An Inside Look at CT Scanning

Published: Thursday, August 13, 2015 - 12:54

Josh Schradin, one of the 3D Scanning specialists at Exact Metrology’s Cincinnati facility, recently completed a computed tomography (CT) scanning project involving aluminum castings measuring approximately 12 in. x 6 in. x 6 in. and weighing 10 to 15 pounds.

The company’s new metrology-grade GE v|tome|x 300 CT Scanner, with Nanofocus Tube (180kV/15 W) and Microfocus Tube (300kV/500W), is equipped to “look inside” aluminum to a wall thickness or total amount of material of six to seven inches, or a steel-to-wall thickness or total amount of material of one inch.

For this particular job, which represents the first use of a GE Metrology-certified CT scanner in the United States, the client was interested in wall thickness inspection as well as porosity and void analysis. The blue paint visible in some of the images was applied by the customer to indicate stress areas where leaking or breaking was suspected. Schradin performed three stacked scans, each taking only about 30 minutes, to capture the entire casting. The result of the scans revealed the voids (legitimate holes) and highlighted the most serious problem areas in red-to-pink shadings.

In addition to offering the only method to get 3D views inside a part, another primary benefit of Exact Metrology’s CT scanning application is the true dimensional data provided in a nondestructive test manner, i.e., without cutting up or otherwise destroying the test object.

The workpiece (casting) was rotated 360° in the X-ray beam’s path, with multiple readings from various angles being taken. Once the CT grey-scale images were converted into voxel-based 3D point clouds, Schradin was able to generate a CAD-to-part comparison for the customer.

Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008-certified company.

Watch these videos on this new scanner’s capabilities:

For more information on this new system or to arrange a demonstration, please contact Steve Young, president of Exact Metrology at stevey@exactmetrology.com, or visit online at http://www.exactmetrology.com.

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About The Author

Exact Metrology

Exact Metrology is a full-service measurement services company that provides on-site inspection, reverse engineering, noncontact laser scanning, and 2-D/3-D digitizing services as well as contract programming, software training, part programming, and measurement equipment implementation. Exact Metrology also sells, services, and implements metrology equipment solutions from companies including Artec, ROMER, Leica Geosystems, Breuckmann, Metronor, Surphaser and InnovMetric.

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