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At the heart of cutting-edge manufacturing and teardown analysis lies a quiet revolution: cloud CT scanning. Lumafield, a rising star in industrial x-ray computed tomography (CT), is transforming how engineers inspect, evaluate, and understand internal structures—without ever cutting a part open. Through its partnership with LIFT, the advanced manufacturing innovation institute in Detroit, Lumafield is helping democratize CT technology across sectors. This aligns perfectly with Munro & Associates’ commitment to lean design and advanced teardown insights.
From Specialty Tool to Everyday Engineering Asset
CT scanning has long been a specialized, expensive tool reserved for high-end labs or hospitals. Systems cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and carry maintenance risks that can cripple budgets—just replacing an x-ray source or detector may cost over $60,000. But Lumafield is changing that. Their Neptune CT scanner integrates compact hardware with cloud computing, radically reducing the cost and complexity of adoption. Priced to compete and designed to fit in standard offices or labs, it requires only a normal outlet and doorway access.
Unlike traditional CT systems, which require complex, local computation, Lumafield offloads the heavy lifting to the cloud. As a result, users no longer need bulky, high-spec workstations to process massive image datasets. Instead, they can view, manipulate, and share high-resolution volumetric scans directly in a web browser—from desktops to mobile devices.
Software-Defined Inspection: One Scan, Many Insights
Lumafield’s “software-defined inspection” paradigm is a game changer. Where once engineers needed a suite of tools to test for multiple failure modes, a single CT scan now generates a full digital twin. All subsequent inspections—from porosity analysis to dimensional checks—are done through software. This shift streamlines quality control, R&D, and reverse engineering workflows across industries.
Whether analyzing injection-molded plastics, die-cast metals, or multilayered circuit boards, engineers gain deep insights into internal structures—without disassembly. With automatic region-of-interest (ROI) zooming, slice planes, and porosity detection, Lumafield’s cloud software (Voyager) allows granular inspection of critical features like BGA solder joints, MOSFET layers, or battery welds.
Munro’s Use Case: Faster, Smarter Teardowns
Munro & Associates, known for its comprehensive EV teardowns, sees immense value in integrating Lumafield’s CT scans into its process. Traditionally, disassembling dense components like PCBs, power modules, or batteries risks damage and takes time. CT scanning offers a faster, non-destructive way to identify what’s inside—and where to focus physical efforts.
Take the Rivian R1T power module scan, for instance. With Lumafield’s 3D rendering, engineers could observe bond wires, copper layers, and even speculate on cooling channel designs—all without removing a single fastener. Likewise, a Tesla PCB scan revealed stiffeners, dense capacitor clusters, and detailed BGA underlayers, letting Munro’s team assess solder quality and integration strategies in remarkable clarity.
This method doesn’t just accelerate discovery—it improves documentation, collaboration, and learning. Engineers can annotate scans, share bookmarks, and leave comments—turning each scan into a living design review.
Designed for Industry Needs
Lumafield offers multiple scanner configurations to meet material-specific demands:
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120 kV: Ideal for plastics, polymers, and electronics.
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190 kV: Penetrates dense metals and thick components.
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130 kV Microfocus: Enables fine resolution (~6 microns) for intricate PCB or BGA features.
Unlike airport or medical CT scanners optimized for speed over precision, Lumafield targets micron-level resolution essential to manufacturing. Engineers can now detect porosity, gasket compression, separator damage in batteries, and more.
Even battery pouch cells—like those from the Hyundai Ioniq 5—can be virtually dissected, revealing cathode/anode layering, tab welds, and structural uniformity. These insights are especially valuable when investigating failure modes or refining assembly techniques.
Scalability, Automation, and Future Potential
Currently, Lumafield’s systems can handle basketball-sized components. But the roadmap includes larger systems and fully automated workflows. By integrating CT scans into 24/7 lights-out environments, manufacturers could inspect hundreds or thousands of parts daily—aligning with Industry 4.0 goals.
These advancements promise to eliminate common pain points in traditional CT workflows: data storage, file access, hardware failure risk, and computational bottlenecks. Lumafield’s cloud-native approach solves these with simple link sharing, on-demand high-resolution ROI pulls, and centralized backups.
This scalability also supports education. At LIFT’s facility, students interact with Lumafield scanners as part of workforce development, learning skills in digital twin analysis, smart factory systems, and additive manufacturing QC—equipping them for future-ready roles.
Teardown Without Destruction: A New Era for Engineering
What once took days of laborious part removal and physical probing can now begin with a scan. While not all components fit in today’s machines—and some very dense or large parts may still require physical disassembly—the blend of physical teardown and virtual analysis gives engineering teams the best of both worlds.
Even non-destructive testing of welds, solder balls, or internal cooling paths becomes trivial. By integrating with teardown insights, Munro can now focus its hands-on work where it matters most, reducing guesswork and improving efficiency.
Final Thoughts: Cloud CT Is the Future
Lumafield and LIFT exemplify how cloud-based CT scanning is reshaping industrial engineering. It enables rapid, high-resolution internal inspection. It scales across workflows. And it’s accessible enough for startups, OEMs, and educators alike.
For Munro & Associates, this opens a new chapter in non-destructive teardown analysis, one where digital twins guide every step. As the technology grows—toward full-vehicle scanning, automated analytics, and deeper integrations—the potential for savings in time, cost, and insight is immense.
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