Industrial CT Scanners:
Buy or rent?
Most providers don’t list their prices on their websites. We do. Honest cost comparisons, an interactive calculator and real-world examples from the industry.
How much does an industrial CT scanner actually cost?
Having your own CT system sounds like the obvious solution. But when you factor in radiation protection, staffing, maintenance and lead times, the picture can look quite different. So here is a comparison between renting and buying a CT scanner:
| Buy CT System | Rent Mobile CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Investment | Very highapprox. €1.0–2.5 million (over 5 years) | Noneapprox. €100,000–150,000 (for 12 weeks) |
| Lead Time | 6–18 months | 48 hours* |
| Duration | Permanent | Flexible – from weeks to months |
| Personnel | Dedicated CT operator required€55,000–70,000/year | Included – operator training or full-service operation |
| Maintenance & Service | Your own responsibility€40,000–120,000/year | Included |
| Flexibility | Fixed location | Mobile – location-independent |
| Risk | Utilisation must be secured long-term | No investment risk – cancellable at any time |
| Typical Use Case | Ongoing daily inspection needs with high utilisation | Inspection needs that are time-limited and/or unplanned |
* Lead time for Mobile CT depends on availability and location.
Note: Pricing figures are based on our own operational data and experience, as well as market data from Mordor Intelligence (Computed Tomography (CT) Market Size and Share, Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/global-ct-market-industry, 2026) and Zeiss Metrology (Industrial CT Scanner Cost: What to Expect for Your Investment, https://www.zeiss.com/metrology/us/explore/topics/industrial-ct-scanner-cost.html, 2025).
Is a temporary CT inspection the right choice for your situation?
Adjust the parameters to suit your production process. The calculator will immediately show whether the benefits outweigh the costs and at what point the number of faults becomes profitable.
Shall we discuss the results?
We’ll analyse your figures & let you know whether ScanExpress is the right solution for your specific situation. There’s no obligation & it’s free of charge.
No Microsoft account required. You will receive a confirmation by email.
CT cost calculator in Excel
All the formulas from the calculator as a file. For sharing with colleagues or as an internal decision-making document.
Industrial CT Inspection: 2 Practical Examples
Gearbox housing: 72-hour defect pipeline reduced to less than 2 hours
Pores in die-castings are not visible on the raw casting and are only revealed during machining. During this time, defective parts pass through the production line unnoticed. ScanExpress detects the problem by taking random samples after casting, before costly machining takes place.
Key concept: Scrap identified late and costly to process becomes scrap identified early on.
Steering gear: 1,800 discarded parts sorted instead of scrapped
Suspected broken internal plastic pulley. The fault is not visible from the outside. Without a CT scan, the only options are poor ones: scrap the whole unit, dismantle it, or release it at one’s own risk. ScanExpress non-destructively sorts the batch into ‘OK’ and ‘NOK’ categories.
Full case study: Two practical examples
A detailed look at both examples above: full loss logic, break-even charts, assumptions and an overview of parameters. Ready to print as a decision-making document for your next meeting.
When is it better to rent than to buy?
Start of series & pilot production
A temporary surge in testing requirements when launching new products. After that, you can return the equipment or extend the contract – the choice is yours.
Capacity constraints
Is your own CT scanner fully booked? ScanExpress can provide additional scanning capacity at short notice.
Project-related requirements
For specific projects or client requirements, with no long-term commitment.
Resolving quality issues
Check and release blocked batches quickly. Avoid product recalls.
Evaluate CT technology
Find out whether industrial CT is suitable for your application – before you decide to buy.
Remote locations
Testing carried out directly at the production site – without having to transport components.
ScanExpress: Your mobile industrial CT scanner
The alternative to buying: The ScanExpress is a fully-fledged industrial CT system in a containerised format. It is set up directly at your site and is ready for use in no time. You get the full performance of an industrial CT scanner – without the usual investment costs and risks.
- Fully automated CT scans with AI analysis
- Built-in radiation protection – no modification work required
- Training and support from Microvista experts
- Flexible rental periods – from weeks to months
Why you can trust us
The ScanExpress is not an off-the-shelf product. It is the result of over two decades of industrial CT experience, joint research projects with the Fraunhofer Development Centre for X-ray Technology (EZRT) in Fürth, and countless inspection assignments in die-casting, injection moulding and assembly production. Behind every deployment is a team that understands the physics behind the image and knows what is at stake in manufacturing.
The technical development of the ScanExpress was scientifically supported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Development Centre for X-ray Technology (EZRT). The aim of the joint project: a flexible, mobile CT system that can be integrated directly into the production line without the need for structural modifications (Source: Fraunhofer IIS, project page “Flexible mobile CT system” (iis.fraunhofer.de))
Prof. Dr. Lutz Hagner
Prof. Dr. Lutz Hagner holds a PhD in engineering and founded Microvista in 2008. Since then, he has built the company into one of Europe’s leading providers of industrial CT solutions. As an honorary professor at Harz University of Applied Sciences and a lecturer at the University of Magdeburg and the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, he combines industrial expertise with academic rigour.
Dr. Robin Höhne
Dr. Robin Höhne completed his PhD at TU Dresden in the field of structural health monitoring and AI-assisted image analysis. Following several years in research and development at Microvista, he has been responsible for the company’s strategic and technological development as co-managing director since October 2025.
Frequently asked questions about industrial CT scanners
An industrial CT scanner is optimised for imaging metals, plastics and other materials. It operates at higher X-ray energies and achieves significantly higher resolution than medical devices. Industrial CT scanners are designed for quality assurance in manufacturing, not for patient diagnosis.
Industrial CT scanners are used across a wide range of industries: automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical technology, foundries and additive manufacturing. They are used wherever internal structures need to be inspected – from castings and weld seams to electronic assemblies.
Depending on current demand, the ScanExpress can be on site at your premises within a week. Unlike buying your own industrial CT scanner – which often involves lead times of over a year – the rental solution means you’ll be up and running much sooner.
No. We will train your team on how to use the system. The AI-powered analysis runs fully automatically – you will receive a clear pass/fail result immediately after the scan. If required, our CT experts can also provide support remotely or on-si
No. Temporary CT inspection serves as a temporary risk buffer during production start-up, ramp-up, acute quality deviations, material changes or when batches are held. It provides economically viable decision-making capabilities until the process is back under stable control.