Traditional visual observations may not help to identify the root cause of a problem. Perhaps it's time to take a look with a fresh lens - from a thermal imaging camera (see Figure I). Thermography is the recording of infrared energy and converting it into a visible light image to be used for a variety of applications. Thermography is a tool that when used in combination with physical temperature measurements and common sense offers a glimpse into a previously hidden world. It allows you to look to your part as a key data source to analyze and troubleshoot your process, manifold, mold construction and mold cooling system. If you have the thermal profile of a part as a baseline or point of reference, in the future when a problem comes up you can refer to this baseline information to identify what's different. For moldmakers and molders there are two major practical uses for thermography and following is case study data to illustrate areas in which thermography is useful.
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