Industrial CT: when quality demands seeing beyond the surface

The VOXLS 30 series was designed for environments where productivity, repeatability and reliability are essential. These systems combine X-ray inspection and computed tomography with an architecture prepared for automation, including robotic integration and workflows compatible with Industry 4.0. This capability allows CT inspection to move beyond being merely a laboratory tool and become integrated into more automated industrial processes, with part loading and unloading, remote control, cycle repetition and consistent results over time. For companies seeking to reduce human error, accelerate inspection and increase traceability, this approach represents an important evolution in quality control. Automation is one of the major trends in industrial metrology. Inspection is no longer an isolated process but becomes part of a digital production flow, connected to robots, management systems, databases, automatic reports and real-time quality control. The VOXLS 30 series is prepared for integration with automated systems, including robotic loading and unloading and communication through industrial interfaces such as OPC UA. This capability enables the creation of more consistent, repeatable and operator-independent inspection processes, contributing to Quality 4.0 strategies and production with lower defect rates.

The VOXLS 30 series includes configurations with different X-ray energy levels, allowing the system to be adapted to the type of component being analysed. Options include 225 kV, 320 kV and 450 kV systems, enabling inspection of parts with different densities, dimensions and complexity levels. This flexibility is essential when working with plastic, metal, electronic, cast, 3D-printed or multi-material components. In practice, this allows analysis from small, detailed parts to larger or higher-density components, maintaining the ability to generate internal data useful for engineering, quality and production. One of the central elements of these systems is the metrology-grade manipulator, mounted on a granite base and combined with rigid steel towers, high-precision motors and linear encoders. This construction contributes to greater mechanical and thermal stability, enabling more precise positioning and more repeatable measurement results. For industrial applications, this repeatability is essential, especially when CT data is used for CAD comparison, dimensional analysis, statistical process control or production validation. The VOXLS 30 series integrates motorised FID adjustment — Focus to Image Distance, or distance between the X-ray source and detector. This adjustment enables more precise and efficient optimisation of the scanning configuration, improving photon flux, image quality, signal-to-noise ratio and inspection time. For the industrial user, this means greater flexibility in test preparation, better adaptation to different part types and potential reduction in scanning times. Not all industrial components are simple, small or easy to position. Many parts have irregular geometries, elongated shapes, wide areas, variable thicknesses or internal regions difficult to capture with conventional CT methods. The VOXLS 30 series integrates advanced acquisition modes that expand inspection capability, including technologies such as X.Tend Helical CT, Panel Shift and Pixel Split CT. These functionalities help analyse taller, wider or more complex parts, maintaining image quality and reducing limitations associated with the scanning envelope. The VOXLS 30 series includes a large glass outer door and internal cameras that help the operator position the part with greater confidence. This visibility reduces the risk of collision between the sample, X-ray source and detector, facilitating work with larger, irregular or high-value parts. In industrial environments, safety and ease of operation are determining factors for integrating technology into teams' daily work.

In the automotive industry, industrial tomography has application in a wide variety of components, from cast and machined parts to electronics, technical plastics, structural components and electric mobility systems. With industrial CT, it is possible to analyse cast parts with internal porosity, machined components with hidden channels, plastic parts with metal inserts, encapsulated electronic components, connectors and sensors, welds and brazing, cooling systems, parts manufactured by 3D printing and critical components for electric and hybrid vehicles. For automotive manufacturers and suppliers, this technology enables accelerated validation, reduced uncertainties and improved process traceability. The electrification of mobility has brought new challenges to industrial inspection. Battery cells, modules and packs require rigorous control, as small internal failures can affect system performance, safety and service life. CT tomography enables analysis from individual cells to assembled battery packs, helping to observe internal structures, connections, contact zones, welds, encapsulations, insulation, thermal channels and potential hidden defects. This approach is especially useful for developing new battery architectures, supplier validation, failure analysis, module quality control, inspection of welds and electrical connections, deformation analysis after testing and investigation of internal anomalies without disassembly. In metal components, industrial tomography enables detection of defects often not visible externally, such as porosity, shrinkage, inclusions, internal cracks, lack of fusion or thickness variations. This capability is particularly important in cast parts, machined components, structural parts and components manufactured by metal 3D printing. In additive manufacturing, tomography enables validation of internal part quality, porosity measurement, internal channel analysis, complex geometry verification and comparison of the actual part with the CAD model. Modern electronics includes increasingly small, dense and multi-layer components. Tomography inspection enables internal observation of boards, welds, BGAs, bonding wires, encapsulations and interfaces between materials. This capability helps identify cracks, weld failures, misalignments, voids, contact defects or problems in encapsulated components. For sectors such as automotive, medical devices, aerospace and industrial electronics, this type of analysis is essential to ensure reliability in critical systems. In areas where failure is unacceptable, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, aerospace or defence, non-destructive inspection enables component verification without compromising integrity. Tomography can support validation of surgical tools, implants, medical electronic devices, technical packaging, delivery systems and high-responsibility components. The ability to generate internal 3D data, technical reports and traceable records is a clear advantage in regulated environments.

X-ray computed tomography enables physical components to be transformed into technical data, supporting decisions in engineering, quality, production, research and failure analysis. With systems prepared for automation, high energy, metrological precision and integration in industrial environments, CT inspection becomes a strategic tool for companies seeking greater quality, greater efficiency and greater confidence in their products.

At NM3D Ibérica, we support companies in applying advanced metrology, inspection and industrial tomography solutions. Our mission is to help customers see what was previously hidden: internal defects, hidden geometries, welds, porosity, channels, interfaces, assemblies and complete components that cannot be properly evaluated from the exterior alone.