More and more, customer claims a 100% quality control of the production. In order to take up this challenge, metal forming industries (stamping, forging …) are especially interested in new non destructive techniques that allow to inspect their parts more rapidly, in a more sustainable way and with costs in accordance with industrial constraints. In collaboration with the University of Reims, CETIM has then initiated a few years ago research projects involving thermal imaging. This paper deals with a comparison between conventional NDE methods such as penetrant testing, magnetic particle inspection or vision with thermal images obtained in passive or active thermography.