Thermographic methods applied to industrial materials

Abstract

Steady-state, or quasi-steady-state thermography is a well-known industrial inspection technique that has not so far been widely used in the nondestructive examination of materials. However, recent advances in infrared thermal-imaging systems have greatly broadened the range of possible uses through video-recording techniques that enable transient thermal distributions to be captured and analyzed very rapidly. In this paper, applications are described to a range on industrial materials, with illustrations of defects in bonded, coated, laminated, and cast structures. Current work is devoted to detailed comparisons with radiographic, ultrasonic, and other techniques as regards speed, effectiveness, and adaptability to manufacturing and testing conditions.