If a measuring machine is not designed specifically for a dedicated application, but is intended to have flexibility, linear axes are needed in addition to the rotary axis. They serve to adjust the magnification to position the work piece and to support rastering, among other things. In the simplest case, only one linear axis is needed to shift the rotary axis along the X-ray beam path. This can be used to adjust the magnification and therefore the measuring range and the resolution (a). With this machine design, tomography can be performed only “in the image”, that means the size of the components that can be measured is limited directly by the size of the sensor. It is also not possible to measure details at a higher resolution without moving the part manually. To give the user the ability to position the work piece optimally in the X-ray beam path, it must be possible to adjust the relative position of the rotary axis and the X-ray unit in the direction of the rotary axis. This can be done by shifting the source and the sensor, or by shifting the rotary axis itself (b). It can also be utilized for raster tomography and spiral (helical) tomography in suitable machines. The automatic change between different X-ray tubes is also possible (d). Because the quality of the linear axes directly affects the measurement results for these measurement methods, they must have the same high precision as coordinate measuring machine axes. Additional adjustment capabilities for the sensor or the source in the direction of the beam path make it possible to change the distance between them (c). The cone angle is greater for a shorter distance. Since a larger portion of the radiation power from the X-ray tube can be utilized for tomography, images of the same brightness may be generated in a shorter measurement time. Shortening the distance from the source to the sensor by a factor of two, for example, reduces the measurement time by a factor of four. This is helpful when measuring work pieces made of dense materials, such as metals.