Dunno about labs. I got our first IR camera in the mid-90's. Even at 
that time the camera had software with it that allowed thermal 
signature of an object to be saved for comparison with a like 
object.  We'd just pick a few reference points to use as fiducials 
and the software would compensate, align and compare the images. You 
could set it to display just the temp delta areas (and set how fine a 
temp delta range you wanted displayed).  That capability came in 
especially handy for tweaking ICT short detection thresholds. We were 
rejecting as shorted a lot of cards for overcurrent that just had a 
higher draw due to component tolerances but not any actual short.

It paid for itself in the first month by helping us repair a bunch of 
$5K assemblies with cracked caps showing up as pwr/gnd shorts.
The bad caps just blossomed on the screen. No need for the fancy 
software.  We couldn't locate the shorts other wise.

At 06:53 PM 3/9/2009, Jim West wrote:
>Thanks Dwight,
>
>Interesting, do you know anyone that offers this solution (i.e. test labs,
>or other testing facilities)?
>
>Thanks,
>Jim
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dwight Mattix" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:27 PM
>Subject: Re: [TN] Detection of potential cracked capacitors and resistors
>
>
> > IR comparison to known good assembly.
> >
> > At 05:56 PM 3/9/2009, Chris Mahanna wrote:
> >>Jim,
> >>I would suggest, and we offer a 3-way approach:
> >>acoustics
> >>elevated T/H
> >>microsections
> >>
> >>Chris
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim West
> >>Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 7:29 PM
> >>To: [log in to unmask]
> >>Subject: [TN] Detection of potential cracked capacitors and resistors
> >>
> >>Looking for a quick/easy way (if this is even possible), to verify if
> >>ceramic capacitors and/or resistors placed on a PCA are cracked.
> >>
> >>Can an X-ray be used to check for cracked capacitors and resistors?
> >>
> >>We had an issue with hand soldering of other components that compromised
> >>the PCA and could possibly lead to cracked components.  If X-ray cannot
> >>detect the cracks, are they other methods of inspecting for cracked
> >>components that you guys can think of?  Besides electrical test (PCA's
> >>will
> >>not fit in electrical test fixture now due to hand mounted components).
> >>
> >>Thanks,
> >>Jim
> >>
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