Infrared thermography standards for nondestructive testing

Although infrared thermography is a well developed technology, its applications to nondestructive testing (NDT) are only now beginning to approach maturity. The efforts of many to have infrared thermography recognized by the NDT community, as a powerful and reliable tool for the inspection of materials, structures, and assemblies, has been inhibited by the absence of recognized standards for the method. The unavailability of standard test methods, standard practices, and even a standard terminology, has undoubtedly been responsible, to some extent, for the fact that neither the American national standard for the qualification and certification of NDT personnel, nor the comparable ISO standard, include infrared thermography among the recognized NDT methods.