Holistic Quality Assessment of Additively Manufactured Heat Exchangers Using Robotic CT

The increasing demand for higher heat transfer efficiency has driven the integration of compact heat exchangers with additive manufacturing (AM). The ability to fabricate intricate geometries using diverse materials allows for optimized trade-offs between heat transfer and pressure drop. This work demonstrate a holistic quality inspection approach utilizing a robotic Computed Tomography (CT) setup for the comprehensive evaluation of various types of AM heat exchangers. Three distinct geometric designs-OSF, WAVY, and TPMS-were analyzed using representative mock-ups. For global inspection, full-part scanning was performed to assess geometrical deviations and conduct statistical wall thickness analyses. As depicted in Figure 1(a), some regions exhibited unmelted powder, impacting their efficiency; additionally, various small porosities were observed in another design type, as shown in Figure 1(b). A holistic wall thickness analysis on the fins was conducted (Figure 1(c)), enabling statistical evaluations of uniformity.