VisiConsult: Inline CT and AI lead to market leadership in non-destructive testing

When Hajo Schulenburg founded VisiConsult in 1996, his idea was to support mechanical engineers with software and expertise in the field of X-ray technology. The company name itself reflects this approach, with ‘Visi’ standing for image processing and ‘Consult’ for technical consulting. But the market continued to evolve. Customers increasingly expected complete solutions, i.e. machines, software and service from a single source. At the same time, it became clear how complex the field of industrial X-ray technology actually is: radiation protection, regulatory requirements and high-voltage technology require specialised know-how that many mechanical engineers were unable to provide themselves.

Strategic Realignment

Hajo Schulenburg decided to close this gap. At the turn of the millennium, VisiConsult therefore began to develop and manufacture complete X-ray systems. Step by step, the software provider became a vertically integrated system manufacturer with its own mechanical engineering, electronics development and automation expertise. With this strategic realignment, the company, based in Stockelsdorf, just outside Lübeck, laid the foundation for its current market position. The company is now one of the world market leaders in the field of customer-specific special solutions for industrial X-ray systems, achieving a market share of more than 60 per cent in the Western hemisphere.
 

Safety through X-rays

VisiConsult has established itself in areas where errors are not an option. Whether chassis components, engine blocks, brake discs or safety-related components from the aerospace industry such as turbine blades and structural parts of engines – the company's X-ray systems are used everywhere. ‘Everything that is safety-critical is X-rayed,’ says Lennart Schulenburg. The automotive industry is a particularly important market, accounting for around 25 per cent of sales, but foundries from other high-tech sectors also rely on VisiConsult's non-destructive testing.
 

Inline X-ray solution for gigacastings

Today, the group employs more than 300 people worldwide. In addition to its headquarters in Schleswig-Holstein, the company operates other sites in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, as well as branches in the USA and India. The group is complemented by specialised units that together cover a portfolio ranging from classic 2D X-ray inspection to complex computed tomography (CT) and inline systems. Fully inline CT is now standard in many places.

Gigacasting is currently one of the most significant developments in modern die casting. Large structural components cast in a single piece mean fewer assembly steps, less complexity and significant potential savings. At the same time, new challenges arise because testing is technically demanding. ‘The handling and inspection of such large-format components – be they gigacastings or battery frames – requires sophisticated systems and precise process control,’ Lennart Schulenburg is convinced. VisiConsult developed an inline X-ray solution to meet these requirements. According to the managing director, this ‘world first’ is based on a high-speed manipulator that enables testing in sync with the production line and is fully ADR-(Automatic Defect Recognition)-compatible. Manual steps, which in the past often caused bottlenecks in the testing process, are no longer necessary.

Proprietary software ecosystem

At VisiConsult, innovation does not end at the X-ray cabin. The company is considered a technology leader in the field of automated evaluation technology and, according to its own statements, is currently the only provider of a production-ready ADR system for 2D inspection that enables fully automated quality control. The AI-based evaluation assistant COMPASS, which won the NDTMA Innovation Award in 2025, underlines the company's commitment to transferring new technologies into industrial practice at an early stage. ‘We are securing our future success by always thinking one step ahead and actively shaping technological trends,’ says Lennart Schulenburg.
 

Responsible family business

Despite its growth and international presence, VisiConsult still sees itself as a family business. This character continues to shape the organisation to this day. ‘As a family business, we focus on people – both our customers and our employees. As a medium-sized company with a long-term orientation, we deliberately act differently from large, often sluggish corporations: faster, more flexible and with a genuine sense of responsibility,’ explains Lennart Schulenburg. 

VisiConsult also takes a long-term perspective when it comes to human resources development. A strong presence at job fairs and an ‘employees recruit employees’ programme help the company fill vacancies quickly and attract new talent.

With its strong personnel and technological resources, VisiConsult is looking confidently to the future. The company wants to consolidate its position as a ‘global market and technology leader’ and not only accompany the industry, but also actively shape it. ‘Our AI-supported ADR algorithms will be considered the gold standard in the X-ray industry,’ Lennart Schulenburg is convinced. For foundries, this means testing that is geared to the production cycle and enables decisions to be made in real time based on immediately available quality and process data.