Low Cost Thermal Imaging System for Welding Applications

Abstract

A significant component of welding research is devoted to studying the relationship between welding parameters and material properties. The fundamental link between process parameters and material properties is established through the thermo-physical history of the material. Currently, there are very few measurement techniques that are suitable for quantifying the local thermal history induced by welding, and as a result, the application of fundamental materials science principles is severely limited in the welding industry. The goal of the following report is to develop a low cost CCD based thermal imaging camera which can be used to provide thermal feedback information for welding applications. The details regarding the design and operation of the thermal imaging system and calibration equipment are discussed. In addition, the performance characteristics of the thermal camera system is investigated under a variety of operation conditions. It was found that the newly developed system is capable of measuring the temperature of steel alloys across the 800°C to 500°C range required for direct T8/5 time measurement and microstructure prediction applications.