An automated three-dimensional internal structure observation system based on high-speed serial sectioning of steel materials

Abstract

Abstract:For three-dimensional observation of the internal structure of hard materials, we developed an automated system based on serial sectioning with precision cutting and optical microscopy. The elliptical vibration cutting device in the system created mirrored surfaces suitable for optical microscopy during the serial sectioning of steel materials. In this study, high-speed sectioning with several micron thickness and repeated precise machining to depths of up to around 1 mm were achieved with a flat-edge cutting tool. For a 3 × 3 mm area of bearing steel, a mirrored surface could be created in about 1 minute, and 400 serial sectioning images were obtained within 7 hours without additional machining processes such as cleaning or changing of tools. The three-dimensional shapes and positions of continuously distributed inclusions found deep within the bearing steels, as well as cracks originating from these inclusions, could be detected with resolutions as high as 80 × 80 nm and in a wide field of view using this system.

Multiscale Analysis of MnS Inclusion Distributions in High Strength Steel

“…Recently, an automatic serial sectioning system with precision cutting and optical microscopy has been developed to achieve accurate 3D observation of the internal microstructure of materials. 21) The system was successfully applied to investigate 3D shapes and positions of continuously distributed inclusion within bearing steel. This method provides the actual morphology of inclusions.…”

“…Three-dimensional observation of the material was conducted by a desktop-sized internal microstructure observation systems, which has the same concept of the previous one 21) but was constructed on a desktop-sized processing machine (MPX III, Takashima Sangyo Co., Ltd.). This system is composed of an optical microscope and a precision machining device with ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting device and a single crystal diamond tool to create many observation surfaces.…”

3D Observation of Micro-cracks as Cleavage Fracture Initiation Site in Ferrite-pearlite Steel

“…It can promote deeper understanding in the morphology of materials than that of the conventional 2D observation. [32][33][34][35][36][37][38] However, there has not been a study to quantify the relationship between the shapes of micro-crack and microstructures in the ferrite-pearlite steels.…”

External and internal features of garnet revealed by the multifocus imaging technique

“…Fujisaki et al, 2012), is also of great interest in petrology (e.g. Berger et al, 2012;Bryon et al, 1995).…”