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The potential of 4D inspection

by Verona on 21 Jun 2021 at 11h58

What we call 4Dor fourth dimension is essentially the same as the 3D with the addition of time dimension. Thanks to this new technology, an object is united into a whole in space and time. This means that for the first time in the X-ray CT industry, this innovative technology allows users to examine structure, shape, and function all at the same time.

 
 

What is exactly 4D Inspection?

 
Continuous 3D Computed Tomography reconstructions are obtained and shaped into a single 4D CT model to complete 4D CT. 
 
This concept has emerged in Computed Tomography because of its elaborate understanding of your parts at all stages of a product life cycle. With a 4D CT system you will be able to inspect how, where, why & when a sample you’re scanning has defects.
 
In 3D CT, you can get an insight into external and internal features & structures of your part. However, with the reconstruction of your sample in 4D, the volume of your data will be dynamic by adding time dimension to space one.
 
 
Image: dandelion growing flower in 4D  

Added benefits of motion over time in 4D CT

 
As it is much the same principle as 3D CT but with the added benefits of motion over time, 4D inspection is perfect to capture parts’ reactions for example for assemblies – to see how parts react together instantly after contact, batteries – to detect when degradation takes time, failure analysis, mechanical motion and so on… It's crucial to note that 4D CT is best successful in small, low-density objects for the time being.
 
For in situ testing applications like compression and related operations, 4D CT inspection is a thorough solution. This technology also makes it possible to assess the impacts of temperature or chemicals on an object over time, such as hydrodynamic flow. 
 
 

Following the evolution of a dandelion flower in 4D CT 

 
This scanning project is made of multiple sequences of tomographies to follow the evolution of a dandelion flower growing during time on 250 tomographies of 40 seconds each. The main advantage here is that the scanning process is completely automated, from the acquisition step to the reconstruction. 
 
 
dandelion flower dandelion flower
 dandelion flower




 
The solutions used for this scan: EasyTom for the scan, X-Act software suite for the acquisition & reconstruction, and VG Studio Max for the post-processing step.
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