Leading Industrial NDT X-Ray Inspection Systems for Casting Flaw Detection & Internal Defect Control.

Lightweight Does Not Mean Lower Safety Standards

Internal Inspection for Critical Cast Bicycle Components

2026-06-23

Customer Case Study

Lightweight Does Not Mean
Lower Safety Standards

Internal Inspection for Critical Cast Bicycle Components

Five-Axis C-Arm Rotary Cabinet X-ray Inspection for Cast Bicycle Components

Illustration: Multi-angle X-ray inspection of hubs, crank arms, pedals, and suspension links

Hidden porosity and cracks can compromise rider safety.
Protect every critical load-bearing component by controlling internal quality.

Customer Background

A bicycle component manufacturer produces aluminum hub shells, crank arms, disc-brake calipers, pedal bodies, and suspension links for mid- to high-end mountain bikes, road bikes, and e-bikes. The components are becoming lighter and more complex while still having to withstand repeated impact, torque, and braking loads.

Customer Challenges

1Aluminum castings could contain internal porosity, shrinkage porosity, and hot tears that visual inspection could not detect.

2Load-bearing areas such as hub flanges, crank roots, caliper fluid passages, and suspension mounting holes had complex geometry that overlapped in single-angle images.

3The customer relied mainly on sampling, sectioning, and downstream fatigue testing, so defects were often found only after batch losses had occurred.

4Substantial geometry differences between products required frequent turning and re-fixturing, resulting in unstable inspection cycles.

Our Solution

To address lightweight, thin-wall designs and concentrated critical load areas, we supplied a five-axis C-arm rotary cabinet X-ray system and developed product-specific multi-angle inspection programs.

→ Five-axis coordinated viewing Define optimal projections around hub flanges, crank transitions, and caliper fluid passages.		→ Multi-directional C-arm imaging Reduce overlap from holes, ribs, and thin-wall structures to improve defect visibility.

→ Quick-change fixtures Ensure repeatable positioning between batches and reduce manual turning.		→ Product inspection recipes Save motion paths and imaging positions for immediate recall.

Implementation Process

1	Risk Mapping — Use load analysis and historical failures to define critical inspection areas.

2	Sample Validation — Use good, suspect, and sectioned samples to confirm defect-image characteristics.

3	Program Development — Finalize angles and exposure settings for hubs, crank arms, and other products.

4	Production Deployment — Train operators and evaluators and establish batch procedures.

Results

After implementation, the customer could inspect critical load-bearing areas from multiple angles without damaging the parts and promptly identify porosity, shrinkage porosity, cracks, and inclusions.

✓Defects were found before machining, surface treatment, and assembly, reducing downstream waste.

✓Five-axis programs reduced manual turning and improved repeatability between batches.

✓More complete inspection of critical load areas reduced false calls and escapes.

✓Images archived by product and batch to support audits and traceability.

Before and After

Before	After the Five-Axis Solution
Relied on visual inspection and destructive testing	Non-destructive visibility of internal defects
Complex areas obscured by overlapping geometry	Five-axis angle changes reduced image overlap
Repeated adjustments after product changeovers	Product programs enabled fast changeovers

Customer Feedback

Bicycle components may be small, but hub flanges and crank roots are safety-critical areas. Five-axis X-ray inspection lets us verify internal quality from the right angles and provides clear image evidence during customer audits.

— Customer Quality Manager (sample quotation)