Infrared NDT well-suited to demanding in-service, manufacturing and research applications

Thermal Wave Imaging Inc. (TWI, Madison Heights, Mich., U.S.) exhibits its high-performance thermographic nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions used in highly demanding manufacturing and in-service applications by industrial and research organizations.

TWI provides thermographic NDT solutions across the aerospace, power generation industries, automotive, electronics and sporting goods industries. Since 1993, the company says it has played a significant role in moving the technology from the laboratory to the “real world” of manufacturing and maintenance. 

TWI systems are high-precision, cost-effective solutions well-suited to some of the most demanding inspection challenges when compared to ultrasonic testing (UT) or X-ray systems. From portable handheld units for in-service inspection to fully integrated test cells for quality assurance (QA), TWI technologies offer several benefits:

TSR signal processing: TWI’s patented thermographic signal reconstruction (TSR) method uses a quantitative signal-based approach to provide precise, repeatable output with what is said to be unprecedented depth range and resolution.

Material characterization: TWI systems enable high sensitivity and range in flaw detection, but they are distinctive in their ability to provide physical information about the part under test. TWI systems are used to measure thickness, depth, thermal diffusivity, conductivity or porosity in manufacturing and QA.  

Dedicated hardware: In moving thermography to the forefront of the NDT toolbox, TWI says it has drawn on its experience and expertise in physics, optics, mechanical design and engineering, electronics and material science to develop a complete line of innovative products designed specifically for thermographic NDT.

For example, TWI’s patented Precision Flash Controller allows high-resolution control of flash duration and timing for critical measurement applications, while the ProjectIR system provides TSR capability to a thermal projector unit that scans large areas at a distance, speeding up the inspection process by orders of magnitude.

Turnkey solutions: TWI’s turnkey, integrated systems include all hardware, software, excitation and camera required to perform effective NDT. The company works closely with customers to match systems and components with their specific requirements and help integrate thermography into their NDT/quality process.