Meaning
Non-destructive inspection technique utilizes thermal cameras to detect surface temperature variations that indicate subsurface defects or heat losses. This imaging method, infrared thermography, is used to inspect composite panels and industrial equipment without making physical contact. Discontinuities in thermal conductivity reveal internal voids or delamination.
Non-Destructive Testing
Active systems heat the target surface and monitor the subsequent cooling phase. This non-destructive testing of infrared thermography provides rapid evaluation of large composite structures. Defective areas cool at different rates compared to sound structures.
Equipment Cost
Thermal imaging sensors with high spatial and thermal resolution represent a significant budget allocation. The equipment cost of infrared thermography has declined with the development of uncooled microbolometers, enabling broader field deployment. Specialized software is required to analyze the resulting heat maps.
Deployment Rate
Quality assurance teams integrate automated thermal imaging into composite manufacturing lines. The deployment rate of infrared thermography is limited by the training required for operators to interpret the thermal data correctly. False positives can occur if surface emissivity is not uniform.
To overcome these limitations, companies deploy machine learning algorithms that scan thermal images for specific heat signatures and classify defects automatically, reducing the need for human analysis.
