Infrared analysis tools are nowadays widely used for the non-destructive testing of components made up in composite materials, belonging to many different industrial sectors. Being a non-contact method, its capability for the inspection of large areas in short periods of time justifies the great number of works and technical studies that can be found in this field. The growing interest in the technique is also supported by the development, during recent years, of increasingly powerful equipment and data analysis tools. In order to establish a base of knowledge to assist defect identification in real components inspections, the design and manufacturing of inspection samples including controlled defects, is a frequently used strategy.
This paper deals with the analysis, by means of transient active thermography, of a set of inspection patterns made out of different composite materials and configurations that can be found in the wind turbine blade manufacturing industry. The design and manufacturing of these patterns are described, including different types of representative defects, stack configurations and composite manufacturing techniques. Reference samples are then inspected by means of active thermography analysis tools and the results obtained are discussed.
