Deformation Data from Thermal Marking

Abstract: A novel experimental technique for strain measurement, named thermal moiré, and based on a combination of thermography and moiré concepts, is presented in this paper. The proposed technique essentially involves the temporary imprinting of a thermal pattern onto the surface of the object of interest as a substitute for conventional gratings, to remove the need for physical printing, etching or bonding. In materials with low diffusivity, the thermal pattern can be observed with an infrared camera and analysed using conventional techniques. Work on the development of suitable laboratory apparatus is described, and preliminary experimental results are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the method.