Industrial inspection and measurement processes using micro computer tomography: Industrielles Messen und Prüfen mit Mikro-Computertomographie

In many sectors of the industry geometric inspection of complex parts is currently solved by conventional measuring procedures using Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM). This process is very time-consuming and expensive. In many cases a CMM can only be used with great disadvantages compared to non tactile technologies. Internal geometries of complex parts can only be digitised after the object is cut, which automatically leads to losses in the data and difficulties in post-processing, e.g. the alignment of different data-sets. Furthermore it results in a destroyed part, which is often not wanted, especially in the prototype-state of the product development chain. The huge number of parts, like enginerblocks, cylinder-heads which all have complex outer and inner geometry, and the increasing competition on the global market force the industry to find faster and cheaper methods to bring their products to the market. In the last few years, industry, in particular automotive industry and their suppliers, became more and more familiar with the computed tomography technology (CT). The problem which appeared, was to build-up new process-chains or better, integrate this new technology into existing workflow. The paper will discuss a way how to integrate CT for measurement and quality inspection in the existing process chain and show how it worked in industrial applications like flow investigations. Thinking of Digital Mock-Up and Virtual Reality applications, mounting studies, especially in the design and development area, can make use of those data. The less time consuming method of thewhole process chain, from CT scanning up to the complete set of accessible data in the design software, puts the producers in the place to react faster on market demands and shortens the time to market of the products