Spider Mover - universal positioning unit for industrial computed tomography

The Fraunhofer Application Center for CT in Metrology (CTMT) in Deggendorf has developed the Spider-Mover, a universal positioning unit for industrial computed tomography used to center the test specimen on the axis of rotation of the tomography scanner after it has been mounted.

 

Its special feature is that it is driven entirely by the existing axes of the device. In this way, measurement objects can be aligned in three degrees of freedom. As the component length to be transilluminated can affect the image quality of the CT measurements, a tilting mechanism is also available. Now users can correct the component position on the axis of rotation from the outside without having to remove the test specimen from the tomography scanner, resulting in greater efficiency of the working process.

Scalability and portability were emphasized in development. In this regard, a fully mechanical positioning unit was designed, which is driven by the existing axes in the tomography scanner. As an electrical connection is not necessary, retrofitting an existing CT requires only that the manipulator be flange-mounted onto the axis of rotation. Software control is used to move the test specimen automatically according to specifications.