CT Solution Guide - Additive Manufacturing

This Solution Guide is written for engineers working in additive manufacturing (AM) who want better ways to understand their parts, diagnose issues, and improve designs. You do not need prior experience with X-ray microscopy or computed tomography (CT) to get value from it. The examples and workflows are designed to demonstrate how CT helps address practical AM issues, such as porosity, lack of fusion, lattice deviations, and other feature-level challenges that are difficult to detect with surface inspections alone.

It may also be useful for CT specialists who want a clearer view of where their tools add value in AM applications.

Throughout the guide, you will learn the following through examples:

• Where CT-based quality control is useful for additive manufacturing
• What can typically be inspected and analyzed using CT
• The benefits of using CT for product improvement
• The best ways to use CT as a non-destructive tool
• The potential for advanced 3D quantification

X-ray CT is known by many names, including X-ray tomography, microtomography, micro-CT, nano-CT, laboratory CT, industrial CT, synchrotron CT, X-ray microscopy (XRM), and 3D X-ray imaging, among others. These terms describe variations of the same underlying technology, reflecting its wide range of variations and applications. That versatility can also lead to misunderstanding or incorrect use of the technique, especially in AM, where part geometry, material density, and build variability all affect image quality and interpretation. This guide aims to simplify the above-mentioned complexity. It is a practical, non-technical reference that shows when CT helps, what it can realistically reveal, and how to use it effectively for AM parts.