Rationale and Application of Tangential Scanning to Industrial Inspection of Hardwood Logs

Industrial computed tomography (CT) inspection of hardwood logs has some unique requirements not found in other CT applications. Sawmill operations demand that large volumes of wood be scanned quickly at high spatial resolution for extended duty cycles. Current CT scanning geometries and commercial systems have both technical and economic [imitations. Tangential scanning is introduced here as an innovation that can make CT scanning economically and operationally viable in the hardwood sawmilling industry. This technique is presented in contrast to existing scanning geometries, where it incorporates their advantages, but shares none of their limitations. A bench prototype has been constructed and its operation is described. Future enhancements and improvements are enumerated.