Ther­mo­graphy for Material Testing

Efficient non-destructive testing of a wide variety of materials and defect types

  • Non-destructive testing saves time and costs

  • Analysis of process immanent temperature differences or externally induced heat streams

  • Pulsed activation allows the detection of below-surface errors

  • In-line applications for permanent quality control possible

  • Sensitive heat measurements to indicate areas of different mechanical stress

Material testing, stress test with thermal cameras from InfraTec - Picture credits: © iStock / kimtaro
Analysis of a Carbon Composite (CFC) using Lock-in Thermography
Heating of synthetic substance under vibration
Detection of hidden damage liability
Test of a synthetic roller
Infrared thermal imaging to monitor the film production
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Infrared Camera Systems Minimise Product Waste from Testing Proced­ures

Active thermography in the production of CFC plates

Material tests using thermal imaging save time and costs as test objects will not be destroyed during process. They can be used for further testing or locating quality problems that could be corrected. NDT tests with infrared camera systems provide good solutions with greater applications as they can be used for a wide range of different materials and types of defects. A huge advantage is that thermographic testing procedures can be applied to larger areas at once in comparison to ultrasonic or other methods that focus on smaller zones.

Passive Ther­mo­graphy as well as Active Heat Flow Ther­mo­graphy Locates Defects

Which method of thermography is used for material testing depends decisively on the question of the origin of the heating of the test object. In one test mode, it could stem directly from heating the test object gains during its production process. This case is referred to as passive thermography. The other possibility is called active heat flow thermography or just active thermography. This is when the test object will be thermally activated by an external energy input for instance by a halogen radiator or a flash lamp.

Stress test on a truck axle
Event On Demand

Applic­a­tions for Thermal Imaging on Wind Power Systems

  • General information about infrared thermography and presentation of different infrared camera techniques

  • Monitoring wind turbine power plants by (passive) thermography

  • Principle & methods of active thermography and examples

InfraTec Webinar: Applications for Thermal Imaging on Wind Power Systems - Picture credits: © visdia / Fotolia
Event On Demand

Effi­cient Material Testing – Non-destructive and Contact­less

  • Theoretical background – mechanical force, stress and temperature Methods for analysis

  • Examples from practice with application samples – elastic periodical load test and fatigue test

  • Short overview about InfraTec products

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Material testing, stress test with thermal cameras from InfraTec - Picture credits: © iStock / kimtaro
Event On Demand

Infrared Lock-in Ther­mo­graphy for Inspec­tion of Elec­tronics and Integ­rated Circuits

  • Failure analysis and defect inspection, quality and process control and flexible R&D solution

  • Hotspot detection on printed circuit boards, integrated circuits, semiconductor material and multi-chip modules

  • Detection of faulty thermal connections of heat sinks, short circuits, soldering defects and wire bonding errors

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InfraTec Webinar: Infrared Lock-in Thermography for Inspection of Electronics and Integrated Circuits - Picture credits: © iStock.com / scorpp
Event On Demand

Thermography and Digital Image Correlation – A Winning Team in the Materials and Components Testing Field.

  • Active thermography for non-destructive testing

  • Synchronizing high-tech sensors: ZEISS/GOM ARAMIS and infrared cameras from InfraTec

  • Tracking of temperature on homologous points in 3D space

  • Applications in materials, components and electronic testing

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Online Event - Thermography and Digital Image Correlation

Case Studies about Material Testing

InfraTec - Process Monitoring During Open‐die Forging

Process Monit­oring During Open‐die Forging

Anyone who wants to produce curved or twisted steel and aluminium components, can rely on bending forging nowadays. Components with complex geometries can now be manufactured by means of this incremental forging variant.

Monitoring the Surface Temperature on Curing Epoxy Resin Samples - Picture credits: © AdobeStock / wichientep

Monit­oring the Surface Temper­ature on Curing Epoxy Resin Samples

Epoxy resin systems are mostly used as a matrix material in fibre composites. In a variety of manufacturing processes, the corresponding resin system is processed in a flowable state. The material only acquires its rigidity in a subsequent curing process. This is characterized by an exothermic chemical reaction with a pronounced temperature dependence.

InfraTec Uni Bayreuth - Analysis of the Thermal Conductivity

Analysis of the Thermal Conduct­ivity in Nano- and Meso­struc­tured Polymer Systems

New materials with precisely controlled optical and thermal transport characteristics can make a large contribution to resource-saving thermal management. Scientists of the University of Bayreuth are pursuing this vision. They use infrared thermography to quantitatively determine thermal conductivity in nano- and mesostructured polymer materials.

Inline Process Control for Quality Assurance of Weld Seams - TU Ilmenau

Inline Process Control for Quality Assur­ance of Weld Seams

As part of the 3dStahl collaborative project, a 6-axis robot, equipped with a welding machine, was attached upside down to a wall-to-wall wire rope hoist kinematics system in order to automate joining processes involving small quantities or even individual parts such as large-scale objects (lock gates, bridges).

Using Thermal Imaging for Optimisation of Installed Wind Turbines - Picture Credits: © visdia / Fotolia.com

Ther­mo­graphy for Optim­isa­tion of Installed Wind Turbines

Due to the decreasing number of suitable locations for wind turbines and the increasing push towards renewable energy sources, new activities have been introduced to improve the efficiency of rotor blades for wind turbines.

InfraTec/GOM Webinar

Combin­a­tion of Digital Image Correl­a­tion and Ther­mo­graphic Meas­ure­ments

The combination of measuring results from the digital image correlation (ARAMIS, DIC) and temperature measuring data from infrared cameras enables the simultaneous analysis of the thermal and mechanical behavior of test specimens in the materials and components testing field.

Thermography InfraTec CWD wind turbines testing

Precise MN·m Torque Meas­ure­ment in Wind Turbine Test Benches

The generation of electricity power produced by wind turbines is expanding worldwide. This development is associated directly with an increasing demand to test the product reliability, functionality and life durability of wind turbine subsystems like the drive train.

Quality Assurance with Active Thermography

Quality Assur­ance with Active Ther­mo­graphy in Series Test at Zwickau Volk­swagen Plant

Non-destructive testing methods are becoming increasingly more important in the industry. One reason is that they cost much less than other test methods. As a very elegant method, the active heat flow thermography method is now firmly established as a powerful method of non-contact and non-destructive testing of products of different manufacturing technologies.

Thermography for Quality Assurance: Testing of turbine blades for gas turbine power plants  / Picture credits: © Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG

Ther­mo­graphy for Quality Assur­ance

Today gas and steam turbine power plants by the SIEMENS AG are more than ever complex high-tech products. Heavily stressed parts like the turbine blades are tested with the latest measurement techniques for example with infrared thermography.

Thermal Stress Analysis of Metals, picture credit: © iStock.com / kimtaro

Thermal Stress Analysis of Metals

Stress changes during tensile testing provide information about material properties of metals such as tensile strength. With the help of thermographic cameras metallic solid bodies can be tested for such stress changes.

Thermographic Analysis of a Fusion Plant - Divertor

Monit­oring Plasma at Wendel­stein 7-X

What will the energy supply of the future look like? The Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald is dealing with this question.

Contact to thermography division of InfraTec

Would You Like to Know More?

It is not unusual for tasks to be associated with special requirements. Discuss your specific application needs with our specialists, receive further technical information or learn more about our additional services.

Europe & Rest of World
InfraTec GmbH Infrarotsensorik und MesstechnikGostritzer Straße 61 - 6301217 DresdenGERMANY

Asso­ci­ated Ther­mo­graphic Auto­ma­tion Solu­tions

Automation InfraTec INDU-SCAN - In-process industrial temperature measurement
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Process Control – INDU-SCAN

Contactless measurement of temperature distributions and profiles with industrial thermographic cameras permits efficient monitoring and control of temperature-dependent processes and procedures within a system-integrated quality assurance programme in industry.

Quality control for more precision in press hardening PRESS-CHECK
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Quality Control or Press Hardening – PRESS-CHECK

Check the microstructures of sheet metal parts during the stamping process and establish a uniform high strength and quality of all produced stampings safely and with a contact-free method.

WELD-CHECK by InfraTec
Non-destructive Testing

Welding Inspec­tion – WELD-CHECK

Using pulse thermography, WELD-CHECK enables you a quantitative assessment of the inspected welds.

Thermographic automation brake test bench - Picture Credits: © iStock.com / ktsimage
Non-destructive Testing

High-Speed Rotation Test Bench – TRC

Check for long-life fatigue strength of mechanical components in load tests, using high-end infrared cameras.

E-Lit Cabinet from InfraTec for Infrared Thermography
Non-destructive Testing

Electronic / Semiconductor Testing – E-LIT

Detect inhomogeneous temperature distribution and local power loss during the production using the Lock-in Thermography.

PV-LIT test solution for solar cells
Non-destructive Testing

Photovoltaic Test System – PV-LIT

Get advantages in costing and quality by non-contact thermographic testing of your solar cells and PV-modules.

Automation InfraTec INDU-SCAN - In-process industrial temperature measurement
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Process Control – INDU-SCAN

Contactless measurement of temperature distributions and profiles with industrial thermographic cameras permits efficient monitoring and control of temperature-dependent processes and procedures within a system-integrated quality assurance programme in industry.

Quality control for more precision in press hardening PRESS-CHECK
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Quality Control or Press Hardening – PRESS-CHECK

Check the microstructures of sheet metal parts during the stamping process and establish a uniform high strength and quality of all produced stampings safely and with a contact-free method.

WELD-CHECK by InfraTec
Non-destructive Testing

Welding Inspec­tion – WELD-CHECK

Using pulse thermography, WELD-CHECK enables you a quantitative assessment of the inspected welds.

Thermographic automation brake test bench - Picture Credits: © iStock.com / ktsimage
Non-destructive Testing

High-Speed Rotation Test Bench – TRC

Check for long-life fatigue strength of mechanical components in load tests, using high-end infrared cameras.

E-Lit Cabinet from InfraTec for Infrared Thermography
Non-destructive Testing

Electronic / Semiconductor Testing – E-LIT

Detect inhomogeneous temperature distribution and local power loss during the production using the Lock-in Thermography.

PV-LIT test solution for solar cells
Non-destructive Testing

Photovoltaic Test System – PV-LIT

Get advantages in costing and quality by non-contact thermographic testing of your solar cells and PV-modules.

Lock-In Ther­mo­graphy is Integ­rated in IRBIS® 3 Soft­ware

material testing

Active thermography can detect defects even more precisely when the activation of the test object will be carried out in a pulsed mode. Thereby it will be possible to detect faults which are located in deeper subsurface layers. Such analysis algorithms like the one of lock-in thermography are already available as a module of the IRBIS® 3 software family. The adaptation to the specific application can be done quite easily with flexibility. InfraTec can also provide customer specific and complete active thermography test solutions.

Advant­ages of this Ther­mo­graphy Solu­tions in this Applic­a­tion

InfraTec thermography - High-speed Mode

High-speed Mode – Increase Frame Rate and Sens­it­ivity

Due to the binning technology, infrared cameras have two speed modes – the standard mode and the high-speed mode, in which the frame rate increases more than three times. The field of view remains constant in both modes, so the scene captured by the camera does not change. In high-speed mode, the thermal resolution also increases by a factor of two.

HighSense for thermographic camera series ImageIR®

High­Sense – Always the Optimal Camera Setting

Thanks to HighSense, ImageIR® users have the option of setting up individual measuring ranges based on the factory calibration that best suit the respective task. Depending on the measuring task, the required temperature range can be selected and the optimum integration time for this purpose is calculated – or one decides to proceed in reverse order. Thus, the calibration can be retained even in the case of changed integration times.

Integ­rated Trigger / Process Inter­face and Inter­faces – Digit­ally Controlling of a Infrared Camera and External Devices

The internal trigger interface guarantees highly precise, repeatable triggering. Each of the two configurable digital inputs and outputs are used to control the camera or to generate digital control signals for external devices. In this way, for example, the operation of a printed circuit board and the interval of a measurement can be synchronised.

The selection of different camera interfaces allows the processing of analog data, such as the voltage directly through the camera and thus the insertion of this information into the thermal image data. Relevant variables can be included in the evaluations with the software, which makes it easier to draw conclusions about the causes of temperature changes.

Thermografie-Kameraserie ImageIR® mit neuer 10 GigE-Schnittstelle

10 GigE Inter­face for a Strong Increase in Output

The 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface of the high-end camera series ImageIR® opens this extremely fast transmission standard with a NIC specially developed by InfraTec. This works with optical or electrical transceiver modules that are easy to change and are called SFP+.

InfraTec glossary - Rotating filter- und aperture wheel

Separate Filter & Aper­ture Wheel – Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy

The combination of a separate filter and aperture wheel, allowing a total of 35 freely selectable combinations, is prerequisite for an universal application in measurement tasks with high object temperatures and in the field of spectral thermography. The neutral density filters used for signal attenuation or the combination of spectral filters and apertures reliably prevent interference effects.

Thermal image during ignition of an airbag  Image Small

Window Mode (Subwin­dowing) – Capture of Rapid Sequences

The thermal imaging camera can be operated in full, half, quarter and sub mode. With the camera control software, it is possible to use the extended subwindowing function. Using click-and-drag, freely definable sections can be set up quickly and conveniently. A defined sub-frame of the detector is picked out to achieve these extremely high refresh rates.

InfraTec thermography - Thermal resolution

Thermal Resol­u­tion – Determ­in­a­tion of Differ­ences of Only a Few Millikelvin

For detection of small temperature changes InfraTec's infrared cameras offer thermal resolutions up to < 15 mK in real-time operation. By using the Lock-in Thermography method it is possible to further increase this resolution significantly. For this purpose test objects are periodically excited and non-destructively examined for defects and irregularities.

InfraTec thermography - High-speed Mode

High-speed Mode – Increase Frame Rate and Sens­it­ivity

Due to the binning technology, infrared cameras have two speed modes – the standard mode and the high-speed mode, in which the frame rate increases more than three times. The field of view remains constant in both modes, so the scene captured by the camera does not change. In high-speed mode, the thermal resolution also increases by a factor of two.

HighSense for thermographic camera series ImageIR®

High­Sense – Always the Optimal Camera Setting

Thanks to HighSense, ImageIR® users have the option of setting up individual measuring ranges based on the factory calibration that best suit the respective task. Depending on the measuring task, the required temperature range can be selected and the optimum integration time for this purpose is calculated – or one decides to proceed in reverse order. Thus, the calibration can be retained even in the case of changed integration times.

Integ­rated Trigger / Process Inter­face and Inter­faces – Digit­ally Controlling of a Infrared Camera and External Devices

The internal trigger interface guarantees highly precise, repeatable triggering. Each of the two configurable digital inputs and outputs are used to control the camera or to generate digital control signals for external devices. In this way, for example, the operation of a printed circuit board and the interval of a measurement can be synchronised.

The selection of different camera interfaces allows the processing of analog data, such as the voltage directly through the camera and thus the insertion of this information into the thermal image data. Relevant variables can be included in the evaluations with the software, which makes it easier to draw conclusions about the causes of temperature changes.

Thermografie-Kameraserie ImageIR® mit neuer 10 GigE-Schnittstelle

10 GigE Inter­face for a Strong Increase in Output

The 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface of the high-end camera series ImageIR® opens this extremely fast transmission standard with a NIC specially developed by InfraTec. This works with optical or electrical transceiver modules that are easy to change and are called SFP+.

InfraTec glossary - Rotating filter- und aperture wheel

Separate Filter & Aper­ture Wheel – Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy

The combination of a separate filter and aperture wheel, allowing a total of 35 freely selectable combinations, is prerequisite for an universal application in measurement tasks with high object temperatures and in the field of spectral thermography. The neutral density filters used for signal attenuation or the combination of spectral filters and apertures reliably prevent interference effects.

Thermal image during ignition of an airbag  Image Small

Window Mode (Subwin­dowing) – Capture of Rapid Sequences

The thermal imaging camera can be operated in full, half, quarter and sub mode. With the camera control software, it is possible to use the extended subwindowing function. Using click-and-drag, freely definable sections can be set up quickly and conveniently. A defined sub-frame of the detector is picked out to achieve these extremely high refresh rates.

InfraTec thermography - Thermal resolution

Thermal Resol­u­tion – Determ­in­a­tion of Differ­ences of Only a Few Millikelvin

For detection of small temperature changes InfraTec's infrared cameras offer thermal resolutions up to < 15 mK in real-time operation. By using the Lock-in Thermography method it is possible to further increase this resolution significantly. For this purpose test objects are periodically excited and non-destructively examined for defects and irregularities.

Public­a­tions of our Customers

Thermography IR applied to analyse the influence of the deformation speed in the forming process

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

Structural design of flexible Au electrode to enable shape memory polymer for electrical actuation

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr

Dynamic buckling behavior of thin metal film lines from substrate

Infrared camera: VarioCAM®

Nondestructive testing by using long-wave infrared interferometric techniques with CO2 lasers and microbolometer arrays

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr

Self-healing epoxy with ultrafast and heat-resistant healing system processable at elevated temperature

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300

Friction riveting of pultruded thermoset glass fiber reinforced polyester composite and TI6AL4V hybrid joints

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

FORCE CONTROLLED FRICTION RIVETING OF GLASS FIBER REINFORCED POLYAMIDE 6 AND ALUMINUM ALLOY 6056 HYBRID JOINTS

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

The influence of the composite features on the mechanical performance of hybrid thermoset composite-metal friction-riveted joints

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

Combustion synthesis of Ni/Al base composites

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr

Plasticized and reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) obtained by a dissolution-dispersion process for single point incremental forming

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 9300

In situ reactor to image catalysts at work in three-dimensions by Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300

Metallurgical and mechanical properties of continuous drive friction welded copper/alumina dissimilar joints

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr head

Automated jitter correction for IR image processing to assess the quality of W7-X high heat flux components

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr head

A numerical approach for investigating thermal contact conductance

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 5300

Thermal shock behaviour of laminated multilayer refractories for steel casting applications reinforced by residual stresses

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® hr

FricRiveting of aluminum 2024-T351 and polycarbonate: Temperature evolution, microstructure and mechanical performance

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

Correlation of internal and surface temperatures during laser cutting of epoxy-based carbon fibre reinforced plastics

Infrared camera: PIR uc 180

Determination of time-dependent thermal contact conductance through IR-thermography

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 5300

Approach to the Study of Workpiece Damage in Drilling of Carbon Fiber Composites by Using Thermography IR

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

Autonomous Robotic System for Thermographic Detection of Defects in upper Layers of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers

Infrared camera: ImageIR® Series

Non-destructive inspection of aircraft composite materials using triple IR imaging

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 5300 & VarioCAM® hr head 600

Passive impulse thermography during quasi-static tensile tests of fiber reinforced composites

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300 hp series

Thermografie mit optimierter Anregung für die quantitative Untersuchung von Delaminationen in kohlenstofffaserverstärkten Kunststoffen

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8800

Review of thermal imaging systems in composite defect detection

Infrared cameras: ImageIR® 8300 and ImageIR® 8800

Lock-in Thermography for the Development of New Materials

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300

Poten­tial approach of IR-analysis for high heat flux quality assess­ment of divertor tung­sten monoblock compon­ents

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® High Definition

Invest­ig­a­tion of inter­dif­fu­sion and inter­metallic compounds in Al–Cu joint produced by continuous drive fric­tion welding

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® high resolution

Eigen­span­nung­sreduk­tion in strahl­gesch­weißten Nähten mittels Span­nung­sum­la­gerung durch den Einsatz defok­ussierter Elektronen- bzw. Laser­strahlen

Infrared camera: VarioCAM® high resolution

Konzep­tion und Aufbau einer robotergestützten Platt­form für optisch angeregte Wärme­fluss-Ther­mo­grafie

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300

Ther­mo­grafische Laser­naht­prü­fung von Mehrblech-Verbindungen im Auto­mobil-Karos­ser­iebau

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 5300

NDT Damage Diagnosis on Sand­stone – The Case Study of Gelnhausen, Germany

Perform­ance Compar­ison between ImageIR® 8300 hp and ImageIR® 10300 on a Ther­moelastic Stress Analysis Exper­i­ment

Infrared cameras: ImageIR® 8300 hp and ImageIR® 10300

A reference-free micro defect visualization using pulse laser scanning thermography and image processing

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300 series

Plasticity induced heating – an underestimated effect in monotonic and cyclic deformation

Infrared camera: ImageIR® 8300 hp

Infrared Cameras for Material Testing

InfraTec Infrared camera
Zoom Cameras

ImageIR® 6300 Z

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeXBn

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 8300 hs

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeT2SLS or InSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9400 hp

Image Format(2,560 x 2,048) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 10300

Image Format(1,920 x 1,536) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
System Cameras

VarioCAM® HD head 900

Image Format(2,048 x 1,536) IR-Pixel
Detector typeUncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array

InfraTec Infrared camera
Compact Cameras

PIR uc 605

Image Format(640 x 480) IR-Pixel
Detector typeUncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9500

Image Format(2,560 x 1,440) IR-Pixel
Detector typeMCT

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9400

Image Format(2,560 x 2,048) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
System Cameras

VarioCAM® HDx head S

Image Format(640 x 480) IR-Pixel
Detector typeUncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array

Asso­ci­ated Indus­tries & Applic­a­tions

thermal imaging for automotive applications

Auto­motive Industry

Infrared camera systems help you to secure a high product quality in production and at your suppliers.

thermal imaging in aviation

Aerospace Industry

Comply with highest security demands by applying state-of-the-art infrared camera systems.

All branches and application areas