Fiberscope has reintroduced the iX3D, a modular video borescope that adds stereo-vision 3D measurement to remote visual inspection of industrial equipment. Developed in the U.S. with German optical engineering from IT Concepts GmbH, the system pairs a standard videoscope feed with six measurement methods, letting inspectors size a defect's length, depth, height, distance, or area without pulling the component apart. Fiberscope frames the update around a specific gap in ordinary borescope work: spotting corrosion or material loss is one thing, but many maintenance calls hinge on how big the defect actually is.
The six measurement methods are Point-to-Point, Point-to-Line, Point-to-Plane, Multipoint, Max Point-to-Line, and Plane, with the last two built for height/depth and area calculations respectively. What's new here is how iX3D lets an inspector check the reliability of a reading rather than trust a single number. Every measurement generates a 360-degree 3D model of the surface, so users can rotate it, zoom in, and see exactly where each measurement point landed. A color-coded depth map shows surface variation, and the software flags any area in red where there isn't enough 3D data to support a measurement.
Fiberscope says the workflow is built for speed in the field: four clicks to configure the camera, seven more to take the measurement, with results returned in under a minute. The system runs on swappable stereo probes in 4mm and 6mm diameters, configurable for 0-degree forward or 90-degree side viewing, with working lengths from 1.5 to 7.5 meters. Probes connect over USB and can be swapped in seconds.
Hardware runs on a 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200 sunlight-readable tablet rated IP65, while the probe and distal end are waterproof to 1 bar and resistant to oils and a 5 percent saline solution. Probe tips operate from -25°C to +80°C. Fiberscope points to aircraft engines and turbines, helicopter gearboxes, pipelines, heat exchangers, wind and gas turbines, and power-generation equipment as target applications.
The measurement engine behind iX3D, marketed as PXL+ technology, is intellectual property of Hamburg-based 3D.aero GmbH and ships as Windows software that Fiberscope says must be calibrated by the manufacturer after installation.
