University of NottinghamResearchGroupsAdvanced Manufacturing Technology Research GroupResearchManufacturing Metrology TeamOur researchVerifying XCT measurement of additive manufacturing parts

Student: Adam Thompson

Supervisors: Richard Leach, Ian Maskery

Funding: Additive Manufacturing Centre for Doctoral Training 

Sponsor: 3T RPD

This project focuses on the validation of x-ray computed tomography (XCT) for the purposes of metrology for additively manufactured components. XCT is widely used in medical applications for volumetric scanning, but recent work is beginning to integrate the technology into the industrial setting as a precision measurement tool. Additive manufacture is capable of producing complex internal geometries that are not measurable using traditional metrological techniques, and the volumetric scanning offered by XCT proposes a potential method of successful measurement of these geometries. Adam's PhD project will entail a number of research topics, focused around the validation of x-ray computed tomography (XCT) for the purposes of internal surface metrology for metal additively manufactured components. XCT is widely used in medical applications for volumetric scanning, but recent work is beginning to integrate the technology into the industrial setting as a precision measurement tool. Additive manufacture is capable of producing complex internal geometries that are not measurable using traditional metrological techniques, and the volumetric scanning offered by XCT proposes a potential method of successful measurement of these geometries. This PhD project will involve development of a method of internal surface texture measurement by XCT, through the production and measurement of appropriate test artefacts, produced using AM of metals. Metal AM surfaces will be rigorously characterised and the developed method of XCT texture measurement will be validated in comparison to traditional surface texture measurements. Industrially representative test cases will then be explored in order to validate XCT internal texture measurement for the relevant industries. The final stages of the project will examine the major sources of uncertainties in relation to XCT surface texture measurement.”