Some common questions about purchasing a microscope
Microscopes have become the most commonly used analytical instruments in laboratories and research and development rooms, but for professionals who frequently use microscopes, it is a headache to easily choose a microscope that meets their research needs and has a high cost-effectiveness. In the past, many users who consulted us could only be considered as simply inquiring about microscopes, but they did not have much knowledge about the selection of microscopes. Based on years of consulting experience, the technical personnel of Yunfei Company summarized some of the most common questions before purchasing microscopes for microscope buyers, hoping to provide assistance in your selection.
Question 1: What is the price of a microscope?
Many purchasers of microscopes have asked us a question, "How much does it cost per microscope?" or "How much is the quotation for a XXX model microscope?" Our usual answer is "What configuration do you need?" Or if you only want to have a rough understanding of the microscope's quotation, we may only provide a very large price difference in a vague price range. The key reason for such results is the configuration of the microscope. In fact, purchasing a microscope and a computer is very similar - everything needs to be configured according to your requirements. For example, you need several observation modes (which affect the number of objective lenses), whether you need software, whether you need CCD, etc. These requirements greatly affect the price of the microscope. It should be noted that the most important and valuable part of the entire microscope is the objective lens, and its number will greatly affect the price of the microscope.
Question 2: Before purchasing, what type of microscope is suitable for the sample you want to test?
Microscopes can be classified according to their functions based on the different observed samples: generally, there are metallographic microscopes, polarizing microscopes, stereomicroscopes, biological microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, etc. The usage of different functional microscopes also varies. Polarizing microscopes are mainly used for the detection of anisotropic non-metallic materials such as geological ores. Metallographic microscopy is mainly used for observing, identifying, and analyzing the internal structure and structure of various opaque materials such as metals. Suitable for factories, mining enterprises, higher education institutions, and scientific research departments. This instrument is equipped with a camera device, which can capture metallographic images and measure and analyze them. It also has functions such as editing, outputting, storing, and managing images. Stereoscopic microscopy is suitable for micrometer level practical analysis, fracture detection, inspection of electronic industry production lines, calibration of printed circuit boards, calibration of welding defects (printing misalignment, edge collapse, etc.) in printed circuit components, calibration of single board PCs, and all fields with detailed observation of sample surfaces. With measurement software, various data can be measured. Biological microscopes are mainly used in the medical and health field, as well as in schools and research institutions for medical diagnosis, testing, teaching, and research. So, before purchasing, it is important to clarify what kind of sample you want to observe, so that the merchant can recommend a suitable microscope to you.
Question 3: Should I purchase an upright microscope or an inverted microscope?
Before answering this question, it should be clear what is the difference between an upright microscope and an inverted microscope:
Metallographic microscope, also known as material microscope, is mainly used to observe the structure of metal tissue. It can be divided into upright metallographic microscope and inverted metallographic microscope
The upright metallographic microscope forms a positive image during observation, which brings great convenience to the user's observation and identification. In addition to analyzing and identifying metal samples with a height of 20-30mm, it is more widely used in transparent, semi transparent, or opaque materials due to its compliance with human daily habits. Observing objects larger than 3 microns but smaller than 20 microns, such as metal ceramics, electronic chips, printed circuits, LCD substrates, thin films, fibers, granular objects, coatings, and other materials, can have good imaging effects on the surface structure and traces. In addition, the external camera system can conveniently connect the video screen and computer for real-time and static image observation, saving and editing, printing, combined with various software to meet the needs of more professional metallography, measurement, and interactive teaching fields. Inverted metallographic microscope uses optical plane imaging method to identify and analyze the microstructure of various metals and alloys. It is an important tool for studying metallography in metal physics and can be widely used in factories or laboratories for casting quality, raw material inspection, or research and analysis of material metallographic structure after process processing, providing intuitive analysis results. It is a key equipment for quality identification and analysis of casting, smelting, and heat treatment in mining, metallurgy, manufacturing, and mechanical processing industries. In recent years, due to the need for high magnification planar microscopy technology to support chip production in the microelectronics industry, metallographic microscopes have been introduced and continuously improved to meet the special needs of the industry. Inverted metallographic microscope, due to the fact that the observation surface of the sample coincides with the surface of the worktable, the observation objective is located below the worktable and observed upwards. This observation form is not limited by the height of the sample, and is convenient to use. The instrument structure is compact, and the appearance is beautiful and generous. The inverted metallographic microscope has a larger base support area, a lower center of gravity, and is safe, stable, and reliable. The eyepiece and support surface are tilted at 45 ℃, making observation comfortable.
