3D X-rays for quality control and SPC

Citation

(2007), "3D X-rays for quality control and SPC", Sensor Review, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2007.08727aaf.003

3D X-rays for quality control and SPC

3D X-rays for quality control and SPC

The massive investment following the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks has spun-off into a substantial technical advanced for quality control and SPC systems – which can now be based on 3D X-rays.

The new X-line, from 3DX-Ray, is an automated in-line X-ray inspection, measurement and QC system that can link directly into most company's existing or new SPC systems. X-line takes a precise series of 3D measurements to check the size, volume, angle and exact alignment of the internal components of a product or sub-assembly. The measurements build, in realtime to a database which can connect directly to a QC/SPC system and/or build and project a 3D X-ray image onto a standard polarising PC screen.

The system can easily inspect units at one per second or less and can take measurements with an accuracy approaching 100µm – i.e. roughly the width of a human hair! What is more, new technology even allows it to measure plastic components that are inside either plastic or metal containers. The system is powerful enough to see through 20cm of steel but sensitive enough to determine if a leaflet has been inserted into a pack alongside the regular contents.

More than ever before industry demands that products are fault free. Functional testing can show if there is an obvious fault, but passes over the threat of latent faults.

X-line integrates a 3D X-ray camera with a suite of highly automated vision, image processing and control software. It can apply highly sophisticated decision- based criteria to the images that can result in an accept-reject decision.

As well as the core data collection, X- Line also has self-monitoring and diagnostic functions, isolated digital inputs and outputs for integration with other equipment and easy-to-use engineering tools for rapid set up. X- Line connects to the XIMS management system.

Unlike traditional 2D X-ray devices currently on the market, X-Line provides detailed three dimensional data as well as structural information on concealed objects. It achieves this in a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional CAT scans.

For further information, contact: 3DX- Ray Ltd, Pera Innovation Park, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0PB, Tel: +44(0) 1664 503 600, E-mail: info@3dx-ray.com