As the products and materials we manufacture become more structurally complex, industrial radiography becomes more and more important. Industrial radiography is a method of nondestructive testing that uses ionizing radiation to inspect internal materials and components and quantify defects and degradation that could lead to the failure of engineering structures. In the past, simple X-ray radiography was sufficient in providing an image needed for this inspection. However, because it views structures in 2D, simple radiography is limited in engineering applications as the objects become more complex. This is where computed tomography (CT) becomes valuable. Known in the medical field to provide detailed 3D images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes, CT scans can also be applied to industrial samples for inspection and diagnosis of quality defects.
With a CT scan, the sample rotates up to 360 degrees while acquiring those X-ray images, producing projection images from every angle, and providing a 3D map of the X-ray absorption throughout the object. These images are then reconstructed into a 3D volume. In as little as five minutes, the CT process can build a complete volumetric representation of an object, producing a highly detailed 3D image of the internal structure and allowing for nondestructive cross-sections of the sample.