3D X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Image Segmentation and Point Cloud Reconstruction for Internal Defect Identification in Laser Powder Bed Fused Parts

Defects shape, volume, and orientation all have a direct impact on the mechanical properties of Laser Powder Bed Fused (L-PBF-ed) parts. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and analyze the 3-dimensional (3D) geometrical characteristics of these defects. X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) can reveal an object's internal structure by volumetric scanning through its building direction. Point clouds are 3D data that can be extracted from the stack of XCT images taken from a part to perform further analysis. This study presents a novel approach for 3D segmentation and geometrical analysis of L-PBF defect structures from XCT images. The proposed method integrates Voronoi labeling and 3D point cloud reconstruction to reveal individual defect characteristics from the XCT image stack of a part. A case study showed the proposed methodology's effectiveness to identify and characterize defect regions in L-PBF-ed Cobalt Chrome (CoCr) parts.