Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology

School of Technology and Trades

Quality Engineering Management (QEMS)

QEM-1303 Materials and Testing

Laboratory Assignment: Metallography I - Sample Preparation

Reminder Symbols

collect data take a photo

Objective

Prepare a metallographic sample to develop familiarity with the techniques and skills needed to
produce a distortion-free, polished surface capable of revealing the true microstructure

Case Study

Your job at Lambton Materials Test Labs is going well and you are getting more interesting and complex
assignments – congratulations!
You have been asked to carry out a failure analysis on a very costly event
A client has brought in samples of a ductile iron crankshaft from a cruise ship engine that failed in service
You are to prepare this sample for metallographic analysis

629947769.docx Page 1 of 5 Pages Issued: 10 October 2022

 Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology
School of Technology and Trades
Quality Engineering Management (QEMS)

Report Format

Include the following in your lab write up

1) Lab Title: Metallography I - Sample Preparation

2) Your Name and Student Number

3) Theory (10/100 Marks)

Provide a brief description of grinding and polishing

4) Safety (5/100 Marks)

 List any unique Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed for metallography (etching)
 Find a fire extinguisher and include a photo

5) Test Equipment and Supplies (5/100 Marks)

List all equipment and supplies used in this lab

6) Sample Information (5/100 Marks)

Provide a description and photo of the sample, including as received visual inspection, sample ID, etc.

Be sure to record the ID number, it will be used again in the image analysis lab

7) Acceptance Criteria

The final polished sample should have a mirror finish, with no visible scratches

629947769.docx Page 2 of 5 Pages Issued: 10 October 2022

 Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology
School of Technology and Trades
Quality Engineering Management (QEMS)

8) Test Method and Set Up (20/100 Marks)

Prepare the sample for microscopic examination by going through these steps

 coarse grinding (120 grit)

 fine grinding (240 > 320 > 400 > 600 grits)
 polishing
 etching

Describe the major steps of the test method (in point form). Include a labelled photo of each of these set
ups

9) Calibration/Traceability (10/100 Marks)

List all applicable calibration and traceability items, mention any missing information and make a statement
on the impact on test validity of this missing information

HINT: There may not be any equipment requiring calibration, but consider material shelf life

10) Test Results (25/100 Marks)

Make note of your sample number, it will be used again in the image analysis lab

At each step in the process attach a photo of the sample surface and describe the condition

Exampl
e
Etched

629947769.docx Page 3 of 5 Pages Issued: 10 October 2022

 Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology
School of Technology and Trades
Quality Engineering Management (QEMS)

11) Clean Up

Clean up the work area and leave test samples on the bench

Attach a photo of the tidy work area

Before you leave make sure you have all required photos and data

Questions & Discussion

12.1) Identify an automotive metallography specification/standard (such as SAE, Ford, General Motors,
Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, etc.)
 ASME E3-11(2017)
12.2) Find and name a training provider for metallography
 ASM International
12.3) Give a brief description of the above course (requirements, hours, training content, cost, etc.)
 At the end of the course student will be familiar with mounting, sanding, polishing, and etching of
sample. Also, student will learn how to use optical microscope for sample examination and get hands
on experience of Scanner Electron Microscope.
 A person, who is interested in this course, needs to sign up on ASM international website. It is two-
day course and timings are from 6.30 PM to 7.30 PM and 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM. This course cost
around $ 2400.
12.4) Method applicability. List several types of materials this method can and cannot be used with
 This method is applicable on steel, cast iron, aluminum, wood etc.
 It is not helpful for materials like rubber, plastic, etc.
12.5) List several advantages of this test method
 Removes surface detects such as scratches, pits, rust etc.
 Flattening of surface
 Makes surface more attractive
 Useful to understand microstructure of the metal
12.6) List several disadvantages of this test method
 Time consuming
 Too much equipment are required
 Costly equipment
 Skilled worker required

629947769.docx Page 4 of 5 Pages Issued: 10 October 2022

 Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology
School of Technology and Trades
Quality Engineering Management (QEMS)

12.7) List three manufacturers/ suppliers of Metallographic sample preparation equipment or supplies in
addition to those used in this lab
 Meller Optics
 Leica Microsystems
 GLEN MILLS INC.

13) References

Include proper references to the sources of material you used to write up this lab and questions (equipment
manuals, internet, course notes, etc.)

Revisions
Revision Date Change Description Change Made By
15 July 2019 First release Joe Clements
7 Sep 2019 Added the following Joe Clements
 photo and data icons to help ensure all data is collected during lab session
 lab and research section breaks
 references sections
 Note to use this template
07 Oct 2021 Revised for Fall 2021 term Joe Clements
14 Oct 2021 Clarified coarse and fine grinding grit size Joe Clements
02 Feb 2022 Revised for Winter 2022 Joe Clements
22 Feb 2022 Adjusted marks to match other labs Joe Clements
10 Oct 2022 Revised for Fall 2022 Joe Clements

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