Operating Manual

Fig. 5: Nom. /act. comparison and evaluation of three dimensional parameters on a scanned cylinder head.
6. Fully Automated Data Acquisition and Volume Processing
With GE’s advanced phoenix datos|x CT software, the entire CT chain described above can be
fully automated. The software offers fully automated data acquisition and volume processing,
so that high resolution, precision metrology and failure analysis tasks can now be performed
with minimal operator training within a dramatically reduced required operator time. The click
& measure|CT functionality minimizes the operator time and influence, while highly
increasing the repeatability and reproducibility of CT results. Once the appropriate setup for a
part is programmed, the whole scan and reconstruction process as well as 3D failure analysis
or 3D metrology evaluations like generation of first article inspection reports can be executed
automatically.
The click & measure|CT functionality of the new software allows users to display and analyze
the 3D results on the screen in just three steps: fix the work piece, start the scan, check the
results. Therefore, the skill requirements for the operator are dramatically reduced, while the
required operator time to run a CT analysis is decreased by a factor up to 5 compared to the
previous software version. This saves costs and highly increases the repeatability and
reproducibility of CT results by minimizing the operator influence. Once the appropriate setup
is programmed, the whole scan and reconstruction process including volume optimization
features or surface extraction runs without any operator interaction. Furthermore, 3D failure
analysis or metrology tasks performed with third party programs can be executed
automatically. Since the entire process of the CT data acquisition over the volume
reconstruction to implementation of the measurement runs completely automatically, it is now
possible to conduct the first article inspection of a complex component in less than 60 minutes.
7. Substantiation of CT Measurement Accuracy
To substantiate the measurement accuracy of the phoenix|x-ray computed tomographs of GE
Measurement & Control, and therefore their suitability for use as 3D coordinate measuring
machines, a valve block made from aircraft aluminium with an edge length of 130 mm was
subjected to a CT scan at Continental AG in Frankfurt followed by a reference measurement
using high-precision tactile 3D coordinate measurement technology. GE’s phoenix v|tome|x
computed tomograph was used for the CT scan and a Hexagon Metrology Leitz 3D PMM
8.6.6 coordinate measuring machine for the reference measurement.
Table 1 contains extracts from the specimen inspection report and demonstrates the excellent
concordance between both the KMM and CT measurement methods: The proven diameter and