Robo-Met.3D®
Overview
Robo-Met.3D®
A Fully Automated, Serial Sectioning System For Three-Dimensional Microstructural Investigations
Robo-Met.3D is a fully integrated robotic cell that generates two-dimensional data for three-dimensional reconstruction. The system features a full, mobile enclosure for convenience and safety, and large granite surface for vibration-free images. It is a completely automated system after the initial setup via the external operator's station. The automation software has a straight-forward, easy to use interface, allowing a painless configuration for each sample run.
Robo-Met.3D enables more time for data analysis and characterization by eliminating the drudgery of long days sitting at the polishing station and microscope. It ensures repeatable and accurate data is collected in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Note: Invented by UES scientists in collaboration with scientists from AFRL/RX with initial funding from AFOSR.
Applications
- Examine the quality of your materials
- Identify solidification defects in castings and freckle defects in single crystal Ni-super alloys
- Validate Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
- Improve failure analysis and fitness for service assessments
- Analyze grains, grain boundries, precipitates, voids, and dendritic structure formations
- Further develop advanced image processing algorithms
Features
- Automation: robotic polisher & automated microscope, every slice is executed to the user defined specifications
- Rapid data acquisition: data in days not months
- Adjustable scale range: from microns to the hundreds of microns
Functions
- grinding & polishing
- sample cleaning
- chemical etching
- image acquisition
Benefits
- Automation increases sectioning rates up to 100 times the baseline manual process
- Automatic mechanical manipulation of the specimen decreases variability between section images
- Consistency and precise control over field-of-view, illumination, exposure time, focus and contract levels
- Friendly automation software requires no extensive training
- Controlled diamond suspension reduces consumables cost
Equipment
Standard Equipment
- Automated polishing system
- Fully automated inverted microscope
- 2 ultrasonic cleaning stations
- 3 washing/etching stations
- 1 drying station
- operator's station (external to cell)
- PC and LCD monitor
- Axiovision
- Robo-Met.3D™ Automation
Optional Equipment
- Multi-Platen Cassette System
- Allows polishing with multiple cloth and diamond suspension combinations
- this increases the range of serial section depth (slice thickness), without sacrificing surface finish quality
- Volume rendering software (UES recommends Avizo Fire)
Specifications
Slice thickness=0.20 - 10.0 µm (material dependent)
Slice rate=up to 20 per hour
Sample size=50.8 mm diameter
Chemical etching=automated
Optical Illumination=bright field, polarized
Microstructure data collection=real time
Data sets acquired=Ti, Steel, metal matrix composites, Ni superalloys, Carbon foams, metallic foams
Datasets
- The polycrystalline grain structure in Ni-based superalloys (IN100)
- the dendritic structure in single crystal nickel-based superalloys, AL-CU alloys
- Reinforcement particles in particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites
- Microstructure colonies (cementite, ferrite, austenite, martensite and pearlite) in alloy steels
- The structure of pitch-based carbon foams
- The γ -γ prime microstructure in Ni alloys
- Intermetallic particles in SN-rich solder
- Pore morphology in die-cast magnesium alloys