Measurement processing device, x-ray inspection device, measurement processing method, measurement processing program, and structure manufacturing method

Abstract

A measurement processing device for measuring an object to be measured using X-rays, the measurement processing device being provided with: a region information acquisition unit for acquiring region information of a partial region of the object to be measured on the basis of X-rays that have passed through the partial region; and a determination unit that determines the region information of the partial region and original region information of the object to be measured, the object to be measured including a region to be inspected.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on March 3, 2015, with application number 201580077303.6, entitled "Measuring and Processing Device, X-ray Inspection Device, Measuring and Processing Method, Measuring and Processing Procedure and Manufacturing Method of Structure". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a measurement processing device, an X-ray inspection device, a measurement processing method, a measurement processing procedure, and a method for manufacturing a structure. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, the following techniques are known: using X-ray measuring devices for non-destructive internal inspection to compare the measured object with the designed three-dimensional data, and to evaluate the wall thickness and internal defects of the measured object (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0004] Previous technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013-0083896 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0008] When measuring multiple objects manufactured under the same conditions, and using an X-ray measuring device to measure only a portion of the objects instead of the entirety, it is necessary to measure the same area for each of the multiple objects. However, for example, when the object is a casting, unevenness in shape may occur due to shrinkage during solidification of the molten metal and wear of the mold. Furthermore, the surface of the casting may have irregularities before machining. For these reasons, the height and tilt of each object may differ, thus creating the problem that the same area cannot be measured for each of the multiple objects. This problem becomes particularly pronounced when the mounting surface contacts the mounting part.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] (1) According to a first aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a region information acquisition unit that acquires first region information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of a first measured object, i.e., a first region; a storage unit that stores second region information that is larger than the first region and relates to a second region of a second measured object; and a determination unit that, based on the first region information and the second region information, determines whether a region corresponding to the first region is included in the second region.

[0011] (2) According to a second aspect of the invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the first aspect, the first region has a set thickness including a set cross section of the first measured object, and the second region has a thickness greater than that of the first region.

[0012] (3) According to a third aspect of the invention, in the measurement processing apparatus of the second aspect, it is preferred that the first measured object and the second measured object have the same structure, and the second region information is information based on design data representing the structure of the second measured object.

[0013] (4) According to a fourth aspect of the invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the second aspect, the first measured object and the second measured object have the same structure, and the second region information is based on X-rays transmitted through the second region of the second measured object.

[0014] (5) According to the fifth aspect of the invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the second aspect, the first measured object and the second measured object have the same structure, and the second region information is measurement information of at least a portion of the second region of the second measured object measured by a measurement and inspection apparatus other than an X-ray inspection apparatus.

[0015] (6) According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, preferably, the measurement processing apparatus of the second aspect further includes a determination unit, wherein the second region information includes inspection object region information related to the inspection object region of the first measured object, and the determination unit determines whether the first region information corresponds to the inspection object region information based on the first region information and the second region information.

[0016] (7) According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, preferably, the measurement processing apparatus of the sixth aspect further includes: an evaluation unit that evaluates the state of the first region based on the first region information if the determination unit determines that the first region information corresponds to the inspection target region information; and a position difference calculation unit that calculates the position difference between the first region and the inspection target region based on the first region information and the second region information if the determination unit determines that the first region information does not correspond to the inspection target region information.

[0017] (8) According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a storage unit that stores information on a set area that includes an inspection target area of ​​a measured object and corresponds to a set area that is larger than the inspection target area; a region information acquisition unit that acquires region information related to a set area based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object; and a determination unit that determines whether a set area corresponds to an inspection target area based on the region information and the set area information.

[0018] (9) According to the ninth aspect of the invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the eighth aspect, the setting area information is information based on design data representing the structure of the object being measured.

[0019] (10) According to the tenth aspect of the invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the eighth aspect, the set area information is based on X-rays transmitted through the set area of ​​the measured object.

[0020] (11) According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the eighth aspect, the set area information is measurement information of a measurement inspection device other than an X-ray inspection device measuring at least a portion of the set area of ​​the object to be measured.

[0021] (12) According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, preferably, the measurement processing apparatus of the eighth aspect further includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the state of the partial area based on the area information if the judgment unit determines that a partial area corresponds to the inspection target area; and a position difference calculation unit that calculates the position difference between the partial area and the inspection target area based on the area information and the set area information if the judgment unit determines that a partial area does not correspond to the inspection target area.

[0022] (13) According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a region information acquisition unit that acquires region information related to a portion of a measured object based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object; a standard information storage unit that stores standard information related to a portion of the measured object; and a position determination unit that determines the position of a portion of the measured object based on the region information and the standard information.

[0023] (14) According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, an X-ray inspection apparatus is provided, comprising a measurement processing device of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, an X-ray source for irradiating an object to be measured with X-rays, and a detection unit for detecting X-rays transmitted through the object to be measured.

[0024] (15) According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the X-ray inspection apparatus includes a measurement processing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, an X-ray source for irradiating an object to be measured with X-rays, and a detection unit for detecting X-rays transmitted through the object to be measured, wherein the first and second regions are different in size in a direction orthogonal to the region enclosed by the luminous point of the X-ray source and the center of the detection unit.

[0025] (16) According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the X-ray inspection apparatus includes: a measurement processing device of the seventh aspect, an X-ray source for irradiating a first object to be measured with X-rays, a detection unit for detecting X-rays transmitted through the first object to be measured, and a positional relationship changing unit for changing the positional relationship between the X-ray source or the detection unit and the first object to be measured, wherein the first region information is information based on the detection result of the detection unit, and the positional relationship changing unit changes the positional relationship in such a way that if the determination unit determines that the first region information does not correspond to the inspection object region information, the detection unit detects X-rays transmitted through the inspection object region based on the position difference calculated by the position difference calculation unit.

[0026] (17) According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the X-ray inspection apparatus includes: a measurement processing device according to the twelfth aspect, an X-ray source for irradiating an object to be measured with X-rays, a detection unit for detecting X-rays transmitted through the object to be measured, and a positional relationship changing unit for changing the positional relationship between the X-ray source or the detection unit and the object to be measured, wherein the area information is information based on the detection result of the detection unit, and the positional relationship changing unit changes the positional relationship in such a way that if the determination unit determines that a portion of the area does not correspond to the area to be inspected, the detection unit detects X-rays transmitted through the area to be inspected based on the positional difference calculated by the positional difference calculation unit.

[0027] (18) According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a storage unit that stores information on a set area corresponding to an inspection target area of ​​a measured object and a set area larger than the inspection target area; a first area information acquisition unit that acquires first area information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object, i.e., a first area; and a specifying unit that specifies an area corresponding to the inspection target area in the first area based on the first area information and the set area information.

[0028] (19) According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a storage unit for storing information about an inspection target area including a measured object and corresponding to a set area larger than the inspection target area; a first area information acquisition unit for acquiring first area information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object, i.e., a first area; a first determination unit for determining, based on the first area information and the set area information, whether the first area information includes inspection target area information related to the inspection target area; a second area information acquisition unit for acquiring second area information based on X-rays transmitted through a second area including the first area and larger than the first area, if the first determination unit determines that the first area information does not include inspection target area information; and an extraction unit for extracting inspection target area information from the second area information.

[0029] (20) According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, an X-ray inspection apparatus includes: a measurement processing device according to the seventh aspect; an X-ray source for irradiating a first object to be measured with X-rays; a detection unit for detecting X-rays that transmit through the first object to be measured; a detection range setting unit for setting a detection range for detecting X-rays that transmit through the first object to be measured by the detection unit; a region information acquisition unit for acquiring first region information based on the X-rays that transmit through the first object to be measured detected by the detection unit; and a detection range setting unit for setting a new detection range including the region of the object to be measured based on the position difference calculated by the position difference calculation unit if the determination unit determines that the first region information does not correspond to the region information of the object to be inspected.

[0030] (21) According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, the measurement processing method obtains first region information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of a first measurand, i.e., a first region, and determines whether a region corresponding to the first region is included in the second region based on second region information related to a second region of a second measurand that is larger than the first region and the first region information.

[0031] (22) According to the twenty-second aspect of the present invention, the measurement processing method obtains first region information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object, i.e., a first region, and determines whether the first region corresponds to the measured object region based on the set region information, which includes the inspected object region and corresponds to a set region larger than the inspected object region, and the first region information.

[0032] (23) According to the twenty-third aspect of the invention, the measurement processing method obtains region information related to a portion of the measured object based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object, and obtains the location of a portion of the measured object based on standard information and region information for the location of a portion of the measured object.

[0033] (24) According to the twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, the measurement processing program causes a computer to perform the following processes: a region information acquisition process to obtain first region information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the first measurand, i.e., a first region; and a determination process to determine, based on the second region information relating to a second region of a second measurand that is larger than the first region and the first region information, whether the region corresponding to the first region is included in the second region.

[0034] (25) According to the twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, the measurement processing program causes a computer to perform the following processing: a first region information acquisition processing to acquire first region information based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object, i.e., the first region; and a determination processing to determine whether the first region corresponds to the measured object region based on the set region information, which includes the inspection object region of the measured object and corresponds to a set region larger than the inspection object region, and the first region information.

[0035] (26) According to the twenty-sixth aspect of the invention, the measurement processing program causes a computer to perform the following processes: a region information acquisition process, which acquires region information related to a portion of the measured object based on X-rays transmitted through a portion of the measured object; and a specific process, which determines the location of a portion of the measured object based on standard information and region information for the location of a portion of the measured object.

[0036] (27) According to the twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a structure includes: establishing design information related to the shape of the structure; manufacturing the structure based on the design information; measuring the shape of the manufactured structure and obtaining shape information using a measurement processing device of any one of the first to fourteenth aspects or an X-ray inspection device of the sixteenth aspect; and comparing the obtained shape information with the design information.

[0037] (28) According to the twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, a measurement processing apparatus is provided for an X-ray inspection apparatus, comprising: a region information acquisition unit that detects X-rays that transmit through a portion of a first measured object and acquires first region information related to the first region; a tilt detection unit that detects the tilt of the first measured object when the first region information is acquired; and a comparison unit that compares the tilt of the first measured object detected by the tilt detection unit with a standard tilt.

[0038] (29) According to the twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the twenty-eighth aspect, the area information acquisition unit detects X-rays transmitted through a portion of the second measured object and acquires second area information related to the second area, the tilt detection unit detects the tilt of the second measured object when the second area information is acquired, and the comparison unit compares the tilt of the first measured object and the tilt of the second measured object detected by the tilt detection unit.

[0039] (30) According to the thirtieth aspect of the present invention, preferably, in the measurement processing apparatus of the twenty-eighth aspect, the tilt detection unit detects the tilt of the first measured object when the first region information is obtained based on the first region information.

[0040] Invention Effects

[0041] An object of the present invention is to provide a measurement processing apparatus, an X-ray inspection apparatus, a measurement processing method, a measurement processing procedure, and a method for manufacturing a structure capable of suppressing detection defects. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the inspection and processing device.

[0044] Figure 3 It is a diagram that schematically represents the measurand used to illustrate the master data.

[0045] Figure 4 It is a diagram representing the area of ​​master data.

[0046] Figure 5 It is a diagram representing the area of ​​master data.

[0047] Figure 6 (a) is a conceptual diagram representing the relationship between the cutting plane and the reconstructed image, and (b) is a conceptual diagram representing the reconstructed image of the cutting plane.

[0048] Figure 7 (a) is a conceptual diagram representing the relationship between the cutting plane and the reconstructed image, and (b) is a conceptual diagram representing the reconstructed image of the cutting plane.

[0049] Figure 8 (a) is a conceptual diagram representing the relationship between the cutting plane and the reconstructed image, and (b) is a conceptual diagram representing the reconstructed image of the cutting plane.

[0050] Figure 9 (a) is a conceptual diagram representing the relationship between the cutting plane and the reconstructed image, and (b) is a conceptual diagram representing the reconstructed image of the cutting plane.

[0051] Figure 10 It is a conceptual diagram representing the reconstructed images corresponding to different cutting planes.

[0052] Figure 11 (a) is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation area set when inspecting the cylinder block of an engine as the measured object, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the surface standard.

[0053] Figure 12 (a) to (e) are schematic diagrams showing reconstructed images obtained by X-ray examination of multiple cut surfaces while slightly changing the position of the cut surfaces.

[0054] Figure 13 (a) is a reconstructed image representing the cut surface selected as the area to be examined for evaluation, and (b) is a reconstructed image representing the case where rotation is calculated on data equivalent to the master data.

[0055] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of generating master data from the measurement information of the measured object for the first time.

[0056] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the inspection process of the first embodiment.

[0057] Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating the grille.

[0058] Figure 17 This is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0059] Figure 18 This is a flowchart illustrating the inspection process of the second embodiment.

[0060] Figure 19 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a structure manufacturing system according to an embodiment.

[0061] Figure 20 It is a flowchart illustrating the process of the structure manufacturing system.

[0062] Figure 21 (a) is a conceptual diagram of the shape measurement of a thinner area, and (b) is a conceptual diagram of the shape measurement of a thicker area.

[0063] Figure 22 This is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the equipment used to provide program products.

[0064] Figure 23 This is a flowchart illustrating the setting of measurement conditions according to the implementation method. Detailed Implementation

[0065] ---First Implementation Method---

[0066] With reference to the drawings, an X-ray inspection apparatus and an inspection processing apparatus for an X-ray inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The X-ray inspection apparatus non-destructively acquires internal information (e.g., internal structure) of a measured object by irradiating it with X-rays and detecting the transmitted X-rays that penetrate the measured object. In this embodiment, the X-ray inspection apparatus will be described as an example of an internal inspection apparatus for obtaining internal information of castings such as engine blocks and for quality management.

[0067] In addition, the X-ray inspection device 100 can also acquire shape information of the internal structure of the joint in the case of resin molded articles and parts joined by adhesives or welding, and perform the above-mentioned inspection, and is not limited to castings such as engine blocks.

[0068] Furthermore, this embodiment is described in detail to facilitate understanding of the spirit of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention unless specifically specified otherwise.

[0069] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, a coordinate system consisting of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis is set up as shown in the diagram.

[0070] The X-ray inspection apparatus 100 includes an inspection processing unit 1, an X-ray source 2, a mounting unit 3, a detector 4, a control unit 5, a display 6, and an input operation unit 11. Furthermore, a structure in which the inspection processing unit 1 and the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 are separately configured is also included in one aspect of the invention. The X-ray source 2, the mounting unit 3, and the detector 4 are housed inside a housing (not shown), which is configured to be substantially horizontal with the XZ plane on the ground, such as in a factory. The housing is made of lead to prevent X-ray leakage to the outside.

[0071] X-ray source 2 is controlled by control device 5 to... Figure 1 The exit point Q shown is a fan-shaped X-ray beam (so-called fan-shaped beam) radiating along the optical axis Zr, which is parallel to the Z-axis, towards the Z-axis+ direction. The exit point Q corresponds to the focal spot of the X-ray source 2. That is, the optical axis Zr connects the focal spot of the X-ray source 2, i.e., the exit point Q, and the center of the imaging area of ​​the detector 4, which will be described later. In addition, instead of radiating X-rays in a fan shape, the X-ray source 2 also radiates conical X-rays (so-called conical beam) in one aspect of the invention. The X-ray source 2 is capable of radiating at least one of, for example, ultrasoft X-rays of about 50 eV, soft X-rays of about 0.1 to 2 keV, X-rays of about 2 to 20 keV, and hard X-rays of about 20 to 100 keV, and further X-rays with energies of 100 keV or more.

[0072] The mounting unit 3 includes a stage 30 on which the object to be measured S is mounted, and a manipulator unit 36 ​​consisting of a rotary drive unit 32, a Y-axis moving unit 33, an X-axis moving unit 34, a Z-axis moving unit 35, and a tilt adjustment unit 37. It is positioned closer to the Z-axis+ side than the X-ray generating unit 2. The stage 30 is rotatably mounted via the rotary drive unit 32, and moves when the rotation axis Yr driven by the rotary drive unit 32 moves in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. Furthermore, the tilt angle of the stage 30 relative to the XZ plane, i.e., the angle formed between the top surface of the stage 30 and the rotation axis Yr, can be adjusted by the tilt adjustment unit 37.

[0073] The rotation drive unit 32, for example, is composed of an electric motor. The rotational force generated by the driven electric motor is controlled by the control device 5 (described later) to rotate the stage 30 about an axis Yr parallel to the Y-axis and passing through the center of the stage 30. The Y-axis movement unit 33, X-axis movement unit 34, Z-axis movement unit 35, and tilt adjustment unit 37 are controlled by the control device 5 to move the stage 30 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, respectively. Simultaneously, the tilt of the stage 30 relative to the XZ plane is changed so that the object being measured, S, is within the irradiation range of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray generating unit 2. Furthermore, the Z-axis movement unit 35 is controlled by the control device 5 to move the stage 30 in the Z-axis direction by a distance from the X-ray source 2 to the object being measured, i.e., the distance at which the object being measured in the captured image achieves the required magnification.

[0074] Detector 4 is positioned closer to the Z-axis direction than X-ray source 2 and stage 30. That is, stage 30 is positioned between X-ray source 2 and detector 4 in the Z-axis direction. Detector 4 has an incident surface 41 extending in the X-axis direction from a plane parallel to the XY plane; this is a so-called line sensor. X-rays emitted from X-ray source 2, including transmitted X-rays that penetrate the measured object S mounted on stage 30, are incident on incident surface 41. Detector 4 consists of a scintillator section including a known scintillating material, a photomultiplier tube, and a light-receiving section. The energy of X-rays incident on incident surface 41 of the scintillator section is converted into light energy such as visible light or ultraviolet light and multiplied by the photomultiplier tube. The multiplied light energy is then converted into electrical energy by the light-receiving section and input as an electrical signal to control device 5.

[0075] Furthermore, detector 4 may convert the energy of the incident X-rays into electrical energy instead of light energy, and output it as an electrical signal. Detector 4 has a structure in which the scintillator section, photomultiplier tube, and light-receiving section are each divided into multiple pixels. This allows for the acquisition of the intensity distribution of X-rays emitted from the X-ray source 2 and transmitted through the measured object S. Alternatively, detector 4 may not have a photomultiplier tube; instead, the scintillator section may be formed directly on the light-receiving section (photoelectric conversion section).

[0076] Furthermore, detector 4 is not limited to a line sensor and can also be a two-dimensional planar detector. That is, in this embodiment, the line sensor of detector 4 has an incident surface 41 extending in the X-axis direction on a plane parallel to the XY plane, but only one incident surface 41 is arranged in the Y-axis direction. Alternatively, multiple incident surfaces 41 are arranged in the X-axis direction on the XY plane. Furthermore, the multiple incident surfaces 41 can independently detect the intensity of X-rays. In this embodiment, multiple incident surfaces 41 can also be arranged in the Y-axis direction. For example, in... Figure 1The detector can also be a two-dimensional plane detector with multiple incident surfaces 41 arranged in the X and Y directions. Alternatively, when using a two-dimensional plane detector, among the multiple incident surfaces 41 arranged in the Y direction, using only the incident surface 41 in the X-axis direction at a set position in the Y-axis direction can also function as a line sensor. In this case, the intensity distribution of X-rays from the incident surface 41 in the X-axis direction at the set position in the Y-axis direction can be obtained, and the shape information of the measured object S can be analyzed from the intensity distribution of X-rays obtained at the set position in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, in this case, when obtaining the intensity distribution of X-rays from the incident surface 41 in the X-axis direction at multiple positions in the Y-axis direction, the intensity distribution of X-rays from the incident surface 41 in the X-axis direction at a position separated from the Y-axis direction can also be obtained.

[0077] The X-ray source 2, mounting unit 3, and detector 4 are supported by a frame (not shown). This frame is manufactured with sufficient rigidity. Therefore, the X-ray source 2, mounting unit 3, and detector 4 can be stably supported during the acquisition of the projected image of the measured object S. In addition, the frame is supported by a vibration damping mechanism (not shown) to prevent external vibrations from being directly transmitted to the frame.

[0078] The input operation unit 11 consists of a keyboard, various buttons, and a mouse, etc., and is operated by the operator, as described later, to input the position of the area to be inspected when inspecting the object to be measured S, or to perform operations when updating the area to be inspected. If operated by the operator, the input operation unit 11 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the inspection processing device 1.

[0079] The control device 5 includes a microprocessor and peripheral circuitry, and controls various parts of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 by reading and executing a pre-stored control program from a storage medium (not shown) (e.g., flash memory). The control device 5 includes an X-ray control unit 51, a movement control unit 52, an image generation unit 53, and an image reconstruction unit 54. The X-ray control unit 51 controls the operation of the X-ray source 2, and the movement control unit 52 controls the movement of the manipulator unit 36. The image generation unit 53 generates X-ray projection image data of the measured object S based on electrical signals output from the detector 4. The image reconstruction unit 54 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​to simultaneously perform known image reconstruction processing to generate a reconstructed image based on the projection image data of the measured object S at different projection directions. In this embodiment, based on the reconstructed images obtained at different positions along the Y-axis, the internal structure, i.e., the three-dimensional shape information, of the measured object S is generated by a surface modeling unit provided inside the image reconstruction unit 54. In this case, image reconstruction processing methods include back projection, filter-corrected back projection, and successive approximation methods.

[0080] When inspecting the internal structure of a measured object S, the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 moves the stage 30 in each of the XYZ directions and adjusts the tilt angle of the stage 30 to position the measured object S in the inspection position. Furthermore, the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 irradiates the measured object S, which rotates along with the stage 30, with a slit beam from the X-ray source 2 having a set width in the Y-axis direction. The detector 4 receives transmitted X-rays, including the X-rays from the measured object S, and obtains shape information of the measured object S corresponding to the width (e.g., approximately 1 mm) of the slit beam in the Y-axis direction. The X-ray inspection apparatus 100 repeatedly irradiates the rotating measured object S with slit beams and moves the stage 30 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., moves the measured object S in the Y-axis direction. If the slit beam covers the entire length of the measured object S placed on the stage 30 in the Y-axis direction, shape information of the entire measured object S (hereinafter referred to as a full scan) can be generated. If the slit light is irradiated over a portion of the length of the object to be measured S placed on the stage 30 along the Y-axis, a transmitted image of that portion is obtained, and shape information of that portion of the object to be measured S can be generated based on the transmitted image (hereinafter referred to as partial scanning).

[0081] Furthermore, in this specification, the region where the measured object S and the slit light overlap is referred to as the cutting surface. In this embodiment, if the measured object S is arranged on the region defined by the exit point Q and the incident surface 41 of the detector 4, X-rays transmitted through the measured object S can be detected. In this case, the detectable range of X-rays transmitted through the measured object S is referred to as the cutting surface. The cutting surface is a region with a set width. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the region where the measured object S overlaps with the region defined by the incident surface 41 of the detector 4 and the exit point Q is the cutting surface. Of course, the cutting surface can also be, for example, the region connecting the exit point Q and the center of the detector 4. As the stage 30 moves in the Y-axis direction, the position of the cutting surface moves relative to the measured object S on the stage 30 in the Y-axis direction. In the following description, the relative movement of this cutting surface relative to the measured object S is referred to as displacement, and the amount of movement at this time is referred to as displacement amount. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the stage 30 is moved in the Y-axis direction after detecting the set area at the set position, the set area detected before the movement and the set area detected after the movement do not overlap. Of course, some overlap is also possible. In this embodiment, the stage 30 is moved in a direction that intersects with the area enclosed by the emission point Q of the X-ray source 2 and the center of the detector 4. Thus, by moving the stage 30, areas that could not be detected before the movement can be detected. For example, in this embodiment, the area enclosed by the emission point Q of the X-ray source 2 and the center of the detector 4 is parallel to the XZ plane. Therefore, the stage 30 is moved in the Y-direction, which intersects with 90°, as the direction intersecting the XZ plane. Of course, the intersecting direction is not limited to 90°, and can also be 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, or 80°.

[0082] In the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment, multiple measured objects S having the same shape as castings are inspected by full or partial scanning. A full scan refers to a measurement operation in which reconstructed images are generated at set intervals in the Y-axis direction to obtain the internal structure of the entire measured object S. Most of this time is allocated to relative inspection time, such as after maintenance of the molds used to manufacture the measured objects S, when mass production is not carried out. A partial scan refers to a measurement operation in which a reconstructed image is generated that includes only a portion of the measured object S, including the evaluation area described later. In addition to the full scan time described above, partial scans are performed when the portion of the multiple measured objects S with a higher probability of internal defects (hereinafter referred to as the evaluation area) is selected as the inspection area.

[0083] like Figure 2As shown in the block diagram, the inspection processing device 1 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits. It reads and executes a pre-stored control program from a storage medium (not shown, such as flash memory) to perform various processes described later for inspecting a portion of the measured object S. The inspection processing device 1 includes: a control unit 110, a configuration information acquisition unit 111, a region information acquisition unit 112, a comparison unit 113, a position difference calculation unit 114, an inspection range setting unit 115, an evaluation unit 116, a data storage unit 117, an inspection unit 118, and an evaluation region setting unit 119.

[0084] In addition to controlling each part of the inspection processing apparatus 1 described below, the control unit 110 also controls each part of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 via the control device 5. The configuration information acquisition unit 111 acquires the shape information of the measured object S obtained through design information such as CAD related to the measured object S. The area information acquisition unit 112 acquires the shape information of a set area obtained through local scanning. The three-dimensional shape information of the set area obtained by the area information acquisition unit 112 will be referred to as area information below. The comparison unit 113 compares the area information obtained by the area information acquisition unit 112 with the master data M. The master data M will be described later. The position difference calculation unit 114 calculates the difference between the position in the measured object S corresponding to the acquired area information and the position of the area in the measured object S that should be inspected, based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 113. The inspection range setting unit 115 sets the area, including the evaluation area set by the evaluation area setting unit 119 (described later), as the area for local scanning of the measured object S (hereinafter referred to as the local scanning area).

[0085] Evaluation unit 116 evaluates the goodness of the measured object S based on the area information obtained by partial scanning of the measured object S. Data storage unit 117 is a non-volatile storage medium for storing various data generated by the processing performed by the aforementioned units of inspection processing device 1. Inspection unit 118 generates internal information based on partial scan data. Evaluation area setting unit 119 uses information such as design information obtained by configuration information acquisition unit 111 to set the evaluation area for inspection during partial scanning of the measured object S. Master data generation unit 120 generates master data M based on information obtained by configuration information acquisition unit 111 or area information acquisition unit 112. Master data M is information representing the shape of at least a portion of the measured object S, the details of which will be explained later.

[0086] Furthermore, details of the aforementioned parts of the inspection processing device 1 will be explained later.

[0087] ---Regarding the positioning of the measured object S---

[0088] When inspecting multiple objects S in sequence, it is desirable to scan the same area of ​​any one object S. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly position the object S relative to the device coordinate system of the X-ray inspection device 100.

[0089] However, as mentioned above, due to the unevenness in the shape of the measured object S, the height and tilt of each measured object placed on the mounting part 30 may be different.

[0090] Therefore, in this embodiment, when scanning the evaluation area, once a partial scan of the measured object S placed on the stage 30 is performed, the result is compared with the master data M described later to determine whether the measured object S is correctly positioned relative to the device coordinate system. This will be explained in detail below. Furthermore, in the following description, the term "position" also includes the concept of "tilt." For example, the position of the measured object refers to its position on the XZ plane and its height in the Y-axis direction within the device coordinate system, as well as the tilt of the measured object S relative to the device coordinate system. Additionally, in the following description, the tilt of the measured object S relative to the device coordinate system will be referred to simply as tilt, and sometimes also as the posture of the measured object S.

[0091] ---About Master Data M---

[0092] Reference Figures 3 to 10 The master data M is explained below. Master data M is information relating to the shape of at least a portion of the measured object S, used to determine which part of the measured object S should be locally scanned. Master data M includes information related to the location of the evaluation area. Master data M is redundant in width along the Y-axis, therefore, even if the measured object S is deviated from or tilted in the Y-axis direction when placed on the stage 30, a specific portion of the measured object S can be locally scanned. In the following description, the width in the Y-axis direction, such as master data M or the local scanning area, is also referred to as thickness.

[0093] For ease of explanation, the measured object S has the following characteristics: Figure 3 The shape shown. Figure 3The measured object SX shown is assumed to be hexahedral. For ease of explanation, a coordinate system consisting of the U-axis, V-axis, and W-axis is set for the measured object SX as illustrated. The right-hand face of the measured object SX is not parallel to the UV plane. Of the right-hand sides 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d, the inner side 60a is parallel to the V-axis, and the lower side 60b is parallel to the U-axis. The inner side 60c tilts towards the V-axis, and the upper side 60d tilts towards the U-axis, and also towards the W-axis. A cylindrical hole 61 extends from the left-hand face towards the W-axis. The hole 61 does not penetrate the W-axis. The cuboid (62) indicates the evaluation area. The cylinder (63) indicates a component cast into the measured object S (hereinafter referred to as the cast component). Cast components are typically made of a different material than the surrounding material, and therefore, their X-ray absorption rate usually differs from that of the surrounding material. Here, we assume a component with cast iron cast into aluminum.

[0094] For example, the master data M of the measured object SX is in Figure 4 The thick line indicates data related to the shape of a portion of region SXa of the measured object SX. Furthermore, the master data M can also be data related to the overall shape of the measured object SX. In the master data M, information such as the shape of region SXa, the shape of hole 61, the location of hole 61 within region SXa, the shape of evaluation region 62, the location of evaluation region 62 within region SXa, the location of region SXa within the measured object SX, and the extent of region SXa are all acceptable, but not all of this information needs to be included. Furthermore, region SXa does not necessarily include evaluation region 62. If the master data M includes information about the positional relationship between region SXa and evaluation region 62, then... Figure 5 As shown, evaluation area 62 can also exist in locations far from area SXa. The inspection sequence in this case will be described later. For ease of explanation, in the following description, as... Figure 4 As shown, region SXa is defined to include evaluation region 62. Furthermore, the central axis CL of the hole 61 is parallel to the W axis, and evaluation region 62 exists along its extension.

[0095] Next, a summary of the method for determining the location of the cutting plane in a specific region SXa is provided with reference to the master data M.

[0096] Generally, the shape of a cut surface varies depending on the position of the cut surface on the measured object SX. For example, as Figure 6 As shown in (a), the cut surface 80 includes the central axis CL of the hole 61. When parallel to the UW plane, a reconstructed image 81a of the cut surface 80 is formed. Figure 6 The shape shown in (b). In Figure 6 The dashed line marked with symbol 62a in (b) represents the evaluation region 62 in the reconstructed image 81a.

[0097] then, Figure 7 (a) indicates the cutting surface 80 and Figure 6 (a) Compared to the case far from the V-axis + direction, in case (a), the reconstructed image 81b of the cut surface 80 is formed. Figure 7 The shape shown in (b). Additionally... Figure 8 (a) indicates the cutting surface 80 and Figure 6 (a) Compared to the case far from the V-axis direction, in case (a), the reconstructed image 81c of the cut surface 80 is formed. Figure 8 The shape shown in (b). Figure 8 As shown in (a), the cut surface 80 coincides with a portion of the cast component 63, namely the upper end shown in the figure. Therefore, in Figure 8 (b) shows a portion 63a with different brightness in the reconstructed image 81c.

[0098] and then, Figure 9 (a) indicates the case where the cutting surface 80 is not parallel to the UW plane. In this case, the reconstructed image 81d of the cutting surface 80 is formed. Figure 9 (b) shows the shape. Figure 10 The above-mentioned reconstructed images 81a to 81d are shown together for comparison purposes.

[0099] In reconstructed image 81a, the two lines 61a corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the hole 61 are parallel. In reconstructed image 81b, the two lines 61a corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the hole 61 are parallel, but the distance between them is smaller than the distance between the two lines 61a in reconstructed image 81a. Furthermore, the position of the intersection point 60C of edge 60c and cutting surface 80 is shifted to the left of the intersection point 60C in reconstructed image 81a.

[0100] In the reconstructed image 81c, the two lines 61a representing the inner circumferential surface of the hole 61 are parallel, but the distance between them is smaller than the distance between the two lines 61a in the reconstructed image 81a. Furthermore, the position of the intersection point 60C of the edge 60c and the cutting surface 80 is shifted to the right of the diagram compared to the intersection point 60C in the reconstructed image 81a. As described above, a portion 63a with a different brightness, corresponding to a part of the cast component 63, is displayed in the reconstructed image 81c.

[0101] In the reconstructed image 81d, the two lines 61a representing the inner circumferential surface of the hole 61 are not parallel. Furthermore, they are simplified using straight lines. Figure 9 (b) and Figure 10 The two lines 61a in the reconstructed image 81d are actually curves.

[0102] In this way, the shape of the reconstructed image varies according to the position of the cut surface 80 in the measured object SX. Therefore, by comparing the shape of the cut surface 80 with the master data M, the position of the cut surface 80 in the region SXa corresponding to the master data M can be specified.

[0103] To be more specific, in the reconstructed image 81a, the two lines 61a are parallel, and the distance between them indicates that the cutting surface 80 is the surface including the central axis CL of the hole 61 (see reference). Figure 6 Furthermore, the inclination of the cutting surface 80 can be determined by information about its shape, such as the position of the intersection point 60A or 60C between edge 60a and the cutting surface 80. In this case, the cutting surface 80 is parallel to the W-axis.

[0104] Furthermore, in reconstructed images 81b and 81c, the distance between the cutting surface 80 in the Y-axis direction and the central axis CL of the hole 61 is obtained through the distance between the two lines 61a (see reference). Figure 7 , 8). In addition, the inclination and position of the cutting surface 80 can be determined by information about the shape, such as the position of intersection 60A or intersection 60C.

[0105] Additionally, in the reconstructed image 81d, the two lines 61a are not parallel, but the distance between them increases towards the W-axis (see reference). Figure 9 Therefore, it can be determined that the cutting surface 80 is inclined. In addition, by judging the shape information, such as the positional relationship between intersection points 60A and 60C, the inclination and position of the cutting surface 80 can be determined.

[0106] As explained above, by comparing the shape information obtained through the information of the cut surface 80 with the information of the master data M, the position of the cut surface 80 in the measured object SX can be determined. Furthermore, as shown in 63a, since the absorption rate of X-rays differs from that of the surrounding material, the position of the cut surface 80 in the measured object SX can also be determined by comparing the presence or shape of regions with different brightness in the reconstructed image with the information of the master data M.

[0107] For ease of explanation, the structure of the measured object S has been simplified in the above description. However, in reality, the measured object S mostly has a complex shape. For example, next, the measurement of... Figure 11 (a) will be used to explain the case of the cylinder block of the engine with a complex shape as shown. Figure 11 (a) is a three-dimensional view of the cylinder block. Figure 11(a) illustrates the evaluation area 600 of the cylinder block. The evaluation area 600 includes various three-dimensional shapes. For example, there is an evaluation area 601 near the crankshaft journal, an evaluation area 602 near the core pin, and an evaluation area 603 for the cylinder section, etc. Although... Figure 11 (a) is not illustrated, but the portion of the cavity predicted by simulation is used as the evaluation area.

[0108] Will Figure 11 (a) The cylinder block shown is mounted on a Figure 11 (a) is the mounting surface of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 on the stage 30. Figure 12 (a)–(e) schematically illustrate reconstructed images obtained by simultaneously examining multiple cut surfaces with X-rays while slightly altering the cut surface position. Figure 12 The reconstructed images 82a-82e shown in (a) to (e) include, for example, cross sections 83 and 84 corresponding to the recesses of the core pin, cross section 85 of the cooling flow path, cross section 86 of the cast iron portion cast into the crankshaft journal, cross section 87 of the inner side of the crankcase, and the cast iron liner portion 88 cast into the cylinder liner, etc. Furthermore, in Figure 12 In China, only Figure 12 (c) defines an evaluation area 62a.

[0109] like Figure 12 As shown in (a) to (e), it can be seen that if the position of the cross-section in the cylinder block changes, the reconstructed image will change. That is, in Figure 11 In (a), a surface parallel to the WU plane is placed on the mounting stage 30. Figure 11 In (a), the end face in the V-axis + direction is placed on the mounting stage 30. For example, in a cylinder block, due to the complexity of its external and internal structures, the external and internal structures of, for example, the WU plane in the cylinder block will differ depending on its position in the V-axis direction. The cross-section 83 generated by the shape of the concave portion... Figure 12 (a) Figure 12 (b) Figure 12 Although confirmed in (c), Figure 12 (d) Figure 12 (e) cannot be confirmed. Furthermore, if the comparison... Figure 12 (b) and Figure 12 (c) The area enclosed by the cross-section of its concave portion is different. This is represented in... Figure 12 (b) The area of ​​the concave portion within the WU surface moves toward the direction along the V-axis. Figure 12 (c) Reduction. Thus, the external shape and structure of the measured object are not the same along the V-axis direction. Therefore, the structure of some measured objects differs depending on the detection location. Therefore, for example, the location in the V-axis direction can be specified by using the size of the area surrounded by the recess 83. For example, even with... Figure 12 (c) By measuring different objects and creating reconstructed images, the measurement position of each object in the V-axis direction can be inferred using the area enclosed by the recess 83 as an indicator. Therefore, even if the structure around the measurement position changes, its cross-sectional structure can be compared with the master data M. In this case, comparison can be made using only the structure, thus obtaining the relevant position in a shorter time. Furthermore, for example, depending on the situation, sometimes a portion of the internal structure of the measured object may be damaged during manufacturing. Therefore, when comparing the measured object with the master data M based on its shape, it is difficult to find the measurement data position from the master data M due to inconsistencies in the shape data of the damaged internal structure. In this case, sometimes the poor correlation with the master data M can be suppressed by using a portion of the shape of the weighted layer image. Furthermore, if it is known that voids can be formed within the material of the internal structure of the measured object during manufacturing, the material's external shape can be made heavier than the material itself to determine the correlation. This can suppress the poor correlation with the master data M. Of course, in the case of weighting, multiple locations can be used instead of just one.

[0110] Furthermore, the material used for the cylinder block is not limited to one type. For example, in Figure 12 In the case of 86, the materials used in other parts differ from those used in the surrounding materials. For example, in this embodiment, the material used for 86 differs from the materials and elements used in its surroundings. Of course, the material used for 86 may, for example, be an alloy, and the composition of that alloy may differ from that of its surroundings. Therefore, the X-ray absorption rate of its surroundings and 86 differs, which is represented by the difference in brightness in the reconstructed image. Therefore, when comparing with the master data M, the brightness information of the image can also be used to estimate the position at the time of measurement.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, the cast iron liner portion 88 cast into the cylinder liner was not confirmed in the reconstructed images 82a-82d, but it is clearly shown as a high-brightness portion in the reconstructed image 82e. Moreover, regarding the cylinder block shape other than those described above, various variations were found based on changes in the cross-sectional position.

[0112] As explained above, if the position of the cut surface changes, the shape and brightness of the reconstructed image will change. Therefore, by comparing this information with the information in the master data M, the position of the cut surface 80 in the measured object SX can be determined. Thus, the reconstructed image of the cut surface that should be used for inspection of the evaluation area is selected.

[0113] Figure 13 (a) represents the selected reconstructed image. Here, it is set to be the same as... Figure 12(c) is the same image as the reconstructed image 82c. Next, it is compared with the information in the master data M to calculate whether the reconstructed image used for the evaluation region is rotated or / and its position deviated relative to that data in the master data M. For example, in Figure 13 In case (b), compared to the case where the master data M is obtained, the position of the structure in the obtained reconstructed image 82f deviates due to the different state in which the measured object is placed. Figure 13 In (b), the structure is rotated. In this case, a correlation defect occurs when the correlation with the master data M is obtained, making it difficult to infer the structure as an object from the master data M. Therefore, in this case, using Figure 13 (a) and Figure 13 The shape of the region enclosed by 62a in (b) can be determined. Figure 13 (b) relative to Figure 13 (a) The amount of rotation and position offset. In this case, for example, like... Figure 12 Changing its position along the V-axis would result in different cross-sectional shapes in different locations. Furthermore, in Figure 13 A preset value of 62a is used. If 62a is not set, a circular image of the preset size is extracted from the reconstructed cross-sectional image, and the position corresponding to 85 degrees is extracted from this circular image. In this case, a preset area around the circle can also be selected, and the positional and rotational offsets between the selected areas can be calculated. Furthermore, Figure 13 (a) and Figure 13 (b) The areas of 62a can be the same or different. Furthermore, comparisons with the master data can be made between the speech data of the obtained reconstructed images, or after the speech data has been converted into a two-dimensional image, and then compared.

[0114] The master data M, for example, like a three-dimensional measuring device, can be based on information about the shape of the object being measured (S) obtained through an inspection device other than the X-ray inspection device 100. Alternatively, it can be design information of the object being measured (S), such as CAD data. Furthermore, the master data M can also be measurement information of the object being measured (S) obtained by inspecting part or all of it using the X-ray inspection device 100. Several cases will be explained next.

[0115] (1) In the case where the master data M is information about the shape of the measured object S obtained by an inspection device other than the X-ray inspection device 100.

[0116] Figure 2The configuration information acquisition unit 111 obtained shape information of at least a portion of the measured object S from another inspection device. The master data generation unit 120 generated master data M based on, for example, the shape information of the measured object S obtained by the configuration information acquisition unit 111, information relating the portion corresponding to its shape to its position in the measured object S, and information relating the position of the evaluation area to its position in the measured object S. The master data M generated by the master data generation unit 120 was stored in the data storage unit 117.

[0117] (2) The master data M is based on the design information of the measured object S.

[0118] Figure 2 The configuration information acquisition unit 111 obtained manually input information from the operator based on design information such as 3D CAD. The master data generation unit 120 generated master data M based on, for example, design information of at least a portion of the measured object S obtained by the configuration information acquisition unit 111, information relating the position of the measured object S to the position corresponding to this design information, and information relating the position of the evaluation area to the position of the measured object S. The master data M generated by the master data generation unit 120 is stored in the data storage unit 117. Furthermore, when generating master data M based on design information, regions with less solidification shrinkage are pre-determined from areas where no removal processing is performed, based on simulations of the casting process and actual measurement values ​​of the measured object S, and it is expected that master data M will be generated based on design information from these regions. The configuration information acquisition unit 111 can also automatically obtain design information such as 3D CAD through an interface.

[0119] (3) The master data M is the data obtained from the measurement information obtained by the X-ray inspection device 100.

[0120] The X-ray inspection device 100 generates master data M in the following manner.

[0121] In this embodiment, when multiple measurands S are inspected sequentially using an X-ray inspection apparatus 100, master data M is generated from the measurement information of the first measurand S inspected among the multiple measurands S. These multiple measurands S are products manufactured based on the same design information. Therefore, it is checked, for example, whether all of these multiple measurands S are manufactured according to the design information.

[0122] First, the object to be measured, S, is placed on the stage 30. In the following description, the object to be measured, S, will be referred to as the initial measured object S1. A locating pin (not shown) is provided on the stage 30. By abutting the initial measured object S1 against the stage 30, the initial measured object S1 can be positioned on the stage 30. However, it is not necessary to provide a locating pin on the stage 30.

[0123] When the initial measured object S1 is placed on the stage 30, the top of the stage 30 is set to be parallel to the XZ plane. In this state, a local scan is performed while rotating the stage 30. As described later, the height and tilt angle of the stage 30 are adjusted to perform local scans on the positions of each measured object S inspected sequentially after the initial measured object S1, which are actually the same as the local scan relative to the initial measured object S1.

[0124] Figure 2 The inspection range setting unit 115 shown includes the inspected area in the local scanning area on the initial measured object S1, and is set to have a thickness that is redundant in the Y-axis direction as described above. Furthermore, the inspection range setting unit 115 can also set the thickness of the local scanning area of ​​the initial measured object S1 based on the unevenness information stored in the data storage unit 117, indicating the type of the measured object S and the non-uniformity of its external dimensions. This locally scanning area of ​​the initial measured object S1 is referred to as the main data area. The main data area is, for example, equivalent to... Figure 4 The region shown is the region of SXa.

[0125] The movement control unit 52 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​to rotate and move the stage 30 in the Y-axis direction while performing a partial scan of the main data area, thereby obtaining a transmission image for generating a reconstructed image in the main data area set by the inspection range setting unit 115. The inspection unit 118 generates internal information of the main data area based on the partial scan data.

[0126] The master data generation unit 120 generates master data M by adding information related to the evaluation area and information indicating which part of the initial measured object S1 the master data area corresponds to to the internal information of the master data area.

[0127] Furthermore, as information related to the evaluation area, information related to the evaluation area set in the evaluation area setting unit 119 and stored in the data storage unit 117 can be used. Additionally, information indicating which part of the initial measured object S1 the main data area corresponds to is obtained, for example, in the following manner: First, a reconstructed image of an arbitrary cut surface is generated using the internal information of the main data area. By comparing this image with the design information of the initial measured object S1, the position of that arbitrary cut surface in the initial measured object S1 is determined. If it is possible to determine which part of the initial measured object S1 the position of that arbitrary cut surface corresponds to, then it is possible to determine which part of the initial measured object S1 the main data area corresponds to.

[0128] After this, the master data M generated in the master data generation unit 120 is stored in the data storage unit 117.

[0129] Reference Figure 14The flowchart illustrates the process of generating master data M from the measurement information of the initial measured object S1. This process is used to execute... Figure 14 The procedures for each process shown in the flowchart are pre-stored in a memory (not shown), and are read out and executed by the microprocessor of the inspection processing device 1. Furthermore, the object to be measured for the first time, S1, is placed on the stage 30.

[0130] In step S1, the control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator 36, causing the stage 30 to move to the inspection start position for obtaining the master data M and proceeding to step S2. In step S2, the control unit 110 issues a command to the X-ray control unit 51 to control the X-ray source 2. The control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator 36 to rotate the stage 30 and move it in the Y-axis direction. The inspection unit 118 performs an inspection within a distance equivalent to the thickness set by the inspection range setting unit 115. Thus, internal information of the master data area is obtained.

[0131] If step S2 is executed, proceed to step S3. In step S3, the master data generation unit 120 adds information related to the evaluation area and information indicating which part of the initial measured object S1 the master data area obtained in step S2 to the internal information of the master data area, and generates master data M. If step S3 is executed, proceed to step S4. In step S4, the master data generation unit 120 stores the master data M generated in step S3 in the data storage unit 117 and ends the program.

[0132] ---Regarding the inspection and handling---

[0133] Using any one of the master data M from (1) to (3) above, the X-ray inspection device 100 sequentially inspects multiple measured objects S in the following manner.

[0134] First, the object to be measured, S, is placed on the stage 30. As described above, the object to be measured, S, can be positioned on the stage 30 by abutting the positioning pin of the stage 30 against the object to be measured, S. Furthermore, when placing the object to be measured, the top surface of the stage 30 is set to be parallel to the XZ plane.

[0135] The inspection range setting unit 115 sets a local scan area of ​​the measured object S in the area including the area to be inspected. The area to be inspected is the area selected as the inspection object from multiple evaluation areas during the inspection process.

[0136] Furthermore, since a thicker local scanning area results in a longer inspection time, it is preferable that the thickness of the local scanning area be as thin as possible. Therefore, the thickness of the local scanning area set in this case is usually smaller than the thickness of the local scanning area of ​​the initial measured object S1, i.e., the main data area. The local scanning area set by the inspection range setting unit 115 is referred to as the target local scanning area.

[0137] Next, a local scan of the measured object S is performed. This local scan, which focuses on a thinner local scan area set during the sequential inspection of the measured object S, is referred to here as a slice scan. The movement control unit 52 controls the manipulator unit 36, causing the stage 30 to rotate and move in the Y-axis direction. The area information acquisition unit 112 acquires the area information obtained through the slice scan.

[0138] The comparison unit 113 compares the area information obtained by the area information acquisition unit 112 with the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117 based on the thin-film scan. Based on the result, it determines whether the thin-film scan area corresponds to the inspected area set in the inspection range setting unit 115, that is, whether the thin-film scan area is included in the inspected area set in the inspection range setting unit 115. For example, the comparison unit 113 calculates the correlation coefficient between the cross-sectional shape of the inspected area obtained by the master data M and the area information based on the thin-film scan, and makes a judgment based on the value of the correlation coefficient. In addition, when calculating the correlation coefficient, in order to avoid the influence of occasional image changes caused by internal defects of the measured object S, such as the generation of holes, and the breakage of the mold core pin, areas that may be generated are removed, or the weighting can be reduced.

[0139] If the comparison unit 113 determines that the slice scan area includes the area to be inspected set by the inspection range setting unit 115, the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured object S based on the area information obtained through the slice scan. Then, the inspection of the next measured object S begins.

[0140] If the comparison unit 113 determines that the aforementioned slab scan area does not include the inspected area, the position difference calculation unit 114 calculates, based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 113, the difference (offset) between the position on the measured object S corresponding to the area information obtained through the slab scan and the position of the inspected area. Therefore, based on the features of the reconstructed image obtained through the slab scan, it can be determined which part of the main data area the slab scanned portion corresponds to. Here, the characteristic shape exhibited by each part of the reconstructed image refers to, for example... Figure 10 The locations of intersection points 60A and 60C in the reconstructed images 81a to 81d, the direction of line 61a, and the display method of the portion 63a with different brightness compared to its surroundings.

[0141] The movement control unit 52 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​to move the stage 30 in such a way that the difference between the position of the slice scanning area and the inspected area calculated by the position difference calculation unit 114 is set to zero.

[0142] Next, a second slice scan is performed on the object being measured, S. The position of the object being measured, S, is corrected so that the position of the inspected area is included in the position of the second slice scan (hereinafter referred to as rescan). Therefore, the area of ​​the second slice scan is relative to the inspected area. The area information acquisition unit 112 acquires the area information obtained through the rescan.

[0143] The comparison unit 113 compares the area information obtained by the area information acquisition unit 112 based on the rescan with the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117. Based on the result, it determines whether the scanned area during the rescan is included in the inspected area set by the inspection range setting unit 115. If the comparison unit 113 determines that the rescanned area is included in the inspected area set by the inspection range setting unit 115, the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured object S based on the area information obtained through the rescan.

[0144] If the comparison unit 113 determines that the rescanned area does not include the inspected area, the position difference calculation unit 114 calculates the difference between the position of the measured object S and the position of the inspected area, which is equivalent to the area information obtained through the rescan, based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 113. The same process is repeated below. However, as described above, the position of the measured object S is corrected so that the rescanned position includes the position of the inspected area. Therefore, after correcting the position of the measured object S, it is highly likely that the rescanned position includes the position of the inspected area. Then, the inspection of the next measured object S begins.

[0145] Furthermore, the determination of whether the scanned area of ​​a thin-section scan or rescan includes the area under examination can be made by whether the entire area under examination is included in the scanned area of ​​the thin-section scan or rescan, or by whether a portion of the area under examination is included in the scanned area of ​​the thin-section scan or rescan. The extent to which the area under examination must be included in the scanned area of ​​the thin-section scan or rescan can also be appropriately set according to the purpose of the examination.

[0146] Additionally, determining whether the scanned area of ​​a thin-section scan or rescan includes the area under inspection can be done by checking if the difference between the scanned area and the target local scanned area is strictly zero, or by checking if the difference is within a set range. The specific level of this difference should be set appropriately based on the purpose of the inspection.

[0147] Reference Figure 15 The flowchart illustrates the measurement process for the measured object S in this embodiment. It is used to perform... Figure 15 The procedures for each process shown in the flowchart are pre-stored in a memory (not shown), and are read out and executed by the microprocessor of the inspection processing device 1. Furthermore, the object to be measured, S, is placed on the stage 30.

[0148] In step S11, the inspection range setting unit 115 sets the target local scanning area and proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator unit 36, causing the stage 30 to move at the start position of the thin-section scanning movement, and proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the control unit 110 issues a command to the X-ray control unit 51 to control the X-ray source 2. The control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator unit 36, and sets commands for each cutting surface to rotate the stage 30 and move it in the Y-axis direction. Thin-section scanning is then performed. The inspection unit 118 generates internal information based on the thin-section scanning data and proceeds to step 14.

[0149] In step S14, the comparison unit 113 compares the area information obtained based on the thin-film scanning with the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117 to determine whether the thin-film scanning area includes the area to be inspected.

[0150] If the determination in step S14 is positive, proceed to step S15. The evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured object S based on the area information obtained through the thin-film scan, and proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the data storage unit 117 stores the area information based on the thin-film scan, information related to the positional relationship between the thin-film scan area and the inspected area, and information related to the evaluation result of the quality of the measured object S, and ends the procedure.

[0151] If the determination in step S14 is negative, proceed to step S17. The position difference calculation unit 114 calculates the difference between the position of the slice scan and the position of the inspected area based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 113, and proceeds to step S18.

[0152] In step S18, the control unit 110 issues a control manipulator unit 36 ​​to the movement control unit 52 and commands the stage 30 to move in such a way that the difference between the position of the sheet scanning area and the inspected area is set to zero, so as to cancel the position difference calculated in step S18, and proceeds to step S19.

[0153] In step S19, the control unit 110 issues a command to the X-ray control unit 51 to control the X-ray source 2. The control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator unit 36 ​​to measure each cutting surface, causing the stage 30 to rotate and move in the Y-axis direction. A rescan is then performed. The inspection unit 118 generates internal information based on the rescan data and proceeds to step 20.

[0154] In step S20, the comparison unit 113 determines whether the rescanned area includes the inspected area. If the determination is affirmative in step S20, the process proceeds to step S21, where the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the conformity of the measured object S based on the area information obtained through rescanning, and proceeds to step 22. In step S22, the data storage unit 117 stores the area information based on the slice scan, information related to the positional relationship between the slice scan area and the inspected area, and information related to the evaluation result of the conformity of the measured object S, and the process ends. If the determination is negative in step S20, the process returns to step S17.

[0155] ---Evaluation of the quality of the measured item S---

[0156] The evaluation unit 116 evaluates the conformity of the measured object S based on the area information obtained by local scanning of the measured object S. As an evaluation order, for example, a portion of the local scan area, i.e., the area to be inspected, which includes the area selected as the inspection object from multiple evaluation areas, is divided into unit three-dimensional grids and gridded. Figure 16 The diagram shows an example of a grid 650. The grid 650 is arranged in a three-dimensional shape along the UVW directions of an orthogonal coordinate system consisting of the U-axis, V-axis, and W-axis set for the measured object S. The inspected area is divided by multiple grids 650, allowing the grids 650 to be used to process the inspection results when analyzing the results of the measured object S. For example, by calculating the volume of pores per unit grid volume (volume fraction), the yield of the measured object S can be calculated from this result.

[0157] In this embodiment, as described above, the posture of the plurality of measured objects S being inspected sequentially is corrected, so that the position of the inspected area relative to the local scanning area is the same for each of the plurality of measured objects S. Therefore, when gridding is performed on each inspected area of ​​the plurality of measured objects S, the segmentation position and segmentation direction of the grid 650 can be made consistent among the various inspected areas. That is, for the plurality of measured objects S being inspected sequentially, an independent grid 650 can be set at the same position, and inspection can be performed based on it.

[0158] For example, the case of inspecting the presence of pores inside the measured object S will be explained. The evaluation unit 116 detects whether there are pores in each grid 650, and calculates the volume fraction of pores in the grid 650 if pores are detected. In addition, the evaluation unit 116 calculates the wall thickness for each grid 650. Based on the calculated volume fraction of pores and wall thickness, and based on the indicators set for each grid 650, the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the individual measured object S.

[0159] In the first embodiment described above, the following effects are achieved.

[0160] (1) The area information acquisition unit 112 acquires the area information obtained through partial scanning. The comparison unit 113 determines whether the partial scanning area corresponds to the area to be inspected set in the inspection range setting unit 115 based on the area information obtained through partial scanning and the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117. Thus, even with partial scanning, i.e., scanning only a part of the measured object S, it is possible to determine whether the area to be scanned can be scanned, and whether the partial scanning area is appropriate. As a result, the measured object S can be inspected correctly in a short time, which is beneficial to improving productivity.

[0161] (2) The master data M includes information related to the shape of at least a portion of the area of ​​the measured object S. By referencing the local scan area (slice scan area or rescan area) to the master data M, it is possible to determine which position in the master data area corresponds to the local scan area. Therefore, since the offset between the area to be scanned and the area actually scanned is known, the position of the measured object S can be corrected during a second local scan (rescan). Thus, even if the measured object S shifts or tilts in the Y-axis direction due to uneven shape, it is possible to scan the same area of ​​multiple measured objects S, minimizing the number of rescans. This reduces the inspection time of the measured object S, improving productivity.

[0162] (3) Considering the uneven shape of the measured object S, the thickness of the main data area is set to be greater than the thickness of the local scanning area. Therefore, even if the measured object S shifts or tilts in the Y-axis direction due to its uneven shape, it is easy to compare the area that has been locally scanned with the main data area. This can shorten the inspection time of the measured object S and improve productivity.

[0163] (4) Master data M can be generated using the shape information of the measured object S obtained by an inspection device other than the X-ray inspection device 100 (e.g., a three-dimensional measuring instrument). In this case, the measured object can be inspected correctly even without the design information of the measured object S.

[0164] (5) Master data M can be generated using the design information (e.g., CAD information) of the measured object S. In this case, it is not necessary to generate master data M for the measured object S by means of X-ray inspection device 100 or any other inspection device.

[0165] (6) The master data M can be generated using the scan data obtained when the object S1 is inspected for the first time by the X-ray inspection device 100. In this case, the master data M can be generated simultaneously with the inspection, thus the efficiency is high.

[0166] (7) The configuration is such that if it is determined that the sheet scan area corresponds to the inspected area, the goodness of the measured object S is evaluated based on the area information of the sheet scan area. Furthermore, if it is determined that the sheet scan area does not correspond to the inspected area, the positional offset between the sheet scan area and the inspected area is calculated. This makes it easier to correct the posture of the measured object, thus increasing the likelihood that the rescanned area will include the inspected area, thereby improving productivity.

[0167] (8) The inspection unit 118 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​via the movement control unit 52 to move the stage 30 so that if the offset between the position of the sheet scanning area and the inspected area is calculated, the offset is set to zero. As a result, the position of the measured object S is correctly corrected, and rescanning can be started quickly, which is beneficial to improving productivity.

[0168] ---Second Implementation Method---

[0169] Referring to the drawings, the X-ray inspection apparatus and the inspection processing apparatus for the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same symbols are used for the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description focuses on the differences. Points not specifically described are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0170] Figure 17 This is an example schematically illustrating the configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A according to the second embodiment. As described above, the tilt adjustment part 37 is not provided on the manipulator part 36A of the mounting part 3. Other than this, the configuration is similar to... Figure 1 The configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 of the first embodiment shown is the same. Furthermore, the master data M is generated in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0171] ---Regarding the inspection and handling---

[0172] In this embodiment, the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A inspects multiple measured objects S sequentially in the following manner.

[0173] First, the object to be measured, S, is placed on the stage 30. As described above, by abutting the positioning pin of the stage 30 against the object to be measured, the object S can be positioned on the stage 30. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tilt adjustment part 37 is not provided. Therefore, the top surface of the stage 30 is generally parallel to the XZ plane.

[0174] The inspection range setting unit 115 sets a local scanning area of ​​the measured object S in the region including the area to be inspected. In this embodiment, assuming that the measured object S is tilted, the length (thickness) of the scanning area in the Y-axis direction is set larger (thicker) so that the scanning area of ​​a single local scan includes the area to be inspected. That is, the thickness of the local scanning area set in this embodiment is larger than the thickness of the thin-film scanning area in the first embodiment. The local scan in this embodiment is also referred to as a thick-film scan.

[0175] Next, a thick section scan is performed on the object S being measured. The movement control unit 52 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​to rotate the stage 30 and move it in the Y-axis direction. The area information acquisition unit 112 acquires the area information obtained through the thick section scan.

[0176] The comparison unit 113 compares the region information obtained by the region information acquisition unit 112 based on the thick-slice scanning with the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117. Based on the result, it determines which region within the master data region corresponds to the specific thick-slice scanning region. That is, it determines which part of the master data M region was specifically scanned with a thick-slice scan.

[0177] Next, the position difference calculation unit 114 extracts (selects) an extraction region including the inspected region from the region information obtained by the thick slice scan, based on the position relationship between the inspected region in the region of the master data M and the position of the thick slice scan region. Since the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A does not have a tilt adjustment unit 37, the tilt of the thick slice scan region relative to the multiple measured objects S is uneven, but the position difference calculation unit 114 actually selects the same position in each measured object S.

[0178] Next, the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured item S based on the extracted area. The evaluation results are stored in the data storage unit 117.

[0179] Reference Figure 18 The flowchart illustrates the measurement process for the measured object S in this embodiment. It is used to perform... Figure 18 The procedures for each process shown in the flowchart are pre-stored in a memory (not shown), and are read out and executed by the microprocessor of the inspection processing device 1. Furthermore, the object to be measured, S, is placed on the stage 30.

[0180] In step S31, the inspection range setting unit 115 sets the thick section scanning area and proceeds to step S32. In step S32, the control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator unit 36, and moves the stage 30 to the starting position for thick section scanning, proceeding to step S33. In step S33, the control unit 110 issues a command to the X-ray control unit 51 to control the X-ray source 2. The control unit 110 issues a command to the movement control unit 52 to control the manipulator unit 36, and sets commands to rotate the stage 30 and move it in the Y-axis direction for each cutting surface. Thus, thick section scanning is performed, and the process proceeds to step 34.

[0181] In step S34, the comparison unit 113 compares the region information obtained by the thick-slice scanning with the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117 to determine which position within the master data region corresponds to the specific thick-slice scanning region, and proceeds to step S35. In step S35, the position difference calculation unit 114 selects the extraction region containing the inspected region from the region information obtained by the thick-slice scanning based on the positional relationship between the inspected region in the region of the master data M and the position of the thick-slice scanning region, and proceeds to step S36.

[0182] In step S36, the evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured object S based on the area information in the extraction area, and proceeds to step S37. In step S37, the data storage unit 117 stores the area information based on the thick-slice scanning, information related to the positional relationship between the thick-slice scanning area and the extraction area, and information related to the evaluation result of the quality of the measured object S, and ends the procedure.

[0183] ---Evaluation of the quality of the measured item S---

[0184] The evaluation unit 116 evaluates the quality of the measured object S based on the area information obtained by scanning the thick section of the measured object S. As an evaluation sequence, for example, the extracted area is divided into unit three-dimensional grids for gridding. In this embodiment, the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A does not have a tilt adjustment unit 37; therefore, the tilt of the thick section scanning area relative to the multiple measured objects S is uneven. Therefore, the evaluation unit 116 grids the extracted area. Since the extracted area is the same in the multiple measured objects S, the grid division position and division direction are the same. That is, for multiple measured objects S inspected sequentially, the grid 650 can actually be set at the same position, and the same position can be evaluated.

[0185] In the second embodiment described above, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the following effects are also achieved.

[0186] (1) The comparison unit 113 is configured to select an extraction region from the thick slice scanning region. As a result, gridding can be performed based on the tilt of the evaluation region in the thick slice scanning region, thus enabling the evaluation of the goodness of multiple measured objects S under the same conditions, thereby improving the reliability of the evaluation.

[0187] (2) The thickness of the thick-slice scanning area has been increased. As a result, the area to be inspected is included in the scanning area. Therefore, the area to be inspected can be reliably evaluated through a single thick-slice scan, which is beneficial to improving productivity.

[0188] ---Implementation methods for structure manufacturing systems---

[0189] The embodiments of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment or the structure manufacturing system including the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A according to the second embodiment will be described. The structure manufacturing system manufactures molded articles, such as electronic components including automobile door parts, engine parts, gear parts, and circuit boards. In the following description, the structure manufacturing system will be described as a system equipped with the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 described in the first embodiment; the same applies to the case where it is equipped with the X-ray inspection apparatus 100A described in the second embodiment, therefore, its description is omitted.

[0190] Figure 19 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a structure manufacturing system 400 according to this embodiment. The structure manufacturing system 400 includes an X-ray inspection device 100, a design device 410, a molding device 420, a control system 430, and a repair device 440, as described in the first embodiment.

[0191] Design device 410 is a device used by a user to create design information related to the shape of a structure, performing design processing to create and store the design information. The design information is information representing the coordinates of various positions of the structure. The design information is output to molding device 420 and control system 430, described later. Molding device 420 uses the design information created by design device 410 to perform molding processing to manufacture and shape the structure. In this case, molding device 420 is also included in one aspect of the invention for at least one of lamination, casting, forging, and cutting processes, represented by 3D printing technology.

[0192] The X-ray inspection apparatus 100 performs an inspection process to check the shape of the structure formed by the forming apparatus 420. The X-ray inspection apparatus 100 outputs information indicating the inspection results of the structure, namely the coordinates of the structure (hereinafter referred to as shape information), to the control system 430. The control system 430 includes a coordinate storage unit 431 and an inspection unit 432. The coordinate storage unit 431 stores the design information established by the design apparatus 410 described above.

[0193] The inspection unit 432 determines whether the structure formed by the molding apparatus 420 is formed according to the design information established by the design apparatus 410. In other words, the inspection unit 432 determines whether the formed structure is a good product. In this case, the inspection unit 432 reads the design information stored in the coordinate storage unit 431 and performs an inspection process that compares the design information with the shape information input from the X-ray inspection apparatus 100. As an inspection process, the inspection unit 432 compares the coordinates represented by the design information with the coordinates represented by the corresponding shape information. If the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the shape information are consistent, the product is determined to be a good product formed according to the design information. If the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the corresponding shape information are inconsistent, the inspection unit 432 determines whether the difference between the coordinates is within a set range. If it is within the set range, the product is determined to be a repairable defective product.

[0194] If the defective product is determined to be repairable, the inspection unit 432 outputs repair information indicating the defective part and the amount of repair to the repair device 440. The defective part is the coordinate of the shape information that is inconsistent with the coordinate of the design information, and the amount of repair is the difference between the coordinate of the design information and the coordinate of the shape information in the defective part. Based on the input repair information, the repair device 440 performs repair processing on the defective part of the structure. After the repair processing, the repair device 440 performs the same processing as the molding process performed by the molding device 420.

[0195] Reference Figure 20 The flowchart shown illustrates the processing performed by the structure manufacturing system 400.

[0196] In step S81, the design device 410 is used by the user when designing the structure. It establishes and stores design information related to the shape of the structure through design processing, and then proceeds to step S82. Furthermore, the method of obtaining design information by inputting existing design information, rather than being limited to the design information established by the design device 410, is also included in this aspect of the invention. In step S82, the molding device 420 forms and shapes the structure based on the design information through molding processing, and then proceeds to step S83. In step S83, the X-ray inspection device 100 performs inspection processing, measures the shape of the structure, outputs shape information, and then proceeds to step S84.

[0197] In step S84, the inspection unit 432 performs an inspection process that compares the design information established by the design device 410 with the shape information inspected and output by the X-ray inspection device 100, and proceeds to step S85. In step S85, based on the inspection process result, the inspection unit 432 determines whether the structure formed by the molding device 420 is a good product. If the structure is a good product, that is, if the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the shape information are consistent, step S85 makes a positive judgment and ends the process. If the structure is not a good product, that is, if the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the shape information are inconsistent or if no coordinates are detected in the design information, step S85 makes a negative judgment and proceeds to step S86.

[0198] In step S86, the inspection unit 432 determines whether the defective part of the structure can be repaired. If the defective part is not repairable, that is, if the difference between the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the shape information in the defective part exceeds a set range, step S86 makes a negative judgment and ends the process. If the defective part is repairable, that is, if the difference between the coordinates of the design information and the coordinates of the shape information in the defective part is within a set range, step S86 makes a positive judgment and proceeds to step S87. In this case, the inspection unit 432 outputs repair information to the repair device 440. In step S87, the repair device 440 performs repair processing on the structure based on the input repair information and returns to step S83. Furthermore, as described above, the repair device 440 performs the same processing as the molding process performed by the molding device 420 again after the repair processing.

[0199] The above-mentioned structural manufacturing system has the following effects.

[0200] (1) The X-ray inspection device 100 of the structure manufacturing system 400 performs inspection processing based on the design processing of the design device 410 to obtain the shape information of the structure established by the molding device 420. The inspection unit 432 of the control system 430 compares the shape information obtained by the inspection processing with the design information established by the design processing. Therefore, by obtaining the inspection of defects or internal information of the structure through non-destructive inspection, it is possible to determine whether the structure is a good product built according to the design information, which is beneficial to the quality management of the structure.

[0201] (2) Based on the comparison results of the inspection process, the repair device 440 performs a repair process on the structure by re-forming it. Therefore, when the defective parts of the structure can be repaired, performing the same process as the forming process on the structure again is beneficial to manufacturing a high-quality structure that is close to the design information.

[0202] The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and one or more modifications can be combined with the above-described embodiments.

[0203] (1) In the above description, the comparison unit 113 is configured to determine whether the slice scan area corresponds to the inspected area set in the inspection range setting unit 115 based on the reconstructed image obtained by the first local scan and the master data M stored in the data storage unit 117. That is, in the above description, it is assumed that the slice scan area is included in the master data area. However, if the shape error of the measured object S is greater than the assumed value, or the thickness of the master data area is not suitable, the slice scan area may deviate from the master data area. Therefore, the comparison unit 113 may determine whether the slice scan area is included in the master data area before determining whether the slice scan area corresponds to the inspected area set by the inspection range setting unit 115. Thus, even if the shape error of the measured object S is greater than the assumed value, or the thickness of the master data area is too small and unsuitable, for example, if the thickness of the scan area is increased and a local scan is performed again, the thickened local scan area overlaps with the master data area, the position of the thickened local scan area can be specified, and the positional relationship with the evaluation area can be grasped.

[0204] (2) In the second embodiment described above, the configuration to obtain information for evaluating the quality of the measured object S through a single thick-slice scan can also be configured as follows. That is, even if the tilt adjustment part 37 is not provided on the manipulator part 36A of the mounting part 3, a thin-slice scan can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment as a first local scan.

[0205] Specifically, a first slice scan (partial scan) is performed, identical to that in the first embodiment, and the difference between the position of the first partial scan area and the position of the area to be inspected set by the inspection range setting unit 115 is calculated. Furthermore, based on the calculated position difference, this area, which includes the evaluation area, is redefined as the target partial scan area, and a second partial scan is performed.

[0206] Since the tilt adjustment unit 37 is not provided, the tilt of the measured object S cannot be corrected. Therefore, the thickness of the target local scanning area during the second local scan is set in such a way that the inspected area is included even if the measured object S is tilted.

[0207] The operations of each part—setting the target local scanning area during the first local scan, performing the first local scan on the measured object S, and determining whether the first local scan area corresponds to the inspected area—are the same as in the sheet scanning case of the first embodiment described above. The operations of each part—until it is determined that the first local scan area does not correspond to the inspected area, until the difference between the position of the measured object S corresponding to the area information obtained through the first local scan and the position of the inspected area—are also the same as in the first embodiment described above.

[0208] If the difference between the position of the measured object S, which corresponds to the area information obtained through the first local scan, and the position of the inspected area is calculated, then based on this position difference, the inspection range setting unit 115 sets a second local scan area for the measured object S in the area containing the inspected area. The thickness of the target local scan area during the second local scan is set as described above, in a manner that includes the inspected area even if the measured object S is tilted.

[0209] Next, a second local scan is performed on the object S being measured. As described above, the thickness of the target local scan area is set so that the area to be inspected is included in the local scan area of ​​the second local scan, thus including the area to be inspected in the second local scan area.

[0210] The actions of each part after the second local scan are the same as those of each part after the thick section scan in the second embodiment described above.

[0211] In this configuration, two partial scans are required. For example, if the deviation or tilt in the Y-axis direction is large due to the unevenness of the shape of the measured object S, as in the second embodiment, the inspection time for one measured object S can be shortened compared to performing a single thick-section scan. That is, if the unevenness of the shape of the measured object S increases and the deviation or tilt in the Y-axis direction is large, the thickness of the thick-section scan area must be increased. As mentioned above, even with a single partial scan, the inspection time may increase compared to performing two partial scans.

[0212] Therefore, when the shape of the measured object S is significantly uneven, the inspection time for one measured object S can be shortened compared to the second embodiment, which is very beneficial to improving productivity.

[0213] (3) In the above explanation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the case where the evaluation region 62 is included in the region SXa of the master data M will be explained. However, if the structure of the measured object SX near the evaluation region 62 is simple, it is difficult to show the characteristic shape described above on the reconstructed image near the evaluation region 62, thus making it difficult to compare the specific location of the cutting surface.

[0214] In this case, such as Figure 5 As shown, a region SXa is set for the master data M in a location far from the evaluation region 62.

[0215] like Figure 5 As shown, when the master data area and the evaluation area to be checked, i.e. the area to be checked, are separated, information for evaluating the goodness of the measured object S is obtained in the following manner.

[0216] First, the range setting unit 115 sets a target local scan area on a portion of the main data area. Next, the control unit 110 controls each unit to perform a first local scan on the measured object S. Based on the first local scan, the comparison unit 113 compares the area information obtained by the area information acquisition unit 112 with the main data M stored in the data storage unit 117, and determines which area within the main data area the specific first local scan area corresponds to.

[0217] If the location of the first partial scan area is known to correspond to a specific location in the main data area, then the difference between the location of the first partial scan area and the location of the area being inspected is also known. Therefore, the location difference calculation unit 114 calculates the difference between the locations of the first partial scan area and the area being inspected.

[0218] If the difference between the position of the first partial scan area and the area under inspection is calculated, the movement control unit 52 controls the manipulator unit 36 ​​to move the stage 30 by setting the difference between the positions to zero. As a result, the scan area of ​​the second partial scan includes the area under inspection.

[0219] (4) In the above description, by moving the stage 30, the positional relationship between the X-ray source 2 and / or detector 4 and the measured object S can be changed. Not only can the stage 30 be moved, but the X-ray source 2 and / or detector 4 can also be moved to change the positional relationship with the measured object S.

[0220] (5) The X-ray inspection apparatus 100 may also have an X-ray source that emits a conical beam and a detector 4 that is not a line sensor but has a structure with pixels arranged in a two-dimensional shape. In this case, the detector 4 outputs a signal from the linearly arranged pixels according to the cutting surface 700. By configuring it in this way, the cutting surface 700 can also be displaced in directions other than the Y direction.

[0221] (6) In the above description, when generating master data M from the object S initially inspected by the X-ray inspection apparatus 100, the top surface of the stage 30 is parallel to the XZ plane, and the object S is placed on the stage surface in an X-ray inspection posture. In this state, the shape information of the initial object S1 is obtained by performing a partial scan while rotating the stage 30. However, the following sequence may also be adopted before generating the master data M.

[0222] Figure 11 As shown in (a), a surface standard 604 is typically provided on the casting, i.e., the object being measured S. Surface standard 604 refers to the area used to set a standard surface; for example, a standard surface is set using three surface standards. A standard surface is a standard used to measure the dimensions of the object being measured. In castings such as engine cylinder blocks, such as... Figure 11 As shown in (b), the face standard 604 is positioned further inward than the surrounding casting surface surface 605, so that even if the surface of the casting is machined, the surface of the face standard will not be machined. For example, as Figure 11 As shown in (b), even if the casting surface 605 of the casting vessel is machined to the surface indicated by the two-dot dashed line 605a, the surface of the surface standard 604 will not be machined to a certain height.

[0223] When obtaining measurement information for the initial measured object S1, firstly, the top surface of the mounting stage 30 is aligned parallel to the XZ plane. The initial measured object S1 is then placed on the mounting stage 30, and its contact with the positioning pin (not shown) is established, positioning the initial measured object S1 on the mounting stage 30. In this state, a three-dimensional measuring instrument is used to measure three standard surfaces 604 of the initial measured object S1. From this, the inclination of the standard surfaces relative to the mounting surface can be calculated.

[0224] When the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 has a tilt adjustment mechanism for the stage 30, the tilt adjustment mechanism is activated such that the tilt angle of the standard plane relative to the stage 30 is set to zero. That is, the tilt adjustment mechanism is activated to make the coordinate system of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 match the coordinate system of the object being measured for the first time, S. Then, while rotating the stage 30, a partial scan is performed to generate master data M based on the object being measured for the first time, S.

[0225] In the absence of a tilt adjustment mechanism for the stage 30 in the X-ray inspection apparatus 100, the master data M is generated from the first measured object S in the order described above, based on the calculated tilt of the standard plane relative to the stage plane and after setting the scan thickness when generating the master data M.

[0226] The three-dimensional measuring device can be a contact-type three-dimensional measuring device or a non-contact three-dimensional measuring device. Furthermore, it can be a three-dimensional measuring device installed inside the X-ray inspection apparatus 100, or it can be a movable three-dimensional measuring device.

[0227] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when measuring an object that includes a standard portion such as a surface standard, the position can be calculated regardless of whether the surface standard and other thin-film areas are continuous or separated. However, in this embodiment, when the standard portion is not included in the measurement range, it is unknown whether the area actually measured is the intended area. In some cases, there is a problem that the measurement is performed on areas that deviate from the intended area. Therefore, there is a problem that the same area cannot be the intended area for each measurement of multiple objects. In this embodiment, since master data M is generated, it is possible to determine whether the measurement area is the intended area even when the standard portion is not included. Furthermore, the position can be determined by comparing the position of the measurement area with the master data M.

[0228] Sometimes, the object S being measured is held in a measuring fixture with surface standard 604 after casting, and its shape is measured by a three-dimensional measuring instrument or the like. In this case, the following sequence can also be taken before generating the master data M: that is, while measuring the shape of the casting with surface standard 604 held in a measuring fixture, the surface on the stage 30 of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 where the object S1 is initially placed is measured. From this, the inclination of the placed surface during X-ray inspection relative to the standard surface based on surface standard 604 can be calculated.

[0229] After calculating the inclination of the mounting surface relative to the standard surface, the order in which the master data M is generated is the same as the order described above.

[0230] (7) In the first embodiment described above, the following principle is stated: the master data M can also be generated based on the shape of the measured object S obtained by an inspection device other than the X-ray inspection device 100. Specifically, the master data M can be generated in the following manner.

[0231] Beforehand, the top of the stage 30 is aligned parallel to the XZ plane. Using a non-contact 3D measuring instrument such as a movable 3D measuring instrument 200 (hereinafter referred to as the 3D measuring instrument 200), multiple parts of the outer periphery of the initial measurement object S1 placed on the stage 30 are measured along the Y-axis direction while the stage 30 is rotated. This method is as follows: Figure 21 As shown in (a). The measurement range S1a in the Y-axis direction can also be small. That is, the positions of multiple parts of a thinner region in the Y-axis direction are measured to obtain shape information. The measurement results are obtained through... Figure 2The configuration information acquisition unit 111 obtains the information shown. The position difference calculation unit 114 obtains information related to the tilt of the first measured object S1 in the device coordinate system based on the first measurement result and, for example, the design information of the first measured object S1.

[0232] When the stage 30 has a tilt adjustment mechanism, the tilt adjustment mechanism is activated such that the tilt angle of the standard plane relative to the stage surface is set to zero. That is, the tilt adjustment mechanism is activated to match the coordinate system of the stage 30 with the coordinate system of the object S being measured initially. Then, as... Figure 21 As shown in (b), while rotating the stage 30, multiple locations within a region of defined thickness along the Y-axis are measured using the three-dimensional measuring instrument 200. Master data is generated from the initial measured object S based on the obtained measurement information.

[0233] In the absence of a tilt adjustment mechanism on the stage 30, the thickness in the Y-axis direction is set based on the obtained tilt information, and measurements are performed at multiple locations. Master data M is generated from the initial measured object S based on the obtained measurement information. In the absence of a tilt adjustment mechanism on the stage 30, the thickness in the Y-axis direction is typically increased. Furthermore, when measuring the initial measured object S1 using the three-dimensional measuring instrument 200, the initial measured object S1 can be placed on a different stage than the stage 30 of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100.

[0234] Thus, when the master data M is generated based on information about the shape of the object S being measured, obtained through an inspection device other than the X-ray inspection device 100, the three-dimensional measuring device 200 can be used to measure a portion of the shape of the object S along the Y-axis, replacing the sheet scan described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, based on the measurement results from the three-dimensional measuring device 200, a partial scan equivalent to a rescan in the first embodiment can be performed.

[0235] (8) A computer may also be used to implement a portion of the functions of the inspection processing apparatus 1 of each of the above embodiments or the inspection processing apparatus 1 of its variations. In this case, the program for implementing the control function is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, or it may be implemented by reading the program related to the control recorded on the recording medium into a computer system and executing it. Furthermore, the term "computer system" as used herein refers to a system that includes hardware including an OS (Operating System) and peripheral devices. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable recording media such as floppy disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, and memory cards, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" may include a medium that dynamically holds a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, and a medium that holds a program for a period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that serves as a server or client at this time. In addition, the program described above may be a program for implementing a portion of the aforementioned functions, or it may be a program that implements the aforementioned functions by combining with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0236] Furthermore, when applied to personal computers, the programs related to the aforementioned control can be provided via recording media such as CD-ROMs or data signals such as the Internet. Figure 22 This is a diagram illustrating the method. Personal computer 950 receives the program via CD-ROM 953. Furthermore, personal computer 950 has a connection function with communication line 951. Computer 952 is a service computer that provides the aforementioned program, storing the program on a recording medium such as a hard disk. Communication line 951 is a communication line such as the Internet, personal computer communication, or a dedicated communication line. Computer 952 reads the program from the hard disk and sends the program to personal computer 950 via communication line 951. That is, the program is transmitted as a data signal carrier wave via communication line 951. In this way, the program can be provided as a computer-readable computer program product in various forms such as a recording medium or a carrier wave.

[0237] (9) The setting of the measurement conditions of the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 in the above embodiments will be explained. Furthermore, the measurement conditions when selecting and inspecting the area to be inspected in the above embodiments will be explained. For example, the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 will be explained. The case of selecting an area to be inspected for partial scanning will be explained as an example. Initially, the area to be inspected is set (S41). For example, when an area to be inspected is selected, the distance through which the X-rays irradiated by the X-ray inspection apparatus 100 pass to the object being measured is calculated. When the distance is calculated, for example, as described in PCT / JP2014 / 073096 and / or PCT / JP2014 / 073097, when an evaluation area is set as the area to be inspected, the most suitable placement direction of the object being measured is determined by the sum of the number of cut surfaces relative to the object being measured and the sum of the amount of movement of the object being measured, in order to shorten the inspection time. The distance through which the X-rays pass to the object being measured is thus calculated. The X-ray inspection apparatus, for example, estimates the required intensity of the X-rays in advance based on the distance through which the X-rays pass and the material of the object being measured. The accelerating voltage and current of the X-ray source used to irradiate the X-rays are estimated to achieve the estimated X-ray intensity. In addition to the estimated accelerating voltage and current of the X-ray source, the exposure time of the detector that detects X-rays transmitted through the object being measured can also be used. Furthermore, during the inspection of the object, the X-ray measurement conditions can be determined based on the size of the defect.

[0238] Thus, a thin-section scan is performed using the estimated measurement conditions (S44). Before performing the thin-section scan, the object to be measured is moved to a set position by moving the stage 30. Furthermore, the X-ray measurement conditions can be set either before or after moving the stage 30. Next, a projection image or reconstructed image is created after the thin-section scan. It is estimated whether the created projection image or reconstructed image is most suitable for inspection (S45). For example, in the case of inspecting defects (tiny spaces) in the internal structure, if only the external shape of the external structure or internal structure is clearly identifiable, but the size of the internal structure defect cannot be sufficiently identified, the measurement conditions are reset again (S46). For example, the exposure time is extended to enable the identification of the size of the internal structure defect. Alternatively, for example, by adjusting the contrast of the projection image and the reconstructed image, if the internal structure defect can be identified, the image contrast can be adjusted, and it may not be necessary to perform X-ray measurement again.

[0239] Furthermore, using full scan or design information of the measurand, regardless of the orientation of the measurand, sufficient measurand conditions for transmitting the measurand can be calculated, and the measurand can be measured using these calculated measurement conditions.

[0240] Alternatively, a portion of PCT / JP2014 / 073096 and / or PCT / JP2014 / 073097 may be cited.

[0241] Without prejudice to the features of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other methods conceived within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0242] Symbol Explanation

[0243] 1…Inspection and processing device, 2…X-ray source, 3…Mounting unit, 4…Detector, 5…Control device, 36, 36A…Manipulator unit, 100, 100A…X-ray inspection device

Claims

1. A measurement processing apparatus that measures an object using X-rays, comprising: a region information obtaining section that obtains region information of a portion of the object based on X-rays transmitted through the portion of the object; a judging section that judges the region information of the portion and original region information of the object, the object including an inspection region; if the judgment result is that the portion does not include the inspection region, the region information obtaining section obtains region information of a changed portion of the object; and if the judgment result is that the portion includes the inspection region, the measurement processing apparatus is configured to evaluate the quality of the object.

2. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the judging section judges that the portion does not include the inspection region, the judging section determines that the region information obtaining section obtains the region information of the changed portion of the object.

3. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the region information of the changed portion is different from the region information of the portion that does not include the inspection region, and the apparatus further comprises: a position difference calculating section that calculates a difference in position between the portion and the inspection region.

5. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the region information obtaining section is further configured to reobtain the region information of a portion of the object after a position of the object is corrected based on the difference in position.

6. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the difference in position exceeds a predetermined range, the position of the object is corrected.

7. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging section further includes an evaluating section that evaluates the quality of the object when the judging section judges that the portion includes the inspection region.

8. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region information obtaining section is further configured to obtain the region information of a portion of the object including a cross section of the object by irradiating the object with X-rays. The apparatus further comprises: a storage section that stores the original region information of the object.

10. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original region information of the object is design information of the object.

4. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 11. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original region information of the object is measurement information obtained by measuring a first object having the same structure as the object using X-rays.

12. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original region information of the object is measurement information obtained by measuring a first object having the same structure as the object using a measurement method different from X-rays.

13. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original region information of the object is information of a portion of the object. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 14. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to judge the part of the area information and the original area information of the measured object.

15. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area information includes a hole formed in the measured object.

16. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measured object is provided with a plurality of evaluation areas for judging the quality of the measured object; the apparatus further comprises: a detection range setting section configured to select at least one evaluation area from among the plurality of evaluation areas as the inspection area.

17. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the part of the measured object obtained by the area information obtaining section is greater than the thickness of the inspection area.

18. The measurement processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the thickness of the part of the measured object in the orthogonal direction of the cross section of the measured object is greater than the thickness of the inspection area.

19. An X-ray inspection apparatus comprising: the measurement processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18; a stage on which the measured object is placed; an X-ray source that irradiates X-rays to the measured object; and a detection section that detects X-rays transmitted through the measured object.

20. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein X-rays from the X-ray source are irradiated to the part of the measured object including the inspection area according to the judgment result, and the detection section detects X-rays transmitted through the measured object.

21. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the position of the detection section is changed according to the judgment result, and the detection section detects X-rays transmitted through the measured object after the position of the detection section is changed.

22. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the position of the measured object is corrected according to the judgment result, and the measured object at the corrected position is measured using X-rays.

23. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the stage is moved to correct the position of the measured object.

24. A measurement processing method of measuring a measured object using X-rays, comprising the steps of: obtaining region information of a part of a region of the measured object based on X-rays transmitted through the part of the region; obtaining area information of a part of the measured object; and judging the area information of the part and original area information of the measured object including an inspection area; if the judgment result is that the part does not include the inspection area, obtaining area information of a changed part of the measured object; if the judgment result is that the part includes the inspection area, evaluating the quality of the measured object.

25. A measurement processing program of measuring a measured object using X-rays and executing the following processing by a computer: an area information obtaining process of obtaining area information of a part of the measured object based on X-rays transmitted through the part; and a judgment process of judging the area information of the part and original area information of the measured object including an inspection area. The judging process judges the region information of the part of the region and the original region information of the measured object, the measured object including the inspected region; wherein, if the judging result is that the part of the region does not include the inspected region, the region information obtaining process includes a step of obtaining region information of a changed part of the measured object; if the judging result is that the part of the region includes the inspected region, the measuring process includes a step of evaluating the good quality of the measured object.

26. A control device, comprising: a control unit configured to evaluate the good quality of a measured object by judging region information of a part of the region of the measured object obtained by irradiating the part of the region with X-rays and original region information of the measured object; wherein, if the judging result is that the part of the region does not include the inspected region, obtaining region information of a changed part of the measured object; if the judging result is that the part of the region includes the inspected region, the control unit evaluates the good quality of the measured object.

27. The control device according to claim 26, wherein the region information of the part of the region is a cross-sectional shape image of the part of the region, and the original region information is an original shape image representing a reference shape of the measured object; the control device further comprises: a position recognizing unit configured to recognize the position of the part of the region of the measured object by using the cross-sectional shape image and the original shape image.

28. The control device according to claim 27, wherein the device is further configured to extract a feature shape from the cross-sectional shape image, and compare the feature shape with the original shape image to recognize the position of the part of the region of the measured object.

29. The control device according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the original region information of the measured object is design information of the measured object.

30. A manufacturing method of a structure, comprising: establishing design information related to a shape of a measured object; manufacturing the measured object based on the design information; processing the shape of the measured object generated by the measuring processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 18; and inspecting the inspected region according to the processing result.

31. A manufacturing method of a structure, comprising: establishing design information related to a shape of a measured object; manufacturing the measured object based on the design information; and inspecting the shape of the measured object generated by the X-ray inspection device according to any one of claims 19 to 22. ​ ​

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