In 1972, British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield of EMI Laboratories and South African physicist Allan Cormack of Tufts University created CT technology. Later awarded the Nobel Prize for their efforts, Hounsfield and Cormack did more than you’d know to change the world we live in. CT scanning equipment is obviously used to monitor our bodies, along with x-ray inspection. Each year in fact, our methods through which we keep track of our health advance — but the thing is that they aren’t simply used to check for broken bones or abnormalities. CT scanning services are now employed to keep track of security in ways you can’t imagine. But really, it makes sense: who better to detect everything from smuggled goods to security threats than 3D scanning companies and x-ray inspection services?

Scanning Before Versus Now

Let’s go back to the roots of these various scanning services. It’s true that originally they were meant for medical purposes. Installed between 1974 and 1976, the original CT scanning services were meant for the head only. However, the quickly developed to include whole body systems, with larger patient openings becoming available in 1976. They were available worldwide by 1980, with 6,000 scanners installed in the U.S. alone, and 30,000 worldwide. X-rays existed before CT scanning, of course, and advancements made by 3D scanning companies have moved forward nearly as quickly as CT scanning technology. It’s no wonder that the technology once used to look within our bodies is now being used to detect errors and maintain security. So how do they now work on an industrial level?

What Is The Purpose Of Industrial Scanning?

Industrial scanning services may be confusing at first — why do we need them, and what do we use them for? The answers are varied. As we mentioned before, industrial CT scanning technology is in particular progressing quickly. Once upon a time, a few single CT slices would take hours to generate. Now, 3D models can be constructed with billions of voxels in a matter of seconds. 3D scanning companies are looking into using this kind of technology for reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, metrology, and much more. This kind of technology has already been used in places ranging from airports to secure facilities to ensure total security.

What Can These Scanning Services Scan?

But what are the abilities and limitations of industrial scanning services? You’d be surprised by the range of options. Part size, for example, is no major issue. Parts as large as 660 millimeters in diameter by one meter in length to as small as .5 millimeters can be digitally x-rayed. Nor do you need to worry about speed, as x-rays can be taken at speeds of 30 frames per second. The fact is that the more this technology grows, the higher its scanning capability will be. Industrial scanning services are the way of the future — so we might as well get on board.