Inspection of welds with limited access puts specific requirement on the NDT-method to be used. A non-contact method without the need for special surface preparation is preferable for fast and cost efficient inspection and with the possibility of automation. Infrared thermography has been known for quite a long time and is today mainly used for NDT inspection of composite structures. The technique is based on registering the heat conduction of the material of the surface of the structure. The method requires some kind of excitation resulting in a change of heat locally in the inspected area. In the study presented in this paper, different excitation methods are evaluated, such as continuous laser, flash lamp and induction. The study also includes conditions for miniaturization andautomation of the inspection methods. For welds difficult to access, thermography is a suggested as a possible inspection method.