CASTING INNOVATIONS Using a CT Scanner for an Industrial Job
Until recently, the technology of CT imaging was only available for use in medical settings. Over the last several years, it has found a new home in the world of manufac- turing, including metalcasting, and is opening up myriad opportunities never before available. Computed tomography (CT) is now commonly used
in various industrial metrology settings, both in the lab and online or inline for product evaluation and packag- ing integrity assessment. The main advantage is that it allows the inspection of a part’s interior structure or a package’s closure functionality without causing any harm or destruction to the objects themselves, which can be of great value to metalcasters. Industrial CT scanners utilize the same type of technology as CT scanners in hospitals and doctors’
offices—taking multiple readings from various angles and converting the CT gray-scale images into voxel-based 3-D point clouds. Once the CT scanner generates the point cloud, a specialist can generate a CAD-to-part comparison map, construct a 3-D model of the part, or reverse engineer the part to suit their needs. Industrial scanners offer a multitude of advan-
tages, such as: obtaining internal structure of an object nondestructively, validating extremely accurate internal dimensions, allowing comparison to refer- ence models, no shaded zones, compatibility with all shapes and sizes, no post-processing work and extremely high-resolution imaging. These 3-D imaging devices and long-range scan-
ners serve a wide range of industries and help assure they are performing the highest level of testing and accuracy possible. A few of the diverse industries cur- rently using this technology and the goals sought are: • Metal castings: Used to check for air bubbles and overall porosity.
• Moldmaking: Provides a powerful inspection and measurement tool to validate precise injec- tion molds and check structural integrity of a part.
Computed Tomography (CT) is now commonly used in various industrial metrology settings, both in the lab and online or inline for product evalu- ation and packaging integrity assessment.
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