The Role of Thermographic Non-Destructive Testing

In the last 25 years, use of pulsed thermography as a viable NDT modality has evolved from a curiosity to a “go to” technology for many applications previously addressed by other standard NDI techniques like UT, X-Ray, eddy current, etc. Today, pulsed thermography is widely used in the aerospace, power generation and automotive industry sectors all over the world. Much of this success is attributed to TWI’s vision and passion to advance, develop and introduce to market state-of-the-art solutions to meet a broad range of application requirements.

Thermographic Non-Destructive Testing (Thermographic NDT)

What it is: Uses infrared imaging to evaluate the integrity of materials or structures by detecting heat variations.

Defence/Security Applications:

• Aircraft and vehicle maintenance – detecting hidden defects in composite materials or fatigue cracks in metal.
• Structural health monitoring – e.g., in submarines, missiles, or armored vehicles.
• Inspection of munitions or ordinance – finding degradation or defects in storage.
• Can be used in perimeter intrusion detection when integrated into surveillance systems.

Applications

Aerospace Composites:

TWI systems are a proven solution in the aerospace industry for both manufacturing and maintenance NDT. Whether it’s fast handheld inspection in the field or manufacturing quality control, our systems provide a degree of reliability and sensitivity that is unrivaled.

Common Applications:

• Impact Damage
• Delaminations
• Water Ingress
• FOD Detection
• Thickness Measurement
• Porosity
• Disbonds

Airborne / Industrial Gas Turbine:

Leading OEMs rely on TWI systems for NDT in manufacturing, rework and maintenance.

Common Power Generation Applications

• Wall and Coating Thickness
• Structural Integrity
• Hole Blockage
• Disbonds
• Adhesion
• Cracks
• Corrosion

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