Battery CT scanning and X-ray inspection for electronics

2D radiographic testing is faster and cheaper; CT gives the third dimension that root cause work often needs.

• Anode to cathode overhang at the edges, measured layer by layer around the full circumference of a cylindrical cell.
• Electrode misalignment, folds and wrinkles in stacked or wound designs.
• Foreign particles and contamination inside the cell, down to the scan resolution.
• Tab and weld quality, can and lid weld defects, and crimp geometry.
• Deformation, gas pockets and swelling after cycling or abuse testing.

What cell CT does not show

• Chemistry, electrolyte state and lithium plating at the microscopic level usually need teardown and lab analysis.
• Features smaller than about two to three voxels; a full cell scan at moderate resolution can miss small particles that a region of interest scan finds.
• Electrical behavior; CT complements electrical and thermal testing, it does not replace it.

X-ray is the standard way to inspect hidden solder joints under area array packages. A lab with oblique angle views and CT can measure void percentage per ball, find head in pillow defects and check barrel fill on through hole parts. Connectors and cable assemblies are scanned to look at pin seating, crimp quality and internal cracks after a field return. For failure analysis, CT lets an engineer slice through a board in software before deciding where to cross section.

• Void measurement per ball or joint against your acceptance criteria.
• Detection of bridges, opens and missing or misregistered balls.
• Inspection of crimps, wire bonds in power modules and press fit pins.
• Counterfeit screening by comparing die and lead frame to a known good part.

• IPC-A-610 for acceptability of electronic assemblies, the reference most buyers use when judging solder joints.
• IPC-7095 for BGA design and assembly, including void classification guidance.
• J-STD-001 for soldering requirements.
• ASTM E1570 practice for CT examination, and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation when results must be traceable.
• Battery programs set their own CT criteria for overhang, alignment and particles, often in the customer specification or cell design documents; state them in the RFQ.

Labs state their accreditations on their profiles, so confirm the scope for your part type before shipping.

Typical estimate bands for US labs, not a quote. Resolution, number of scans per part and analysis depth decide the price.

Shipping lithium cells has its own rules for packaging and labeling, so ask the lab how they want cells sent and whether they accept damaged cells.