Preparing a restoration via X-ray inspection
X-ray inspection is the ideal method to analyze rare cultural assets prior to restoration and identify weak points thereby.
Methods stemming from non-destructive testing (NDT) technology are frequently applied toward examining cultural assets. X-ray technology enables the user to look into objects’ interior without destroying them or damaging their surfaces. Due to the different absorption of X-rays, the inner construction of the inspection object in question becomes visible on the radiographic image. Standard X-ray systems are usually sufficient for these analyses, but computed tomography using YXLON computed tomography systems is recommended when objects are rare or unique.
A good example of how this technology is applied is whjen Buddhist statues are examined preliminary to restoration. X-ray technology is particularly suitable for this task because the different varieties of wood and annual rings lead to a spatial distribution of densities that varies. These variances in density can be identified in the radiographic image as regions displaying a differently strong level of absorption.
The pictures shows a sculpture by “Hakuin Zenji” dating back to 1768. It came about during the Edo era and stands in the Shoin-ji Temple in Numazu, Japan.
We offer you a wide range of X-ray techniques at our application centers. We design solutions that replace X-ray films, provide radioscopy and fully automatic defect recognition in X-ray images, as well as computed tomography services for scanning inspection items ranging from micro-CT to CT using a linear accelerator.