Technology

TWI’s patented Thermographic Signal Reconstruction (TSR) method has been widely recognized as a breakthrough in the field of thermography. TSR performance for flaw detection far surpasses that of conventional approaches, which rely on detection of “hot spots” in the IR image sequence. While conventional thermography is adequate for some simple inspection tasks, it often lacks the accuracy, sensitivity and repeatability required to “meet or exceed” the performance of established inspection methods, such as ultrasound. Introduced by TWI in 2001, the TSR method addresses these limitations, and allows an unprecedented degree of sensitivity, depth range and resolution of subsurface defects. The introduction of TSR has played a significant role in the growth of thermography in real-world manufacturing and in-service inspection applications. In addition to flaw detection, the quantitative nature of TSR enables material characterization, including precise measurement of thickness, defect depth and thermal diffusivity in a wide range of composites, metals, polymers, ceramics and advanced materials.

Originally developed for the US Navy, TWI’s Large-Standoff, Large-Area Thermography^TM (LASLAT^TM) offers a groundbreaking approach to inspection of large structures, operating at a large stand-off distance (up to 12 ft) to cover an area as large as 100 ft². It automatically scans the entire inspection area, providing a subsurface map of defect indications that is easily interpreted by the operator. MOSAIQ^® analysis tools provide measurement of flaw size and registration on the actual part. LASLAT^TM’s versatility allows a single mobile system to be used for inspections on multiple platforms without the need for a fixed gantry. Automated inspection routines eliminate manual positioning, providing repeatable inspections.

The flashlamps used in most thermography systems are designed for commercial photography, and can result in excessive saturation of the IR detector and nonuniform heating of the target. TWI flash technology was developed specifically for thermography. Our Precision Flash Controller (PFC) provides a flash pulse that can be truncated to a duration of less than 1 msec without loss of spectral components. Our proprietary flashlamp design provides the highest degree of uniformity to the target in the shortest possible pulse.

The combination of the patented TWI PFC and flashlamp technology enables precise measurement of transient or high-speed events that are unmatched using conventional approaches.

TWI has redefined cooling hole and channel blockage inspection for aero turbine engine airfoils and IGT buckets. Our fully automated robotic solution is the new inspection benchmark offering unprecedented precision, speed and reliability. Testimonial from major OEMs using TAFIS is quite simply that our solution obviates conventional testing methodologies i.e. pin gauge, water flow, and hot wax expulsion.

In addition to detecting hole and channel blockages, TWI technology can also measure TBC thickness, detect TBC delamination and detect cracks for land and aerospace based turbine components.