A system for measuring the thermal diffusivity of a material, comprising: a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion; a plate holding the material in a fixed position between the upper portion and lower portion of the housing; a source (126, 147) at the lower portion of the housing projecting heat onto the material along a first axis that is perpendicular to the plate; a sensor (120, 146) at the upper portion of the housing and movable together with the source (126, 147) in relation to the plate, the sensor (120, 146) sensing the heat projected onto the material; a controller receiving data from the sensor (120, 146) and calculating the thermal diffusivity of the material; characterized in that the system further comprises: a mask between the material and the source (126, 147) for directing the heat to a particular location on the sample, the mask having an opening and a closed portion, the opening allowing the heat to reach the material along the first axis, the closed portion blocking the heat from reaching the material, and in that the controller is adapted to carry out measurements of the thermal diffusivity of the material in various directions through the material by controlling a movement of the sensor (120, 146) together with the source (126, 147) in relation to the plate in small increments, including positioning the sensor (120, 146) offset from where the heat is projected onto the material along the first axis, to sense the heat that radiates along a plurality of axes through the material in order to measure a path of the flow of heat through the material, wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along the first axis, and wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along a second axis that is perpendicular to the plate, the second axis offset from the first axis. a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion; a plate holding the material in a fixed position between the upper portion and lower portion of the housing; a source (126, 147) at the lower portion of the housing projecting heat onto the material along a first axis that is perpendicular to the plate; a sensor (120, 146) at the upper portion of the housing and movable together with the source (126, 147) in relation to the plate, the sensor (120, 146) sensing the heat projected onto the material; a controller receiving data from the sensor (120, 146) and calculating the thermal diffusivity of the material; characterized in that the system further comprises: a mask between the material and the source (126, 147) for directing the heat to a particular location on the sample, the mask having an opening and a closed portion, the opening allowing the heat to reach the material along the first axis, the closed portion blocking the heat from reaching the material, and in that the controller is adapted to carry out measurements of the thermal diffusivity of the material in various directions through the material by controlling a movement of the sensor (120, 146) together with the source (126, 147) in relation to the plate in small increments, including positioning the sensor (120, 146) offset from where the heat is projected onto the material along the first axis, to sense the heat that radiates along a plurality of axes through the material in order to measure a path of the flow of heat through the material, wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along the first axis, and wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along a second axis that is perpendicular to the plate, the second axis offset from the first axis. a mask between the material and the source (126, 147) for directing the heat to a particular location on the sample, the mask having an opening and a closed portion, the opening allowing the heat to reach the material along the first axis, the closed portion blocking the heat from reaching the material, and in that the controller is adapted to carry out measurements of the thermal diffusivity of the material in various directions through the material by controlling a movement of the sensor (120, 146) together with the source (126, 147) in relation to the plate in small increments, including positioning the sensor (120, 146) offset from where the heat is projected onto the material along the first axis, to sense the heat that radiates along a plurality of axes through the material in order to measure a path of the flow of heat through the material, wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along the first axis, and wherein the sensor (120, 146) senses the heat radiating through the material along a second axis that is perpendicular to the plate, the second axis offset from the first axis.