Flaw detection inside an object.

Failure analysis. Why did the object fail, and was there a mechanized reason behind it?

Metrology

The scientific study of measurement, can be used to measure something that is impossible to reach.

Assembly analysis

Is everything inside the component working as it should be?

Medical imaging

Used to see the bones, ligaments, muscles, and any foreign bodies inside a human body.

Types of scanners

Typically, there are two types of industrial CT scanning.

Fan/line beam scanners: This version is the original method of an X-ray, and it is used to create a beam that creates a line. It is sedentary, and when the beam hits the object, the information is translated back to create a 3D version of the object.

Cone beam scanners: These scanners are rotary, and as it rotates it produces about 1300 2D images that are then made into one coherent 3D version of the object. Basically, it creates a compilation of many small pictures to make one large one.

Inspection techniques

Assembly: Using visual analysis after using the CT scanner as an imaging tool.

Parts comparisons: Since products are made all throughout the world, this step compares all the different components together to make sure the universal requirement is met.

Void and crack detection: CT scanning can detect any internal features with cracks and/or holes that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.

Geometric dimension and analysis: Using metrology to ensure you have the correct measurements for the job you are trying to complete.

Industrial CT scanning is a complex process that has a variety of users. If you have any questions or a need for this product, contact a manufacturer today.