Industrial tomography apparatus and method for checking the composition of industrial products which comprise a plurality of primary parts

1 . An industrial tomography apparatus ( 1 ) comprising:

a conveying device ( 3 ), configured to feed to a scanning zone ( 4 ), and respectively remove from the scanning zone ( 4 ), a product ( 2 ) to be inspected;

a tomography scan device ( 7 ) configured to perform tomography scans of the product ( 2 ) placed in the scanning zone ( 4 ); and

an electronic processing unit operatively connected to the tomography scan device ( 7 ) for receiving from the tomography scan device ( 7 ) digital data about the tomography scans performed by the tomography scan device ( 7 ), and programmed to generate, using that digital data, a virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) of the product ( 2 ) scanned by the tomography scan device ( 7 ), the virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) being constituted of a plurality of voxels, each of which has its own constant density, and representing the internal structure of the product ( 2 );

and wherein the electronic processing unit is also programmed to perform a procedure for inspecting the composition of products ( 2 ) of known type comprising a plurality of primary parts and having known features, wherein for the products ( 2 ) of known type the known features reflect the production and/or packaging specifications, and wherein during the inspection procedure the electronic processing unit inspects the virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) to assess at least one of the following predetermined properties of the product ( 2 ): the position of one or more primary parts inside the product ( 2 ) and the total number of primary parts of a same type inside the product ( 2 ).

2 . A plant ( 14 ) for the industrial production of products ( 2 ) comprising a plurality of primary parts, comprising a production line ( 15 ) along which one or more product ( 2 ) preparation stations ( 16 ) are mounted one after another, and at least one industrial tomography apparatus ( 1 ) according to claim 1 mounted along the production line ( 15 ) downstream of at least one preparation station ( 16 ) for the product ( 2 ).

3 . The plant ( 14 ) according to claim 2 , wherein, at the end of the inspection procedure, the electronic processing unit classifies a product ( 2 ) as conforming or non-conforming based on the predetermined properties assessed, wherein the plant ( 14 ), downstream of the industrial tomography apparatus ( 1 ) comprises an ejection station ( 17 ) configured to expel non-conforming products ( 2 ) from the production line ( 15 ), and wherein the electronic processing unit is connected to the ejection station ( 17 ) for communicating to the ejection station ( 17 ) which products ( 2 ) have been classified as non-conforming.

4 . The plant ( 14 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the plant ( 14 ) comprises a checking system connected to the electronic processing unit, and wherein the checking system is configured to modify operating parameters of the one or more preparation stations ( 16 ), when the electronic processing unit supplies, for a plurality of distinct products ( 2 ), a same indication of failure to match one or more predetermined properties assessed.

5 . The plant ( 14 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the checking system is connected to the electronic processing unit in order to receive from it the indication of whether or not the comparison step has identified a match for the predetermined properties assessed.

6 . The plant ( 14 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the plant ( 14 ) comprises a checking system connected to the electronic processing unit, and wherein the checking system is configured to modify operating parameters of the one or more preparation stations ( 16 ), when the electronic processing unit supplies, for a plurality of distinct products ( 2 ), a same indication of failure to match one or more predetermined properties assessed.

7 . The plant ( 14 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the checking system is connected to the electronic processing unit in order to receive from it the indication of whether or not the comparison step has identified a match for the predetermined properties assessed.

8 . A method for checking the composition of industrial products ( 2 ) which comprise a plurality of primary parts and have known features, wherein the known features reflect the production and/or packaging specifications, the method comprising the following operating steps:

a tomography scan step, wherein, using a tomography apparatus ( 1 ) inserted in a production line ( 15 ), a computed tomography scan of the product ( 2 ) is performed and a virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) of the product ( 2 ) is obtained, the three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) being constituted of a plurality of voxels, each of which has its own constant density, and representing the internal structure of the product ( 2 ); and

a step of computerised analysis of the virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ), for assessment of predetermined properties of the primary parts of the product ( 2 ) to which the virtual three-dimensional tomography model ( 8 ) corresponds, chosen between the position of one or more primary parts inside the product ( 2 ) and the total number of primary parts of a same type inside the product ( 2 ).

9 . The method according to claim 8 wherein the industrial products ( 2 ) are food products.