Metallography by METKON | Cutting machines & more
HQ Metallography Sections: Separating | Embedding | Grinding | Polishing
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Metallographic sample preparation by METKON
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Professional separation of metal samples
Allowing a view into the interior
To obtain a sample suitable for metallography from a material or component, the material must first be cut. Since heat would distort the material characteristics (microstructure and hardness), thermal processing methods (oxyfuel or plasma cutting) are fundamentally unsuitable. Machining processes are also considered inappropriate: a saw cut produces a rough edge that requires extensive grinding, and milling causes material compaction (work hardening). Therefore, the ideal method is abrasive cutting of the specimen using an abrasive cutting machine with ample cooling water. A distinction is made between cross-cutting, sliding, and precision cutting.
The wet cutting and grinding machines METACUT and SERCVOCUT allow samples to be cut simply and efficiently. The complete encapsulation of the work area means that this is completely safe for the operator. The SERVOCUT and MICRACUT cutting machines also allow the cut to be carried out automatically.
Metallographic mounting with METKON mounting presses
Depending on the size of the sample, the degree of automation of the subsequent processing steps and the desired quality of the grinding (flatness/edge sharpness), the sample should be embedded. The sample body is cast in a carrier material - either in order to grind and polish a segment that is not too small during manual preparation or to give the test piece a round (angular) shape in order to produce a sample holder in the grinding machine.
Plastic embedding materials are used, which securely encase the specimen using a cold or hot embedding process. The result is an embedded sample with defined dimensions and properties (transparent embedding), which significantly increases efficiency, especially in automated preparation steps. METKON offers suitable equipment for this step in metallography, including the ECOPRESS embedding press, the VACUMET embedding unit (for bubble-free embedding of porous materials), and a pressure pot (to prevent outgassing of the cold embedding materials).
Grinding and polishing machines for optimal sample results
Even if a METKON wet abrasive grinding machine produces a seemingly perfect and mirror-like cut surface, under a microscope or hardness tester objective, the specimen surfaces remain rough and uneven after cutting. To evaluate the true properties, these surfaces must be ground and polished. Only in a highly polished state can a qualified assessment be made regarding grain size, grain boundaries, microstructure components, inclusions, Vickers hardness, and weld zones. For this task in metallography, METKON offers grinding and polishing machines with various configurations for manual preparation and automated preparation using individual or central pressure systems. The basic unit of the FORCIPOL grinding and polishing machine series allows for manual grinding of material samples (manual preparation without a sample mover). This cost-effective solution is suitable for low sample volumes and is used for samples that cannot be embedded due to their size.
If there is a higher volume of samples or increased requirements for the quality of the cut (flatness / edge sharpness), an extension (also subsequent) with the FORCIMAT sample mover is recommended. This inexpensive solution increases the efficiency of sample production many times over and ensures reproducible samples even for a beginner in metallography.
This task can be carried out even more efficiently with the programmable DIGIPREP grinding and polishing machine. With a memory for 25 different programs for preparing a wide variety of samples (steel, aluminum, titanium), the DIGIPREP makes a decisive contribution to the efficient utilization of employees. The key words for this machine are efficient work with high throughput and error-free preparation of a wide variety of materials with different (stored) preparation methods.
If a high level of material removal is required for the test specimens (weld seams, large-volume samples), the DIGIPREP PLAN surface grinding machine can offer decisive advantages: high removal volume in the shortest possible time, perfect flatness between the sample surface and underside (important for hardness gradients), direct re-clamping of the sample holder from this surface grinding machine to the DIGIPREP grinding and polishing machine (one sample holder for both machines).
The ACCURA grinding and polishing machine is one of the highest quality grinding and polishing machines. The additional sample mover, which can be moved along the X-axis, ensures homogeneous use of the abrasive and thus even better flatness than the DIGIPREPP type. In addition, this grinding and polishing machine is one of the few machines that is also designed for target preparation.
