Comprehensive Composition and Classification of Metallographic Microscopes
Metallographic microscope is a high-tech product developed by combining optical microscopy technology, photoelectric conversion technology, and computer image processing technology. It can easily observe metallographic images on a computer, analyze and grade metallographic spectra, and output and print images. It can be divided into: upright metallographic microscope (GPM-100, IDL-100), inverted metallographic microscope (MG-MI, GX51, GX41), on-site metallographic microscope (MG-100), etc. As is well known, the composition, heat treatment process, and cold and hot processing technology of alloys directly affect the internal structure and structural changes of metal materials, thereby causing changes in the mechanical properties of mechanical parts. Therefore, using a metallographic microscope to observe, inspect, and analyze the internal structure of metals is an important means in industrial production.
Metallographic microscope is mainly composed of optical system, illumination system, mechanical system, and accessory devices (including photography or other devices such as microhardness). Based on the light reflection characteristics of different tissue components on the surface of metal samples, optical studies and qualitative and quantitative descriptions of these tissue components are conducted using a microscope in the visible light range. It can display the characteristics of metal structure within a scale of 500-0.2m. As early as 1841, Russians studied the patterns on Damascus steel swords under a magnifying glass. By 1863, the British man H.C. Sorby had transplanted the methods of petrology, including specimen preparation, polishing, and etching, to steel research, developing metallographic techniques. Later, he also took a batch of low magnification metallographic photographs of other structures. The scientific practice of Sobi and his contemporaries, the Germans (A. Martens) and the French (F. Osmond), laid the foundation for modern optical metallographic microscopy. By the early 20th century, optical metallographic microscopy had become increasingly sophisticated and widely used for microscopic analysis of metals and alloys. It remains a fundamental technique in the field of metallurgy to this day.
