The
continuing quest for increased product quality and reliability requires a more
thorough testing of materials, which includes microstructural analysis. In
addition, the analysis of increasing complex composites and advanced materials
is challenging the adequacy of existing methods for specimen preparation. These
two factors have created a demand for improved preparation and analysis
techniques. Besides offering equipment and consumables for this purpose,
Buehler offers training courses for individuals to obtain or improve their
metallographic skills.
BUEHLER
established the Institute for Microstructural Analysis in 1989, offering both
general courses at an introductory level plus more specialized courses that
focus on the needs of industries or technologies. All courses stress supervised
hands on activities in the laboratory with just enough classroom instruction to
help the students understand the basic principles. Courses are offered at the
Buehler headquarters in Lake Bluff, IL as well as the University of Birmingham
in Edgbaston and at Instron in High Wycombe, UK. In addition, workshops at
various locations are organized through Buehler GmbH in Dusseldorf, Germany and
the Buehler Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong.
To
view the following Educational Information you need to have Adobe Acrobat
Reader installed on your computer. If you already have Adobe Acrobat Reader,
simply click on the Educational Information you wish to view and it will open
automatically. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, click
on the Get Acrobat Reader button for instructions on how to download a free
copy.
Course Listing:
Directions & Maps:
Registration Forms:
Metallographic Techniques for
Medical Devices
Due to the special challenges faced in the medical device industry, routine
materials test methods do not work without modification or advanced techniques.
The students of this class will prepare a variety of alloys commonly found in
medical devices under the guidance of the instructor. Some manual preparation
is required in order to understand the principles behind the process of
developing semi-automatic preparation methods. The consistency and
repeatability of preparation through semi-automatic specimen preparation is
discussed and demonstrated on state-of-the-art equipment. After a lecture on
etching techniques, and the optimal use of the metallograph, the structures of
the materials are documented and entered into a laboratory notebook that is
graded and returned to the students for future reference. Grain size
determination, measurements and micro hardness indentation testing complete the
course.
Specific
Materials Discussed:
•
CoCrMo
•
Elgiloy
•
316 L Stainless Steel
•
CP Titanium
•
Ti 6Al 4V
•
Zirconium
•
Tantalum
•
Precious Metals
Students are
encouraged to bring their own specimens.
Who Should
Attend?
•
Technicians
•
Metallographers
•
Engineers and QA personnel
interested in hands on sample preparation
Required
Prerequisites
None,
but some knowledge of metallography is advantageous
Learning
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
•
Select proper consumables and
techniques for sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing
•
Choose the correct etchant to
reveal the structure and features for the alloy at hand
•
Document structures using light
optical microscopes equipped with image capture cameras and software
.gif){kind=small}
