It is estimated that the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program will cost over $1.7 trillion to buy, operate and sustain. That makes it the United States, Department of Defense, most expensive weapons system program ever! As such, getting the most return out of each F-35 fighter for the DOD is of the highest priority. From the development, manufacturing, and sustaining phases, there is a concerted focus on the F-35 lifetime and doing whatever possible to extend it. Active infrared thermography is one method being used to detect defects at the smallest level.

Beyond jet fighters, automobile and component manufacturers, electronics and semiconductor developers, aerospace companies, and battery developers are just a few of the industries that are using active thermography NDT technologies and techniques to optimize product performance.

In this episode of the Thermal Review, we explain the difference between passive and active thermography and introduce the different techniques for performing active thermography non-destructive testing.