Development of Low-Cost Industrial Mini-CT Scan System

To address the need for an affordable but high-performance nondestructive testing system for manufacturing industry, PRTDRAN (the Research Center for Radiation Detection and Nuclear Analysis Technology) is developing an X-ray based CT scan system. The CT system under development consists of an X-ray generator, a radioscopy box, and a turntable for the sample. It was built for USD 33,100. The thickest material the CT system can examine is 8 mm for steel and 8 cm for aluminium. The radioscopy box used is based on the principles followed in IAEA Radiation Technology Reports No. 2, but with significant modifications. The camera resolution is 20 megapixels, while an image detector of up to 30 cm × 30 cm size can be accommodated. The position of the camera is adjustable, allowing for the precision needed for use in a CT scanner. The radioscopy box weighs just 30 kg. The CT scanner is housed in a 220 cm × 140 cm × 180 cm housing made of a lead and stainless steel plates. The operation of the system is controlled from a computer in a separate control room, to further improve user safety. Through testing, the system has been found to perform CT imaging and reconstruction well, with pre-reconstruction interpolated basic spatial resolution iSRb of 0.234 mm, while the radiation exposure outside the system did not exceed 0.6 µSv/h at 1 m from the housing. It is expected that the nondestructive examination capability provided by the system will be affordable even for smaller companies.