Hi Explorer! The recording of Ted's webinar on additive manufacturing (AM) research and processes is ready. New application note, list of free CT software, and more.
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?"
(⇓ Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)
If we skipped from September to November, no one would notice it in Texas because our summer runs from March to early November. We are well into November now; it is finally cooling down just a bit.
As we plan our webinars for 2025, we'd love to hear what topics you want us to cover or anything we think we can do to improve our webinars. It would mean a lot if you could take this short survey and let us know your thoughts.
The void volume percentage is an important characteristic that needs to be checked to ensure the quality and reliability of MOSFET connections and solder voids. It is commonly done using 2D radiography because it is easy and fast.
However, 2D inspection lacks the depth dimension and might under or overestimate the void percentage. 3D inspection using CT allows separating overlapping features and quantifying individual void volume. Quality control might be done by 2D inspection, but CT can be useful when you need a more detailed analysis for failure analysis or to answer research and development questions.
You can see how to apply CT analysis to characterize a battery protection board in Angela's latest application note.
One of the questions I get often is, "Is there any free software I can use to analyze CT data?" I listed some I'd recommend in a blog article. Here is a more comprehensive and updated list:
3D Slicer 3D Slicer can display and analyze CT images in 2D, 3D, and 4D. It offers advanced tools for segmentation, registration, and quantification. Fully extensible in Python and C++, it includes a Python console and Jupyter notebook integration for seamless method development. Here is an excellent overview and use case of 3D Slicer by Prof. Peter L. Falkingham: Free software for CT segmentation (2019)
Tomviz Tomviz is arguably the most comprehensive free CT software tool. It can run reconstruction, process, analyze, and visualize 3D tomographic data. It is optimized for handling large datasets, and you can open and process large CT data files relatively fast. It also provides a wide variety of rendering options. You can use the built-in Python tools for custom algorithms. You can see a quick demo here: https://vimeo.com/274512715
ImageJ ImageJ is a public domain widely used for scientific image analysis. It supports various image formats and offers tools for measuring, enhancing, and visualizing 2D, 3D, and 4D data. ImageJ is highly extensible, with numerous plugins and macros available for specialized image analysis in fields like biology, materials science, and medical imaging, though many focus on 2D image analysis.
Dragonfly 3D World (Non-commercial license) Dragonfly 3D World is a powerful commercial software platform for 2D, 3D, and 4D visualization and scientific and industrial image data analysis. It supports segmentation and image processing using machine learning and deep learning, making it ideal for materials science, life sciences, and engineering applications. It is known for its user-friendly interface but also allows users to customize their workflows through Python scripting. A free license is available for non-commercial users. (Visit the Dragonfly website to see the definition of the non-commercial license.)
myVGL The image processing and analyses need to be performed using the commercial version of Volume Graphics software. Then, myVGL allows anyone without paid licenses to inspect and explore high-resolution CT scans or the results of segmentation, quantitative, and dimensional analyses. It is a user-friendly solution for sharing and reviewing CT data created with other commercial Volume Graphics software.
Real Scientists, Not Actors
A collection of priceless and embarrassing moments curated by Carlos Astudillo.
Answer: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Canadian author published as L. M. Montgomery, November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?"
(Anne of Green Gables)
That's a wrap. Please let us know how we can help you learn more about X-ray CT. We love to hear from you!
