Audi AG

AUDI AG uses infrared thermography to uphold its quality standards

"Vorsprung durch Technik" has been the motto of automobile manufacturer Audi for decades. Driven by this approach, the group now also makes intensive use of thermal imaging technology in order to meet its exacting quality criteria.

AUDI AG's headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, about 80 km north of the Bavarian capital Munich, is also home to the Technical Development activities of the company with the familiar four-ring logo.

Audi has become one of the world's leading premium car brands. As such, it sets particularly high requirements for parts and components, whether supplied from outside or developed internally. Without the consistent use of a fast, mobile, contact-free and reliable measurement tool which is also able to generate visual images, top quality standards for manufacturing finish, vehicle safety and driving dynamics would be scarcely possible.

Thermography: A significant component of the measurement and testing process at AUDI AG

"We started making regular use of thermography in 1998," recounts Norbert Arnold, who is responsible for thermography in engine development. "Both highly sensitive long-wave cameras and shortwave cameras are used." The shortwave cameras are used in particular for recording higher temperatures (up to 2000 degrees Celsius).