Material Matters

The Spectrographic microscopy team, are concerned.... Have you checked your iris aperture on your microscope, having this set incorrectly or out of centre can effect your microscope image quality. For more information on setting the iris aperture or to get a service from the Spectrographic microscope team. The Spectrographic team look forward to your enquiry. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

The MetCut 300 Metallurgical abrasive cutting machine for sectioning of samples such as heat treatment samples. The MetCut 300 metallurgical abrasive cutter uses a 250mm abrasive wheel and can cut samples up to 75mm diameter. The machine can be equipped with a recirculation tank and twin vices to offer a high quality abrasive cutting machine. Going out servicing these machines we see them in all kind of conditions most of them are often clean and reasonable, but you do come across a minority in poor conditions. We often find the clamps seized up and the odd coolant hose snapped from a build-up of dirt in the chamber. This causes the filter in the coolant tank to block and need replacing. At Spectrographic we have all of these items in stock so when we go out on a service parts can be replaced and installed immediately. After the service or repair a full report is sent out detailing what the Spectrographic service engineers have done with any recomme

The DP polisher could be considered a classic, it would only be Spectrographic who would restore such a polishing machine used for the polishing of geological samples or metallurgical samples. The Struers DP10 offers polishing of samples with direct load polishing cloths  fitted to a 200mm platen. They don’t make them like this anymore. Seized and clogged with dirt, this machine had defiantly seen better days! After stripping the machine down and a lot of cleaning, freeing off all bearings and the head weights, the polisher was looking and operating a lot better. Upon the completion of the refurbishment, the DP10 was looking good as new and ready for a new home with a clean bill of health. After all services and repairs are complete, we always aim to leave machines looking and operating as good as the day they first came out of the box. When your livelihood can hinge on the reliability of your equipment, Spectrographic specializes in keeping that equipment at it'

Spectrographic are pleased to support Mercedes GP, UK based Formula 1 racing Team. Our Popular sample levelling press was sold to them last month, and I'm sure it's made all the difference.   Congratulations to Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton on their successes at the first Grand Prix of the Season in Melbourne, Australia. The specimen levelling press is at an economic price, and is a must have for sample preparation. If you require more details, please contact the Spectrographic Team. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

Spectrographic would like to wish everyone a happy Good Flyday. To celebrate this day we would like to show you a Fly that has been under the Huvitz  HDS 3D Microscope. The Spectrographic Team wish you all an eggcellent Easter, and will be back in the Office on Tuesday at 9am. Please contact us via the below methods Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

Spectrographic's branded OmegaPol Metallurgy Polishers Grinders are available for delivery from mid April.  Although, if you are in a hurry we have some Twin Polishing Machines available for immediate despatch with 200mm or 250mm platens.  The benefits of the OmegaPol are that it is a manual polishing preparation system for low to medium volumes of sample preparation.  The polisher comprises of a variable speed platen that can operate from 600 rpm to 50 rpm.  The grinder is also controlled by the touch pad, which has a timer function. This machine has a warranty of 12 months from date of delivery and has the full support of the Spectrographic team. The OmegaPol Polisher/Grinder is available in single and twin plate machines offering sizes from 200mm to 300mm Platens. To make sure customers receive the correct metallography polisher, Spectrographic would recommend that they contact the Sales Team and discuss the materials preparation needs of the company.

Trying to find a pun to do with metals and E aster can be quite complicated, so I will try and give it a break, so we bid all those metalleggraphers a very Happy Easter. We are looking forward to the Easter B reak , which reminds me, our team of fixers are available to service and repair your old and tired equipment.   CAN WE FIX IT, YES WE CAN (no one called Bob actually works here, and in some cases we have to say sorry we Can't)   So, here's wishing you a really good Easter Holiday, lets hope for sunshine, and chocolate, although last time one of our engineers needed fixing due to sun stroke, but that seems like a long time ago! Easter Closure Thursday 24th March 2016  at 5pm u ntil 9am on Tuesday  29th March 2016. Except for me, the grumpy one, as I have decided to go play Golf on the Tuesday! But don't worry, the teams is in, to look after you. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

The Buehler  Vibromet 2 is ready for you, It’s as good as new, Been serviced by our boys in Blue.   The system is suitable for preparation of metallographic, petrographic, and ceramographic samples. If you want to prepare samples using an alternative to metallographic polishing wheels, this vibratory polisher will produce better results because of its unique vibratory action which reduces structural deformation and improved flatness and reducing edge flatness. This vibratory polisher is ideal for Metals, Rocks and  borides. The 300mm platen can be used in conjunction with Spectrographic Consumables ; Polishing Cloths, Diamond Suspensions and Colloidal silica . Get in touch to speak to Gail, she will pass you onto someone who knows what they are talking about. Only Joking, Please contact a member of the Spectrographic Team, they will be more than happy to help via the usual Channels. Email:  sales@spectrographic

Spectrographic are renown for selling metallurgical polishing machines, either brand new or refurbished . As a company we offer the full metallography consumable package. Our preparation polishing cloths have been sourced for quality and efficiency, and can easily be identified with other well known brands. The topic of this blog is to introduce our product range.  Our technical guys have put together a matrix of Polishing Cloths. Name of Polishing Cloth Description CIAR Soft, micro-porous cloth.  Chemical resistant low napped polymer pad. Excellent flatness and long durability (Pk 5) TARA A soft flocked cloth, semi finishing and finishing of all materials.   Diamond   3 or 1 mic (Pk 5) FLOCK Soft, dense and medium napped synthetic cloth on a plastic foil.    Provide excellent flatness and long durability 1 or 3 mic (Pk 5) MAIA Very soft flocked cloth, semi finishing and finishing of all materials.   Diamond 3, 1 or 1/4 mic (Pk 5)

. Gail has now returned to Spectrographic after attending Crufts 2016 with her Daughter Willow and their dogs. Willow has enjoyed a very successful time by winning the 6-11 Pastoral/Working Junior Handling Final on Saturday, with her Shetland Sheepdog Tooralie's Firefly owned by Mrs Sue Walker, under Judge Liz Millward. On the Friday of Crufts Willow and Miss Fly also competed in the under 12 Young Kennel Club Grooming Competition and gained a highly respectable 2nd. Willow and Fly then had to compete in the main final on Sunday against all the other finalists from each day, they both put in an epic performance, according to Gail.  Well done to the main winners. Spectrographic didn't expect to see Gail on the Monday, and they were right.  Instead she limped home on the Monday after 3 days of the growling NEC flooring. So, Gail is now back, so if you want to speak to hear she is available in the Spectrographic Team Office.

Spectrographic have been refurbishing metallurgical equipment for many years now, and we keep on adding to our range of second hand machines. A new addition to our range of used metallurgical equipment is the Buehler Isomet 2000 Precision Cutting machine.   Precision cutting machines cause minimal damage and deformation of the sample and are particularly suited to fragile or very soft materials. Using the correct cutting parameters the diamond saw can cut virtually any type of material, using its unique diamond cutting wheels. It is ideally suited for cutting and slicing fragile materials including inter-metallic crystal structures, semiconductor substrates with multiple layers, delicate electronic components and items which would be damaged using other methods of cutting.       The Buehler cutter can be supplied with a combination of new and used equipment to meet your full material testing requirements. Above

Getting through the bleak winter, floods, gales even snow. But it was a good season for our GB Bobsleigh team, great to be involved at the sharp end, so to speak, with supply of Spectrographic Metallurgical polishing consumables. Performance Director for Great Britain Bobsleigh, commented: “We are delighted with the support Spectrographic is offering to the British Bobsleigh Team. The smallest modification or technological improvement has the potential to shave hundredths of a second off the team’s time, and help them win an Olympic medal.” See more on Metallurgical consumables in our E Shop. Please contact the Spectrographic Team, for all your metallography consumables. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

The Spectrographic engineers have been working hard to refurbish the Buehler Metaserv 3000. This twin 200mm polisher/grinder will be available very soon.  The machine is capable of Polishing/Grinding 4 samples at anyone time. For full details of this new metallurgical equipment, please feel free to have a look on the website. More information will become available soon. If you hare interested please contact the Spectrographic Team.  Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

It's not all to do with metallography. On Friday and Saturday Willow, Gail's daughter will be competing at Crufts 2016, at the NEC. And we would just like to wish her the best of luck. Willow and her Shelties have qualified in three Young Kennel Club disciplines; Grooming, Handling and Pastoral Stakes, she is so very excited. This is a picture of her handling at Crufts 2015 in the handling with her Shetland Sheepdog, Tooralie's Firefly. We wait with baited breath to see how the formidable twosome get on together at this prestigious event.  While we work hard in the office. If you do need us for anything metallurgical, please contact us, we are here till 4pm on a Friday. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

A recent meeting with Dr Lewis and gave Spectrographic the opportunity to look at some very interesting subjects on our Stereo microscope.   The Moth geni talia samples did offer some challenges but these were overcome in our customer service laboratory equipped with a wide range of microscopes and computer based imaging systems. Have a look at the work done by Dr Lewis on his website and more information on the article on our news section. This provides some interesting information regarding the Huvitz microscopes , that they are useful for other science applications. Do you require any more information, then please do contact the Spectrographic Team. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

Spectrographic's very successful demonstration day are becoming a bi-monthly event at The AMRC. We are pleased to announce that the next Demo Day will be held on Wednesday 21st April 2016, this will held at The AMRC in Sheffield. Spectrographic will be showcasing some of the metallurgical, equipment that is available to purchase. To book a spot on the demonstration day please email Nicci @spectrographic.co.uk Can't make this date, but interested in our range of metallurgy products, please contact the Spectrographic team. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk 

Spectrographic have been refurbishing used hardness testers for the past 5 years.  These were an addition to our used metallurgical equipment range which include cutters, mounting presses, grinders and polishers. Recently we were asked by one our customers how to adjust a Rockwell hardness tester's  values, as we are so keen to help, we supplied them with a video to demonstrate how it should be done. Please find below our video of adjusting the values of the Rockwell hardness tester. Spectrographic hope that the information on how to do this operation with the hardness tester, was interesting to you. If you have any requirements for a used hardness tester, please contact the Spectrographic team. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

As a distributor of the Panasis Software for metallurgical microscopes.  We like to give you the heads up on how some of the features work. This video demonstrates how to use the Auto Count feature within Panasis. The Auto Count allows users to measure porosity in a metallic sample. Did you find the information helpful, or can Spectrographic help you further? If that is the case please contact the technical team. Email:  sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website:  www.spectrographic.co.uk

Spectrographic are the sole UK distributors for Panasis Software . The following video shows Panasis Users how to Calibrate using the Software. Did you find the information helpful, or can Spectrographic help you further? If that is the case please contact the technical team. Email: sales@spectrographic.co.uk Tel: 01274 966173 Website: www.spectrographic.co.uk

Spectrographic supplies several different hot mount solutions for differing metallurgical applications.  Below is an overview of each resin that can be supplied, with the Omegapress 2 mounting press or can be used with other mounting press brands. Carbon Conductive Hot Mount The ideal compound for hot mounting of samples for observation using a scanning electron microscope.  The carbon content within the media offer a electrical conductive mounted sample. The cycle time is dependent of the mounting press used but we recommend the same parameters as standard bakelite. Clear Mounting Compound Clear mounting compound designed for use in a hot mounting press. This is a thermosetting resin which is heated at 150 to 180 degrees c. The cooling process is extended to prevent clouding of the resin. Diallyl Phthalate Media High quality edge mount compound for superior edge retention. This is a blue resin which is used in a hot mounting press for encapsulation of metallu