X-ray screening: Quickly Detect Internal Defects and Ensure Product Compliance

Set up machine tomographe avec support echantillons RX Solutions

A missing component on a production line, a customer complaint, or a suspect batch can have significant consequences for both production and customer relationships.

X-ray radiographic sorting enables large volumes of products to be inspected quickly without opening the packaging or damaging the parts. Within a matter of hours, manufacturers can confirm compliance, detect foreign objects, or identify the root cause of a non-conformity.

It is a particularly valuable solution for failure analysis, customer return investigations and urgent quality situations where rapid decision-making is critical.

At RX Solutions, our teams support manufacturers in implementing fast, reliable radiographic sorting campaigns tailored to their operational constraints.

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Contact our Inspection Services Team directly for your X-ray radiographic sorting project.

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When a defect can bring production to a halt

The situations we encounter most frequently

Radiographic sorting requests almost always arise in an emergency context. Our customers contact us when faced with:

A customer complaint
A defect detected at the end of the production line
Doubts regarding a batch conformity
Suspected foreign object contamination
A quality dispute: the end customer identifies non-compliant parts and calls on RX Solutions to provide objective evidence of the non-conformity to their own supplier. In such cases, the sorting process becomes technical proof within a challenging commercial relationship between two companies

Pot avec et sans écrou. Tri radiographique permettant de déceller la présence ou l'abcence de corps étrangers dans un pot cosmétique

Example of application. A metallic component such as a screw or nut may become detached from a production line without its exact location being identified. This situation has occurred several times in the cosmetics industry: a missing screw on the production line, impossible to locate despite extensive searches, required inspection of the entire production output manufactured since its disappearance, representing several pallets of finished products. The production line remained operational, but all products produced during the affected period had to be screened through radiographic sorting. Even though the screw was never found, the uncertainty was removed, and the pallets were confirmed compliant.

This is the true value of radiographic sorting: it is not only about detecting defects, but also about confirming compliance when a suspected risk proves unfounded.
In other situations, the objective is simply to determine quickly whether a batch must be scrapped or can be released for sale.

The goal is always the same: obtain a reliable compliance decision as quickly as possible.

Foreign objects were intentionally introduced for demonstration purposes.

pot cosmétique avec écrou à l'intérieur. tri radio rayons X RX Solutions

What Types of Defects Can Be Detected?

Foreign Objects

This is the most common application. X-ray screening can detect:

Screws, nuts, and metallic fragments
Machining chips
Assembly elements
Manufacturing contaminants
Foreign objects inside packaging, even through multiple packaging layers (for example, a pouch inside a jar, or jars inside a cardboard box)

An important technical consideration: detectability depends on the density difference between the foreign object and the inspected product. A metallic screw inside a jar of cream is easily detected. A plastic fragment inside a plastic-based product is much more challenging because the density difference is too low. This is precisely why every project begins with a feasibility testing phase.

Internal Defects

Depending on the material and application, X-rays can also reveal cracks, inclusions, porosity, material shortages, assembly defects, delamination, etc.

For fine defects, sorting reliability also depends on the quality of the defect library developed jointly with the customer beforehand. The more complete the database of known defects, the more reliable the sorting process becomes

Every project begins with preliminary trials to confirm defect detectability and ensure reliable inspection results.

identification défauts tri radio. pictogramme œil.

Need to Identify a Defect Quickly or Secure a Production Batch?

Our Inspections Service Team helps you evaluate project feasibility, define the most appropriate inspection strategy, and deploy a radiographic sorting campaign within the shortest possible timeframe.

Request a Free Feasibility Study

What Volumes Can Be Processed?

This is one of the first questions prospects ask. The answer depends on part size, weight, and the machine being used.

The EasyTom XL is the RX Solutions system capable of processing the largest volume of parts in a single inspection cycle.

Two practical limitations should be considered:

Part Weight: Loading and unloading remain manual operations. Processing 40-kg samples is possible but represents a significant workload for operators and should therefore be anticipated during project planning.

Actual Inspection Throughput : Inspection speed is validated during the testing phase. To date, real-world throughput achieved by RX Solutions has consistently matched the initial estimation provided to customers

Cyril de l'équipe Prestation installe un support d'échantillons dans un tomographe chez RX Solutions

How Does an X-ray screening service work at RX Solutions?

1. Needs Assessment

Our specialists discuss the project with your teams to understand the context, target defect, and level of urgency. You provide both defective samples and a compliant reference sample.

2. Feasibility Testing

Testing is carried out on-site and enables us to:

Create reference images (defect present / defect absent)
Calibrate the machine and detection parameters
Design dedicated sample holders
Determine actual inspection throughput
Establish reliable pricing and throughput estimates

Once approved, the inspection campaign can start immediately.

3. Campaign Preparation

Sample holders, traceability systems, material flow, and workstation organization are customized for the project. An ergonomic workstation is installed next to the machine, including an additional station for real-time sorting when required.

4. Sorting Operations

Sorting can be carried out either by your operators or by RX Solutions personnel. The ideal setup is one person loading the machine while another analyzes the images.

Radiographic sorting is fundamentally an image comparison process. No tomography expertise is required: operators without prior technical training can perform the sorting once the system has been calibrated by our teams. Initial training is provided, and ongoing support is available throughout the project. Our offices are located directly next to the inspection room. If confidentiality is essential, the inspection room can be fully privatized.

The only aspect that truly requires product expertise is the go/no-go decision. Depending on the complexity of the defect, it is often preferable for your product specialists to make the final compliance decision. RX Solutions provides support without replacing your expertise when defect interpretation requires specific product knowledge.

If needed, each product can be linked to its radiographic image, ensuring full traceability and enabling deferred sorting decisions.

5. Results Delivery

Images are analyzed in real time throughout the sorting operation. By the end of the day, you know the status of your batch and can make immediate decisions. All radiographs are delivered at the end of the project, regardless of the sorting methodology used.

Size your X-ray screening campaign with RX Solutions

An Urgent Project and No Machine Availability?

We evaluate the urgency level of each request and adapt machine scheduling accordingly. For long-term projects, machine availability can be guaranteed over several weeks (for example, two days per week), allowing operators to split their time between production activities and sorting operations.

For more demanding projects, several consecutive machine days can be booked when necessary.

Salle machines pour la prestation tri radiographique rayon X. Locaux RX Solutions industriels

Why Do Manufacturers Choose RX Solutions?

Responsiveness: Fast support for critical situations, feasibility tests within 48 hours, machine scheduling adapted to project urgency, and results available the same day.

X-ray Expertise: More than 20 years of experience in radiographic and CT imaging.

Tailored Solutions: Custom tooling, traceability, throughput, and organization adapted to each project.

Reliable Results: Immediately actionable data, with real production times matching initial estimates.

CT scan of a jar

CT scan of the jar showing the exact position of the nut

Jar under X-ray inspection

CT scan of a jar

CT scan of the jar showing the exact position of the nut

Jar under X-ray inspection

Radiographic Sorting vs Industrial CT: Which Technology Should You Choose?

Both technologies rely on X-rays, but they serve different purposes.

Criteria	Radiographic Sorting	Industrial CT
Objective	Detect the presence or absence of obvious defects on large quantities of parts	Analyze the complete internal geometry of a part in 3D
Result	2D image, go/no-go decision	Full 3D dataset (measurements, CAD comparison, quantified porosity)
Throughput	Ideal for large batches and high volumes	Ideal for detailed analysis of a smaller number of parts
Speed	Fast, high throughput, real-time results	Depends on selected resolution, detailed analysis
Typical Applications	Foreign-object detection, batch sorting, urgent quality control	R&D, dimensional inspection, defect characterization, expert investigation

In summary: if you need to sort a production batch quickly following a quality concern or non-conformity, radiographic sorting is the fastest and most cost-effective solution.

If you need to understand precisely the nature, position, or size of an internal defect, or validate a complex geometry, industrial CT provides a much higher level of detail. Tomography applications: material analysis.

In many projects, the two technologies complement each other: radiographic sorting quickly isolates suspect parts, while CT analysis enables detailed defect characterization on the identified samples.

FAQ

Do X-rays damage products?

No. X-ray inspection does not alter the inspected products.

Are food or cosmetic products contaminated by X-rays?

No. X-rays pass through materials without creating contamination, and products do not need to be opened for inspection.

Can packaged products be inspected?

Yes. In most cases, packaging remains intact, even through multiple layers of packaging.

Can several thousand parts be inspected?

Yes, once throughput has been validated during preliminary trials. For example, dozens of parts can be processed in a single loading cycle on our EasyTom XL.

What size and weight limits apply?

The part must physically fit inside the machine. Since loading remains manual, sample weight must be considered in accordance with handling regulations. RX Solutions designs the workstation to move loads rather than requiring operators to carry them.

Who performs the sorting?

Either your operators or RX Solutions personnel. When customers perform the sorting themselves, our teams remain available for support throughout the project.

Who decides whether a part is compliant?

Your operators or our teams. If RX Solutions performs the sorting, decisions are based on validated reference images approved beforehand by the customer.

Are results available quickly?

Yes. Images are analyzed in real time, and results are known during or immediately after the inspection campaign, on the same day.

My project is urgent. Can you respond quickly?

Yes. Each request is evaluated individually to find the most appropriate scheduling solution. Machine allocations can be distributed over several weeks if required.

Who handles repackaging and return shipment?

RX Solutions receives and stores your pallets. Unpacking, sorting, and repackaging can be carried out either by your team or ours. Return shipping remains the customer's responsibility.

Can our operators come on site?

Yes. A dedicated workstation is provided, initial training is included, and support is available throughout the project. If confidentiality is required, the inspection room can be privatized. A break room is also available. Customers staying for several days may even enjoy the surroundings of Lake Annecy and the Alps.

Talk to an RX Solutions Expert