The Mariners' Museum and Park Explores Maritime History Using Digital X-ray Imaging from DÜRR NDT

BIETIGHEIM-BISSINGEN, Germany - Nov. 7, 2023 - PRLog -- The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, VA, USA, is home to the Batten Conservation Complex and the USS Monitor Center.

Within the Batten Conservation Complex, conservators specializing in archival documents, paper, objects, and archaeological materials work alongside a research scientist to stabilize and preserve the collection for generations to come. Researchers across the team continue to build the body of knowledge gleaned from the collection, uncovering the full stories that include the contributions of all cultures to our shared maritime heritage.

As part of this important conservation and research effort, The Mariners' Museum recently acquired a DÜRR NDT HD-CR 35 Computed Radiography system and D-Tect X software to replace much of their existing radiography capability, improving efficiency and flexibility. The HD-CR 35 is the most flexible and advanced CR scanner on the market today, with the ability to provide the highest resolution images in the industry. In addition, because of its unique TreFoc technology, which offers an adjustable laser spot size, it can also provide high-contrast images when necessary.

As an example of how digital imaging helps the analysis of artifacts, a copper-alloy pocket compass from a dispatch box made in 1872 was X-rayed at a single energy. The imaging plate (IP) was then scanned into the DÜRR NDT D-Tect X software. Using the powerful image adjustment tools built into the software, it was possible to focus on different density areas of an object without using multiple exposures, as would typically be necessary with film radiography.

Many objects from USS Monitor and other vessels have been X-rayed and studied at The Mariners'. Will Hoffman, director of Conservation, and the Conservation team routinely use the HD CR-35 and D-Tect X software to provide detailed information about artifacts, revealing valuable insights into maritime history. Each conservator is trained to use the equipment and can study their own material specialty. Following the imaging of the prisoner-of-war model above, Senior Objects Conservator Erik Farrell commented, "We are incredibly happy with the image quality we are getting from the HD-CR 35. This new system is helping us learn more about the construction and condition of a wide range of objects and has also vastly simplified our imaging process."

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