Industrial tomography is not limited to series production components or technical parts. NM3D Ibérica recently applied this technology to the dimensional analysis of a bassoon about 50 years old, a musical instrument approximately 1.40 metres in length with particularly complex geometry.
The project objective was to obtain detailed dimensional information for subsequent reverse engineering of the instrument, enabling replication or structural analysis of critical components.
Context and challenge
The bassoon is a wind instrument of delicate construction, made of wood and a system of metal keys that control the air column and tuning. The advanced age of the examined specimen, the fragility of the materials and the combination of metal and wood present specific measurement challenges.
Conventional contact methods, such as probes or calipers, are poorly suited to inaccessible internal geometries and sensitive surfaces. External optical scanning does not allow visualization of the internal structure of the tubes or the air channels that determine the instrument's acoustic behaviour.
Industrial tomography offers a non-destructive solution that enables simultaneous capture of external geometry, internal walls, material interfaces and any cracks or discontinuities.
The solution or technology
NM3D Ibérica used an industrial tomography system to perform the complete analysis of the bassoon. X‑ray technology enables inspection of elongated and heterogeneous objects, reconstructing the three-dimensional geometry from multiple two-dimensional projections.
The system generates a volumetric point cloud that can be processed in metrology or reverse engineering software, allowing extraction of sections, profiles, wall thicknesses and coordinates of holes and keys.
The ability to adjust the system's energy, current and resolution allows acquisition to be tailored to the characteristics of each material, ensuring sufficient contrast between wood, metal and air.
Industrial applications
Although the described application is unconventional, the method used is identical to that employed in the inspection of industrial components with complex or multi-material geometry.
Industrial tomography is used in the analysis of castings, welded assemblies, composites, injection-moulded plastics, electronic components and additive manufacturing parts. It enables detection of voids, cracks, inclusions, porosity and internal dimensional deviations without destroying the part.
In the context of reverse engineering, the technology is applied when no CAD documentation exists or when one wishes to validate the conformity of an existing part with the original design. It is also useful for failure analysis, assembly control and process validation.
Results and benefits
Tomographic measurement presents clear advantages in reverse engineering projects for elongated, fragile or heterogeneous geometries:
- Non-destructive inspection, without the need for disassembly or cutting;
- Simultaneous capture of internal and external geometry;
- Complete digitization of components inaccessible to other methods;
- Detection of discontinuities, cracks or structural degradation;
- Three-dimensional model usable directly in CAD or CAM software.
Volumetric resolution allows measurement of wall thicknesses, hole diameters and distances between components with accuracy suitable for demanding technical applications.
How NM3D can help
NM3D Ibérica provides industrial tomography equipment and X‑ray inspection services for reverse engineering projects, dimensional control and failure analysis. The technical team supports the definition of acquisition parameters, data processing and extraction of measurable information.
Tomography systems can be configured for different measurement volumes, resolutions and material types, allowing the solution to be adapted to the characteristics of each project. Support includes calibration, training and ongoing technical assistance.
In addition to tomography, NM3D offers complementary solutions for portable 3D scanning, optical measurement and metrology software, enabling integration of different technologies into a single reverse engineering or quality control chain.
Related content at NM3D: industrial tomography; X‑ray inspection and industrial tomography; portable 3D digitization.
Would you like to assess this solution for your application?
If you need to digitize complex components or analyse internal geometries non-destructively, the NM3D Ibérica team can present the industrial tomography solutions and inspection services available for your sector.