Smart methods for assessing the integrity of a composite structure are essential to both reduce manufacturing costs and out of service time of the structure due to maintenance. Nowadays, thermal non-destructive testing (NDT) is commonly used for assessing composites. By using automated and advanced non-invasive thermography tools for the inspection of composites there could be a reduction in the use of manual, subjective inspections. It could also improve sensitivity for the detection of small defects. This way, accuracy is improved, leading to an increased "Probability of Detection" at a higher confidence level, reducing instances of catastrophic failure. Thermography NDT approaches could be used successfully in order to inspect composites at the manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and repair stages.
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