During metallographic sample preparation, the cut samples are usually mounted in a resin into cylindrical shapes before polishing. While mounting may seem as an auxiliary step in sample preparation, it has profound implications on the polishing process, hence determining the quality of overall sample preparation process. This also implies an importance on the right choice of mounting process and consumable which depends on the nature of material to be inspected and the objective of analysis. While a mounting resin might suitably work for general microstructure purposes, it might not be suitable...

Metallography of some samples (with phases of varying hardness, with coatings, with intricate contours etc) demands flat polished surfaces with no form of relief or edge rounding. However, the process to grind and polish samples flat may not be straightforward. Many times, routes to having flat samples involve increasing the complexity and size of the machine. LAM PLAN having profound expertise in lapping processes, which involve rendering samples flat, proposes a simple approach to polishing metallographic samples flat. The proposed approach works for all users working on smaller samples (30...

Sectioning, or cutting, involves extracting a piece of a sample with the cross-section of interest to be polished and imaged under a microscope. For metallography, dedicated machines are available in the market to perform such cutting operations under conditions that would mitigate the deformation the material is subjected to. Choosing the right sectioning technology for your metallographic sample preparation Contents Cutting for metallography Cutting Techniques Conclusion Download PDF Cutting for metallography While there are many coarse cutting methods such as hack-sawing,...