Efficient, Contactless Defect Detection with InfraTec’s TRC Thermography

Non-destructive testing (NDT) plays a vital role in ensuring product integrity, material quality, and process reliability across modern manufacturing. But traditional inspection methods can be time-consuming, require significant manual intervention, or fall short when it comes to detecting hidden defects in complex components.

InfraTec’s TRC (Thermal Resistance Coefficient) technology offers a highly efficient, contactless solution for detecting defects beneath the surface providing clear, actionable insights with minimal setup.

What is TRC Technology?

TRC-based thermography is an advanced inspection method that uses controlled thermal excitation to reveal subsurface flaws and inconsistencies in materials. By applying heat to a component and precisely measuring the resulting temperature response, TRC identifies variations in thermal conductivity that indicate defects such as:

• Inhomogeneities
• Voids or air pockets
• Delaminations
• Material thinning
• Adhesion problems

The system is non-contact, rapid, and ideal for use on components with complex geometries or sensitive surfaces.

Key Advantages of TRC for Non-Destructive Testing

• Contactless and Non-Invasive – No physical contact with the part is required, making TRC ideal for delicate or finished surfaces.
• Fast, Full-Surface Inspection – Entire areas can be tested quickly, providing an immediate overview of potential defects without needing point-by-point measurements.
• High Spatial Resolution – TRC detects even small or shallow subsurface defects, making it suitable for demanding industrial quality control processes.
• Applicable to a Wide Range of Materials – Ideal for plastics, composites, bonded structures, and other modern engineering materials commonly found in industrial manufacturing.

Where is TRC Used?

While TRC is versatile across many industries, its greatest impact is in manufacturing environments where precision, repeatability, and efficiency are essential. Typical applications include:

• Plastics Industry: Inspect moulded components for hidden air inclusions or uneven wall thickness.
• Composite Material Manufacturing: Detect bonding defects, delaminations, or inhomogeneities in layered structures.
• Bonded Structures: Validate adhesive joints and connections in lightweight assemblies.
• Quality Control of Complex Components: Quickly assess parts with irregular shapes or sensitive surfaces that would be difficult to inspect using conventional methods.

Supporting Process Reliability and Product Quality

Manufacturers are under constant pressure to improve product quality, reduce waste, and maintain reliable production processes. TRC technology supports these goals by providing:

• Quick, repeatable defect detection
• Reduced reliance on destructive testing or lengthy manual inspections
• Reliable process monitoring and quality control for both production lines and laboratory environments

Conclusion

As components become more complex and production processes demand higher precision, reliable and efficient non-destructive testing is essential. InfraTec’s TRC technology provides manufacturers with a practical, contactless solution for identifying subsurface defects helping to safeguard product quality and improve process reliability.

At Blink Technology, we supply advanced infrared inspection systems like TRC to meet the evolving needs of Australia’s manufacturing sector.

Interested in learning how TRC thermography could enhance your production quality?
Contact us today to discuss your application or request a product demonstration.

In the realm of fluid dynamics research, achieving precise, real-time flow measurements is essential for understanding complex flow behaviors and enhancing system efficiencies. ILA PIV has been at the forefront of this field, offering advanced solutions that are transforming how researchers and engineers study fluid flows.

The Role of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is a non-intrusive optical measurement technique used to capture the velocity distribution within fluids. By tracking the movement of seeded particles illuminated within the flow, PIV provides detailed insights into flow patterns, turbulence, and other critical parameters. This method has become indispensable in various applications, from academic research to industrial process optimization.
ILA PIV’s Advanced Solutions

ILA PIV offers a comprehensive range of PIV solutions tailored to meet diverse research and industrial needs. Their offerings include complete PIV systems, high-speed PIV setups, and specialized configurations for unique applications. These systems are designed to deliver high-resolution, accurate measurements, enabling users to capture even the most transient flow phenomena.
The LED Pulsing System (LPS) v3

A standout innovation from ILA PIV is their LED Pulsing System (LPS) v3. Traditionally, PIV systems have relied on laser-based illumination, which, while effective, comes with safety concerns and operational complexities. The LPS v3 addresses these challenges by providing ultra-bright LED illumination without the hazards associated with lasers.
Key features of the LPS v3 include:

• High-Frequency Pulsing: Capable of operating in continuous wave mode or pulsing up to 500 kHz, accommodating a wide range of experimental requirements.
• Short Pulse Durations: Delivers pulses as brief as 1 microsecond with superior power stability, ensuring precise capture of rapid flow events.
• User-Exchangeable LEDs: Supports various wavelengths—including white, green, red, blue, and UV—allowing customization for specific experimental needs.
• Compact Design: Its small form factor facilitates easy integration into existing setups, enhancing versatility across different applications.
• Safety Advantages: Eliminates laser-related safety issues, making it particularly suitable for educational environments and facilities with stringent safety protocols.

By integrating the LPS v3 into PIV systems, researchers can achieve high-quality measurements with greater flexibility and safety. This innovation opens new possibilities for studies in areas such as aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, and biomedical engineering.
Transforming Fluid Dynamics Research

The integration of advanced tools like ILA PIV’s LPS v3 is revolutionizing fluid dynamics research. By providing accurate, real-time flow measurements, these solutions enable deeper insights into fluid behaviors, leading to improved designs and processes across various industries. Whether in academic settings or industrial applications, ILA PIV’s technologies are empowering users to push the boundaries of what is measurable, driving innovation and efficiency in fluid dynamics.
For more information on ILA PIV’s solutions and how they can enhance your research or industrial processes, visit their official website.

Introducing the MultiLED QX MINI—a compact yet powerful illumination solution tailored for high-speed imaging applications requiring precise lighting in confined spaces. Designed with seven white LEDs delivering 7,000 lumens at 70W, it ensures optimal illumination for your imaging needs.

Key Features:

• Compact Design: Weighing only 270g, the MultiLED QX MINI’s small form factor allows for easy placement in tight spaces, making it ideal for applications where space is limited. ​
• Fixed Lens Options: Choose from three fixed opening angles—22°, 27°, or 41°—to suit your specific application needs, ensuring precise illumination where it’s needed most.
• Enhanced Control: When paired with the GSVITEC GX8 Controller, you can adjust light intensity, pulse length, and delay, optimizing your illumination settings for various applications. ​
• Versatile Mounting: Equipped with a standard ¼-inch connector, it easily attaches to any standard tripod, offering flexible positioning to meet diverse setup requirements. ​ 

Applications:

The MultiLED QX MINI is ideal for lighting smaller inspection areas in high-speed imaging scenarios. Its compact size and adjustable features make it suitable for applications such as:

• Machine Vision: Enhance the visibility of intricate components during inspection processes, ensuring accurate analysis and quality control.
• Laboratory Research: Provide consistent and controlled lighting for experiments requiring precise illumination, facilitating accurate data collection.​
• Microscopy: Illuminate specimens effectively, allowing for detailed observation and imaging in medical and scientific studies.​
• Photography: Capture high-quality images in studio settings where space constraints demand compact lighting solutions without compromising brightness.​

For more detailed information and purchasing options, please contact us.

In collaboration with ILA_5150 GmbH, a leader in Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) solutions, we offer advanced systems that enable real-time visualization of fluid dynamics.

Innovations in Particle Imaging: Real-Time Visualization of Fluid Dynamics

Understanding fluid behavior is crucial across various scientific and engineering disciplines, from aerodynamics to biomedical engineering. Traditional methods of studying fluid flow often involve complex calculations and indirect measurements, which can be time-consuming and less accurate. ILA_5150’s PIV technology revolutionizes this process by providing direct, real-time visualizations of fluid motion.

How ILA_5150’s PIV Technology Works

PIV is an optical method that captures the movement of seeded particles within a fluid to map out the velocity field. The basic setup includes:

• Light Source: Typically, a laser or LED system that illuminates a thin plane of the fluid.
• Optics: Components that shape the light into a sheet, illuminating only the region of interest.
• Cameras: High-speed cameras that capture sequential images of the illuminated particles.
• Synchronizer: A device that precisely coordinates the timing between the light source and the cameras.
• Seeding Particles: Microscopic particles introduced into the fluid to act as tracers.
• Software: Advanced algorithms that analyze the captured images to calculate velocity vectors and generate visualizations.

This setup allows researchers to obtain instantaneous velocity measurements and related properties in fluids, providing a comprehensive understanding of flow dynamics.

Applications and Benefits

ILA_5150’s PIV systems have been successfully implemented in various applications:

• In-Cylinder Flow Analysis: High-speed imaging of spray from multi-hole gasoline injectors was conducted within an optical engine at a repetition rate of 16 kHz, aiding in the development of more efficient combustion systems.
• Marine Research: Observing “marine snow” in challenging environments aboard research vessels, contributing to our understanding of oceanic particulate matter.
• Automotive Engineering: 2D-3C measurements in the wake of axial automotive fans to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, leading to improved cooling system designs.

By integrating ILA_5150’s PIV technology, researchers and engineers can visualize complex fluid interactions in real-time, leading to more accurate analyses and accelerated innovation. At Blink Technology, we are proud to offer these advanced PIV solutions, empowering our clients to push the boundaries of what’s possible in fluid dynamics research.

Just published (open access) in Advanced Manufacturing – new research deploying the VIC-3D system as part of a “a novel approach for fabricating high-resolution components with both spatially tailored material properties and design by leveraging selective powder deposition (SPD) in conventional LPBF processing”!

Fracture mechanisms in Multi-material laser powder bed fusion are investigated through multi-scale domain techniques, including flexural testing supported by digital image correlation (DIC), finite element analysis (FEA), and intermittent micro-CT. Findings from this study demonstrate the current technological opportunities and challenges in the adoption of MM-LPBF for a wide range of applications such as thermo-fluidic surfaces, solid-state energy storage, and biodegradable implants.

See the full article from the team at Penn State below

https://rdcu.be/eehIr

High-speed imaging has become indispensable in scientific research, enabling the capture and analysis of rapid events across various disciplines. Photron, a leader in high-speed camera technology, offers tools that have significantly advanced scientific studies.

The Role of High-Speed Cameras in Scientific Advancements

High-speed cameras allow researchers to observe phenomena that occur too quickly for the naked eye, providing insights into processes ranging from chemical reactions to biological movements. Photron’s cameras, such as the FASTCAM series, are renowned for their ability to record high-resolution images at frame rates up to 2.1 million frames per second, making them invaluable in both industrial and academic research.

Applications in Research and Development

In research laboratories and academic institutions, Photron’s high-speed imaging systems have been utilized to study a wide array of events. For instance, researchers have employed these cameras to analyze airbag deployment, enhancing automotive safety measures. The versatility of Photron’s cameras, capable of achieving high frame rates without compromising resolution, makes them ideal for diverse testing applications.

Photron’s high-speed cameras have significantly contributed to scientific advancements by providing researchers with the tools to observe and analyze rapid events across various fields. Their applications in both industrial and academic settings underscore their versatility and importance in modern scientific research. If you have a research project which has used a Photron camera reach out to have it shared through our channels.

For a closer look at Photron’s high-speed camera technologies, view their youtube channel below: https://youtu.be/cKT_1RMaMW0 

Fracture behaviour of reaction-bonded silicon carbide-boron carbide using digital image correlation

The study investigates the fracture behavior of Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide-Boron Carbide (RBSBC) ceramics using the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method. A Photron NOVA S Series camera, capturing at 137,500 frames per second, was crucial in documenting the rapid crack propagation and brittle behavior characteristic of these ceramics. Proper lighting setup was essential to ensure high-quality image capture and accurate data.

RBSBC exhibited transgranular failure, with randomly dispersed coarse B4C grains deflecting the crack path and increasing the overall crack length. The material’s resistance to crack propagation was evaluated using Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD), stress intensity at the crack tip, and the J-integral.

Two methodologies were used: one based on experimental DIC-derived displacement metrics and another on a quasistatic assessment of fracture load and crack geometry. The experimental method provided more accurate resistance values, while the quasistatic approach tended to underestimate resistance.

Full Article