3D Reconstruction and Geometry Analysis of Heated Tobacco Sticks

About Our Client

The Client is a renowned provider of precision testing and measurement equipment.

The Need to Measure Three Critical HTS Geometry Parameters

Always at the forefront of innovation, the Client continually explores how technologies can enhance product inspection speed and accuracy. This time, the Client approached ScienceSoft with an R&D initiative to improve the quality assessment of heated tobacco sticks. The Client wanted a solution that would use industrial X-ray scans to build 3D models of heated tobacco sticks and automatically evaluate three critical geometric parameters:  

• Concentricity — whether the internal hexagonal structure is precisely centered within the tobacco rod. Even minor misalignment can lead to uneven heat distribution and inconsistent airflow. 
• Hexagon regularity — whether the internal hexagon maintains the intended shape with equal sides and angles. Geometric distortions affect thermal behavior and make heated tobacco stick performance less predictable. 
• Side-to-center distance — the minimum distance between the rod center and each side of the hexagon. This measurement helps identify potential overheating areas that could negatively affect product integrity and flavor consistency. 

The Client needed a reliable way to transform X-ray scans captured on fast-moving production lines into accurate 3D models, automatically extract precise geometric measurements, and feed those results directly into its existing quality control software. Because no suitable off-the-shelf solution existed, the entire geometric analysis methodology had to be designed from the ground up.

Developing a 3D Reconstruction and Geometry Analysis Solution

ScienceSoft assembled a team of three senior embedded software engineers to develop and validate a new HTS geometry analysis solution. 

First, ScienceSoft’s engineers developed a multi-stage pipeline that automatically transforms raw X-ray scan data into accurate 3D models of heated tobacco sticks (HTSs) and analyzes their geometry. The pipeline captures X-ray scans from industrial cameras, normalizes scan intensities to ensure boundaries can be detected reliably, removes imaging noise and artifacts, separates the HTS from the background, and refines voxel data to improve reconstruction accuracy. The processed volumetric data is converted into a detailed 3D surface model representing the outer and internal surfaces of heated tobacco sticks. The resulting 3D model undergoes mesh cleanup and refinement to remove small defects, smooth rough areas, and fix imperfections created during reconstruction. Finally, the solution segments individual structural elements of HTSs, including the tobacco rod and the internal hexagonal insert, and determines the insert’s position, orientation, and boundaries.

Then, building on the reconstructed 3D model, ScienceSoft developed deterministic mathematical algorithms to calculate the three target parameters: concentricity, hexagon regularity, and side-to-center distance. The algorithms detect the tobacco rod center and internal hexagonal structure, establish their geometric relationship, and derive precise measurements directly from the reconstructed geometry. The solution then compares the calculated parameters across multiple scanned samples to detect geometric variations and manufacturing deviations, providing consistent and repeatable insights into HTS structural quality.

To make the analysis results practical for day-to-day use, ScienceSoft implemented automated generation of 3D visualizations with measurement overlays, allowing users to visually review detected structures and calculated parameters. The solution also exports measurement results in XLSX and JSON formats, making the data easy to analyze, share, and integrate into existing workflows.

ScienceSoft validated the solution remotely using the Client’s industrial X-ray camera equipment. The team combined automated unit testing with manual validation on actual scan data.

For easy integration into the Client’s product ecosystem, ScienceSoft packaged the geometry analysis engine as a reusable software library and developed a .NET wrapper and API layer.

Automated HTS Geometry Inspection Delivered in Nine Months

In nine months, ScienceSoft’s team delivered a full-scale HTS quality inspection solution. It uses industrial X-ray scans to build accurate 3D models of heated tobacco sticks. Then, the solution automatically measures three critical parameters (concentricity, hexagon regularity, and side-to-center distance), and generates 3D visualizations with measurement overlays. The solution strengthened the Client’s capabilities in HTS quality inspection and further reinforced its reputation for innovation and precision.

Technologies and Tools

С++, .NET, industrial CT scanner.