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The Power of Metallography: A Look Back and Ahead

  • What Is the Difference Between Metallographic Precision Cutting and Abrasive Cutting?
    April 23, 2025

    What Is the Difference Between Metallographic Precision Cutting and Abrasive Cutting?

    In metallographic sample preparation, choosing the right cutting method is crucial for ensuring the integrity and quality of your samples. Precision cutting offers low-force, slow-speed cuts, ideal for delicate materials that require high accuracy, while abrasive cutting prioritizes speed and efficiency for tougher or larger samples. Each method has its strengths, and selecting the right tool for the job can make a significant impact on your analysis results. Learn how precision and abrasive cutting can optimize your sample prep process and which method suits your specific needs.

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  • Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) in Metallographic Analysis
    March 5, 2025

    Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) in Metallographic Analysis

    The CMP process involves a specialized machine with a rotating platen covered with a polishing pad designed to interact effectively with the slurry and specimen surface. A chemical slurry containing fine abrasive particles is dispensed onto the polishing pad. The specimen is pressed against the pad with controlled downward force, while both the pad and the specimen rotate, ensuring uniform material removal and a highly polished finish

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  • Polishing Abrasives for Metallographic Sample Preparation
    September 24, 2024

    Polishing Abrasives for Metallographic Sample Preparation

    Polishing is a critical step in metallographic sample preparation, ensuring specimens are free from scratches, deformations, and surface damage, all of which are essential for accurate analysis. Obtaining a flawless surface requires precision abrasives like diamond, aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), and amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO₂) in colloidal suspension.
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  • Hot Mounting vs. Cold Mounting for Metallography
    January 9, 2024

    Hot vs. Cold Mounting in Metallography: A Quick Guide

    Metallography, the study of the microstructure of metals and alloys, relies heavily on the quality of specimen preparation. One critical step in this process is specimen mounting, and there are two predominant methods: compression or hot mounting and castable or cold mounting. Each method has its own set of advantages and considerations, catering to different needs in metallographic analysis.
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  • 3D Printed Inconel 625 - OnPoint Abrasives
    October 2, 2023

    Additive Manufactured Samples - A Guide To Sample Preparation

    Metallography is a critical aspect of the metallurgical analysis and quality control of materials, including those produced through additive manufacturing (AM). It involves the study of a material's microstructure by examining its constituent phases, grain structures, inclusions, and defects at a microscopic level. Metallography helps in understanding the material's mechanical properties, performance, and overall quality. Here's a more detailed overview of metallography and sample preparation in the context of AM:
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  • metallographic samples cut with saw
    September 17, 2023

    Metallurgical Abrasive Saw or Precision Saw or Both?

    Precision saws excel in targeting specific areas of metallurgical specimens with a heightened degree of precision. They are known for their suitability under low load and low RPM conditions, making them a preference for delicate materials. Typically found in smaller laboratory settings, precision saws replace abrasive wheels with metal core blades featuring embedded diamonds or cubic boron nitride (CBN) on their perimeters. Blade diameters vary from 3 to 8 inches, and thickness can range from 0.006” to 0.040”. This thin profile proves particularly advantageous when sectioning delicate materials like precious metals, PCBs, ceramics, or glass, though it necessitates careful handling due to fragility.
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