A method of inspecting a structure during additive manufacturing of the structure and additive manufacturing systems are presented. An additive manufacturing system comprises additive manufacturing equipment comprising a casing and an additive manufacturing head configured to form a plurality of layers of a structure within the casing; and an x-ray backscatter imaging system configured to send an x-ray beam into a structure formed within the additive manufacturing equipment and detect scattered x-rays for imaging and analysis of the structure during fabrication.

In one embodiment, an X-ray inspection system may access a first set of X-ray images of one or more first samples that are labeled as being non-conforming. The system may adjust a classification algorithm based on the first set of X-ray images. The classification algorithm may classify samples into conforming or non-conforming categories based on an analysis of corresponding X-ray images. The system may analyze a second set of X-ray images of a number of second samples using the adjusted classification algorithm. The second samples may be previously inspected samples that have been classified as conforming by the classification algorithm during a previous analysis before the classification algorithm is adjusted. The system may identify one or more of the second samples from the second set of X-ray images. Each identified second sample may be classified as non-conforming by the adjusted classification algorithm.

In one embodiment, a computing system may access design data of a printed circuit board to be produced by a manufacturing process. The system may determine one or more corrections for the design data of the printed circuit board based on one or more correction rules for correcting one or more parameters associated with the printed circuit board. The system may automatically adjust one or more of the parameters associated with the design data of the printed circuit board based on the one or more corrections. The adjusted parameters may be associated with an impedance of the printed circuit board. The one or more corrections may cause the impendence of the printed circuit board to be independent from layer thickness variations of the printed circuit board to be produced by the manufacturing process.

Method for detecting at least one critical defect in a ceramic rolling element providing the steps of capturing a plurality of two-dimensional digital radiographic images of the ceramic rolling element; digitally filtering each radiographic image; delineating, on the basis of the filtered image, at least one region liable to comprise the critical defect; constructing stereoscopically a virtual model of the ceramic rolling element having the region; comparing the dimensions of the delineated region with a plurality of predetermined threshold values, and, when the dimensions are greater than the threshold values, generating an alarm signal.

An inspection device includes a ray source that irradiates an object to be inspected with energy rays, a detection unit that detects energy rays that have passed through the object to be inspected, a displacement mechanism that sets a relative position of the object to be inspected and the ray source by displacing at least one of the object to be inspected and the ray source in relation to the other, an internal image generation unit that generates an internal image of the object to be inspected based on a detection amount distribution of the energy rays detected by the detection unit, and a control unit that controls the displacement mechanism based on the detection amount distribution of the energy rays detected by the detection unit.

In one embodiment, an X-ray inspection system may nondestructively inspect a printed circuit board to measure a number of dimensions at a number of pre-determined locations of the printed circuit board. The X-ray inspection system may generate a data set for the printed circuit board based on the measured dimensions. The X-ray inspection system may calculate one or more drilling values based on the data set of the printed circuit board. The X-ray inspection system may provide, to a drilling machine, instructions for drilling a number of plated-through vias based on the calculated drilling values for the printed circuit board.

In one embodiment, an automated high-speed X-ray inspection system may generate a first X-ray image of an inspected sample at a first direction substantially orthogonal to a plane of the inspected sample. The first X-ray image may be a high-resolution grayscale image. The system may identify one or more elements of interest of the inspected sample based on the first X-ray image. The first X-ray image may include interfering elements that interfere with the one or more elements of interest in the first X-ray image. The system may determine one or more first features associated with respective elements of interest based on variations of grayscale values in the first X-ray images. The system may determine whether one or more defects are associated with the respective elements of interest based on the one or more first features associated with the element of interest.

Described is a computer-implemented method for monitoring the status of a device for investigating objects, wherein the investigation of an object involves determining measurement data by measuring the object and operating data of the device is determined during the investigation of the object. The method includes: determining measurement data of the object by means of the device; determining operating data of the device during the determining measurement data of the object; determining at least one quality parameter from the measurement data; analysing the operating data and the at least one quality parameter; and determining a status characteristic value based on the analysing in order to monitor the status of the device, wherein the status characteristic value indicates a status of the device. The computer-implemented method comparatively easily monitors the functionality of devices for investigating objects during adaptive measurements.

A defect inspection device is provided with an illumination optical system that irradiates light or an electron beam onto a sample, a detector that detects a signal obtained from the sample through the irradiation of the light or electron beam, a defect detection unit that detects a defect candidate on the sample through the comparison of a signal output by the detector and a prescribed threshold, and a display unit that displays a setting screen for setting the threshold. The setting screen is a two-dimensional distribution map that represents the distribution of the defect candidates in a three dimensional feature space having three features as the axes thereof and includes the axes of the three features and the threshold, which is represented in one dimension.

There is described a method for inspecting a structure across a cover layer covering the structure. The method generally has emitting a high energy photon beam along a photon path extending across said cover layer and leading to a target point within said structure, resulting in scattering along at least first and second scatter paths originating from said target point and extending across said cover layer and away therefrom, said first and second scatter paths forming a respective angle relative to said cover layer and defining an inspection plane comprising at least the target point; simultaneously detecting a first scatter signal incoming from said first scatter path and detecting a second scatter signal incoming from said second scatter path, and generating first and second values indicative therefrom; comparing said first and second values to one another; and inspecting said structure based on said comparing.