The ultimate goal of metallographic sample preparation is to prepare a flat mirror surface for observation after corrosion or direct observation. The importance of grinding and polishing is obvious. Polishing is the last step in the sample preparation stage, and it is also the most important and critical step.

For a long time, metallographic sample preparation has focused on experience rather than control. The grinding and polishing effect is highly accidental and experience-oriented, that is, the so-called low reproducibility. This low reproducibility has led to the inability to improve the overall level of metallographic sample preparation, and the high experience threshold of industry practitioners, which in turn limits the development of the level of metallographic fine analysis. The main reason for low reproducibility is that there are too many variables in the grinding and polishing process, and there is no quantitative control one by one, making the grinding and polishing process a black box process, which is in a state of process out of control.

If you want to improve reproducibility, you must control the process variables. The process variables of grinding and polishing are:

1. Equipment sample end: holder speed/direction, sample pressure, eccentricity between holder and grinding and polishing disc, sample fixing method (loading method).

2. Equipment disc end: speed, duration, disc fixing method, temperature rise control.

3. Polishing liquid: polishing liquid type, dripping speed, dripping position.

4. Polishing disc: cloth type, whether it is steel back, whether it has an isolation layer.

5. Process association: step setting, cleaning process, soft start.

A simple calculation shows that there are about 18 open variables, and the difficulty of grinding and polishing reproducibility can be imagined. If we re-summarize the control method of variables, we can start from three aspects: equipment, consumables, and sample preparation database. Fully functional equipment, rich varieties of consumables, and tens of thousands of sample preparation data can support the task of high reproducibility.

The core competitiveness of material metallographic analysts is to promote the development of materials and the optimization of production processes by analyzing the metallographic structure of materials and inferring the material mechanism behind the organization, rather than spending a lot of energy on exploring the sample preparation process.

The most worry-free way is to outsource this work to a professional company. Domestic professional companies such as Shanghai Truer have more than ten years of experience in commissioned sample preparation, accumulated a lot of sample preparation information, and established a special database to quickly obtain the best sample preparation plan. 

All microscopic analyses are the accumulation and crystallization of countless details, and the same is true for metallographic analysis. Even the most insignificant errors may create obstacles for subsequent observations. Industry practitioners must be in awe and pursue perfection.

Shanghai Truer Company has been deeply involved in the metallographic testing industry for decades and has long practiced the concept of exquisite metallography. It is a leading metallographic solution provider in China. Truer takes international giants as benchmarks, faces difficulties, concentrates on research, overcomes key equipment and consumables that restrict the development of the industry, and creates a complete metallographic industry chain that integrates equipment, consumables and sample preparation training; the company is equipped with a cutting-edge metallographic laboratory and has a team of highly qualified experts. For more than ten years, it has provided metallographic analysis and sample preparation training services to thousands of customers, and provides customized metallographic laboratory solutions.

If you have any metallographic questions, you can get in touch with them to get the information you want.