What North Star Imaging does

North Star Imaging (NSI) is a Rogers, Minnesota-based engineering company founded in 1986 that designs, manufactures, and services industrial digital radiography (DR) and 3D computed tomography (CT) X-ray inspection systems for nondestructive testing (NDT). Its hardware portfolio spans cabinet systems (X25, X3000, X5000, X7000), RobotiX automated variants of each, high-energy MeVX manipulator systems operating up to 9 MeV, and standalone manipulators (X3500, X5500, X7500). The proprietary efX software suite provides acquisition, reconstruction, simulation, visualization, DICONDE archival, assisted defect recognition (efX-ADR), and SDK extensibility, complemented by patented scanning modes (VorteX, SubpiX, MosaiX, 4D CT, Ring Reduction). Underlying technology centers on linear-accelerator and transmission-tube X-ray sources with proprietary reconstruction algorithms, delivered as a tightly integrated hardware-software bundle.

NSI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) within its Test and Measurement segment following the 2010 acquisition, and runs six global facilities across the USA (Rogers MN, Aliso Viejo CA, Orlando FL), the UK (High Wycombe, co-located with Instron), and China (Suzhou). The company monetizes through direct enterprise field sales of high-ticket capital equipment, professional scanning services billed by the hour, per scan, or per project across all facilities, software licenses and add-on modules, ASNT/NAS 410-aligned certification training via X-ray University, and recurring preventive-maintenance contracts. Primary customers include aerospace and defense primes (notably Lockheed Martin for F-35 EOTS, hypersonics, and AM parts), automotive and EV/battery manufacturers, additive-manufacturing shops, medical device makers, electronics manufacturers, and forensics/lab services, supported by Nadcap, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ITAR certifications.

Name

North Star Imaging

Legal name

North Star Imaging Inc.

Website

https://4nsi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

North Star Imaging, an ITW-owned subsidiary founded in 1986 and based in Rogers, Minnesota, designs and manufactures industrial digital radiography and computed tomography X-ray inspection systems, supported by proprietary efX software, scanning services, and training, serving aerospace, defense, automotive, additive manufacturing, and medical device customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial X-ray and Computed Tomography Inspection Systems

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)

SIC

X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844)

akta.pro primary industry

CT/X-ray & Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for AM Parts (IMAAAHAG)

Keywords

• Industrial X-ray inspection
• Computed tomography systems
• Nondestructive testing
• Digital radiography equipment
• CT scanning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rogers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial CT Systems & X-ray Equipment Sales: NSI designs, manufactures, and sells industrial DR and CT X-ray systems including cabinet systems (X25, X3000, X5000, X7000), robotic RobotiX systems, high energy MeVX systems, and standalone manipulators (X3500, X5500, X7500). Systems are modular allowing customers to select feature combinations for their specific applications.
2. X-ray & CT Inspection Services: NSI provides on-demand inspection services offering Digital Radiography and Computed Tomography scanning. Customers can hire by the hour for DR, per scan for CT, or on a project basis. Services available from all global facilities including high-energy MeV scanning for large dense parts.
3. efX Software Suite: Proprietary software products including efX-CT, efX-DR, efX-Sim, efX-ADR, efX-DCM, efX-View, efX-SDK, and add-ons like SubpiX, VorteX, MosaiX, 4D CT, and Ring Reduction. Software provides acquisition, reconstruction, visualization, defect recognition, and DICONDE management capabilities.
4. X-ray University Training: Technical training programs for Level 1, 2, and 3 personnel certification in accordance with ASNT, NAS 410, and industry standards for radiography methods. Training includes new operator training, classroom/online courses, and on-site specialized training.
5. Preventive Maintenance & Support: Superior preventative maintenance, remote support, onsite service, and system relocation services to support existing customers and maintain system performance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

North Star Imaging designs, manufactures, and sells industrial Digital Radiography (DR) and 3D Computed Tomography (CT) X-ray inspection systems, including cabinet systems (X25, X3000, X5000, X7000), high-energy MeVX series (up to 9 MeV), robotic RobotiX systems, and standalone manipulators. The company also develops the proprietary efX software suite for acquisition, reconstruction, visualization, defect recognition, and DICONDE management, and provides on-demand X-ray/CT scanning services plus X-ray University certification training.

Product overview

North Star Imaging (NSI) is an ITW company offering a unified portfolio of industrial X-ray and computed tomography (CT) systems with integrated proprietary software. The hardware lineup spans cabinet systems (X25, X3000, X5000, X7000), high-energy manipulator systems (MeVX Series with up to 9 MeV), robotic RobotiX variants of each cabinet system, and standalone manipulators (X3500, X5500, X7500). The efX software suite provides the software layer, comprising efX-CT (reconstruction/visualization), efX-DR (digital radiography acquisition), efX-Sim (simulation/offline programming), efX-ADR (automated defect recognition), efX-DCM (DICONDE data management), efX-View (image viewing), and efX-SDK (development kit). Advanced scanning add-ons include SubpiX (higher resolution), VorteX (elongated parts), MosaiX (larger-than-detector parts), 4D CT (time/motion), and Ring Reduction. Services include X-ray/CT scanning services at global facilities and X-ray University training programs for certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• X25 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Compact, entry-level industrial CT cabinet system suited for small to medium sized objects. Offers submicron X-ray and CT applications and can fit through standard doorways.
• X3000 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Versatile compact CT system with transmission tube, nominal part envelope of 19.5 x 24 inches at up to 240 kV X-ray energy. Suitable for inspecting small or large components.
• X5000 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Most versatile CT system with large scanning envelope up to 32 by 48 inches for larger parts while maintaining ability to inspect smallest components. X-ray energy up to 240 kV with ergonomic loading.
• X7000 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Largest standard X Series cabinet system with maximum scanning envelope and longest focal distance. Designed for scanning large parts while maintaining small component inspection capability with modular design.
• MeVX Series High Energy X-ray Inspection System High-energy DR and CT systems utilizing Linear Accelerators with energies up to 9 MeV (MeVX9) or 6 MeV (MeVX6). Provides deep penetration for scanning larger and denser parts than conventional systems.
• X25 RobotiX Automated robotic X-ray CT scanning system based on the X25 platform. Enables batch scanning and automated part loading/unloading for increased throughput.
• X3000 RobotiX Automated robotic X-ray CT scanning system based on X3000 platform. Robotic automation enables effortless batch scanning, loading/unloading, and part manipulation.
• X5000 RobotiX Automated robotic X-ray CT scanning system based on X5000 platform for batch scanning and part manipulation in larger envelopes.
• X7000 RobotiX Automated robotic X-ray CT scanning system based on X7000 platform designed for large part handling with robotic automation, including Dual RobotiX configurations.
• X3500 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Standalone manipulator derived from X3000. Compact system with versatile capabilities for inspecting small or large components without cabinet enclosure.
• X5500 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Standalone manipulator derived from X5000. Features large scanning envelope with ergonomic loading for larger parts.
• X7500 Industrial 3D X-ray Inspection System Standalone manipulator derived from X7000. Offers largest scanning envelope and longest focal distance for large parts inspection without cabinet enclosure.
• efX-CT Software Computed Tomography reconstruction and visualization software that processes X-ray images to generate 3D volumetric data for internal structure analysis.
• efX-DR Software Digital Radiography acquisition software for real-time 2D X-ray imaging and inspection workflows.
• efX-Sim Software X-ray image simulation and offline programming software that acts as a digital twin of NSI X-ray systems to simulate X-ray interaction with parts.
• efX-ADR Software Assisted Defect Recognition software for GPU-accelerated automated inspection with configurable defect detection. Compatible with TIF, PNG, and DCM formats. Reduces image evaluation time by up to 30%.
• efX-DCM Software DICONDE Management software for digital radiography data enabling long-term archival, traceability, and interoperability of radiographic images.
• efX-View Software 2D X-ray image viewing software for reviewing and analyzing radiographic images.
• efX-SDK Software Software Development Kit for building custom applications and integrations with NSI systems and software.
• X-Ray & CT Scanning Services Professional inspection services offering 2D digital radiography, 3D CT scanning, and high-energy MeV scanning at multiple global facilities including Minnesota, California, Florida, UK, and China. Priced per hour (DR), per scan (CT), or per project.
• X-ray University Training Technical training programs for Level 1, 2, and 3 personnel certification in radiography methods. Includes new operator training, classroom/online courses, and on-site specialized training aligned with ASNT and NAS 410 standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• efX-ADR reduces image evaluation time by up to 30%, potentially increasing daily radiograph assessments from 480 to 624 (36,000 more annually per interpreter)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Over two decades partnership with Lockheed Martin, most recently developing a high-energy 9-million-electron-volts (MeV) CT 3D/4D scan system - the first breakthrough technology of its kind in the southeastern U.S., located in Orlando, Florida. The partnership has achieved substantial cost reduction and increased throughput for customers regarding complex geometry castings of advanced alloys in F-35 Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS), hypersonics products, and additively manufactured parts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bruker: Diversified scientific instrument maker with X-ray microCT and NDT-adjacent metrology products for materials science and industrial inspection. Broad incumbent whose industrial X-ray offerings overlap with NSI's high-end metrology use cases.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Large diversified analytical and measurement instrument provider serving industrial, materials, and research inspection markets. Broad incumbent serving similar end-markets to NSI, with overlapping industrial X-ray/CT capability in its analytical instruments division.

Direct peers

• Shimadzu: Industrial X-ray CT systems (XCTA series) targeting automotive, electronics, and materials inspection. Comparable to NSI as a diversified measurement-and-analytical-instrument maker with overlapping industrial CT product lines.
• Waygate Technologies: Baker Hughes-owned industrial X-ray and CT inspection provider (formerly GE Inspection Technologies) selling systems, software, and services to aerospace, automotive, and energy customers. Direct overlap with NSI across industrial DR/CT hardware, software suites, and outsourced scanning services.
• YXLON International: Comet Group subsidiary manufacturing industrial X-ray and CT inspection systems for aerospace, automotive, electronics, and security. Directly competes with NSI's X-series and MeV systems in NDT and high-energy inspection.
• VisiConsult: German manufacturer of industrial X-ray inspection and CT systems with software and automation offerings for NDT and safety-critical inspection. Comparable to NSI in product scope, especially in European aerospace and automotive markets.
• Nikon Metrology: Industrial metrology provider offering industrial CT (XT V series) alongside laser radar and CMM solutions. Directly competes with NSI's CT inspection portfolio in aerospace, automotive, and electronics NDT.
• ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions: ZEISS's industrial metrology division offers computed tomography and X-ray inspection systems (METROTOM) alongside its broader CMM and optical metrology portfolio. Directly competes with NSI in industrial CT for aerospace, automotive, and medical-device inspection.

Others

• Instron: ITW Test & Measurement sibling division co-located with NSI's UK office in High Wycombe. Sister company under the same ITW platform; not a direct CT/X-ray competitor but a structural reference for parent-company synergies and customer overlap in materials testing.
• 3D Systems: Additive manufacturing solutions provider whose customers overlap with NSI's AM vertical. Not a direct competitor on inspection hardware, but a downstream ecosystem partner driving demand for AM CT inspection services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nsixray
• Facebookfacebook.com/nsixray
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-star-imaging

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Star Imaging