In the field of aerospace, X-ray CT is used to test samples ranging in size from millimeters to meters, including electronic package chips, various electronic components, PCB, motors, solid propellant, initiating explosive devices, castings, weldments, 3D printed parts, turbine blades, wings, shells, tubular parts, plate parts, etc. The materials involved range from lightweight carbon fiber composite materials to higher density ceramics, aluminum alloys, metals like iron and copper, nickel-based superalloys, etc.
These parts usually have defects such as pores, cracks, inclusions, and foreign bodies, as well as problems such as poor internal assembly and processing size deviations, which may cause parts to fail and affect the safety of aerospace vehicles. X-ray CT can test these defects and problems in a non-destructive, and is successfully applied to quality control to ensure safety and reliability.
The CT scanning technology under in-situ loading makes it possible to monitor the sample in situ close to the actual service environment. It is possible to discover the changes in the internal structure of the sample over time under different tension, pressure, fatigue, temperature and other environments (4D CT) to get an internal structure closer to the actual environment.