The iNSIde View

Have you ever wondered about how modern science in today’s industries safeguard our lives? Let’s take a closer look at nondestructive testing and how it aids in that process by using industrial digital X-ray scanning for early detection to gauge a parts quality and integrity.

North Star Imaging filled 200 seats at the St. Michael Cinema, near our headquarters in Rogers, Minnesota on May 22nd-23rd for our 2018 Technical Symposium event. Every day these technical experts look for ways to push the limits of technology and nature. But each person using nondestructive X-ray testing has one common goal; to see beyond the surface.

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has successfully entered the field of coordinate metrology as an innovative and flexible non-contact measurement technology for performing dimensional measurements on industrial parts. It provides unique advantages compared to conventional tactile and optical coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), giving the ability to perform nondestructive measurement tasks that are often not possible with any other measurement technology.

Attendees saw presentations from NSI on CT scanning of additive manufactured parts as well as live demos of digital X-ray and CT scanning technology. Instron demonstrated their new Bluehill® Universal Software and ElectroPuls™ dynamic test system.

There is no denying that a high resolution industrial X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) system is indispensable to any cutting-edge analysis lab that specializes in either non-destructive or destructive analysis techniques. However, one thing that can set back even the best CT analyst is when there are irritating CT image artifacts obscuring the areas that you are most interested in evaluating for defects.

A recent and growing trend in the Industrial X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) marketplace is a Dual Tube X-ray/CT System; a system which integrates both a Microfocus and Minifocus tube in the same cabinet. Dual Tube systems can scan a broader variety of products, ranging from small parts requiring high resolution all the way up to large, high-density samples.

Developing a good scan technique can take time and practice. When I’m out training new customers, I see a lot of common practices that could be improved upon, so I’ve put together a couple of useful technique development tips.

With the advances in CT, comes the opportunity to perform very high-speed CT scans of some products. The CT scan can quickly provide a 3D view of all indications as well as their location within a product. With a 3D data set, automatic software routines can be applied with true 3D acceptance criteria applied to assisted and automatic defect recognition (ADR) routines.

North Star Imaging’s recent robotiX development incorporates the proven technology of industrial robots into our standard line of Digital Radiography (DR) and Computed Tomography (CT) equipment. The goal of this development is to improve system automation as well as incorporate flexibility for the user.

Additive manufacturing (AM), sometimes referred to as 3D printing, is believed to be one of the greatest opportunities of our era and has the potential to completely change many business landscapes in the coming years and decades. There are still constraints and challenges in AM that need to be tackled by the combined efforts from scientists, engineers, and decision makers. During this process, with the help of X-ray imaging products and expertise...