Grinding and Polishing Equipment

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Grinding and polishing decide what the microscope is able to show. Damage left by sectioning has to be taken off layer by layer, and every stage has to remove the deformation the previous one introduced, otherwise the structure that appears under magnification is one the preparation created. NextGen supplies grinders and polishers for that sequence, for steel, aluminium and other alloys, ceramics and composites.

Machines run from manual single-wheel units for occasional work to semi-automatic and fully automatic single and dual-wheel systems with individual or central specimen pressure, plus belt grinders for coarse stock removal. Discs, cloths, abrasives and suspensions come from the same supplier, machines are installed and calibrated on site, and support continues for the life of the equipment.

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What Grinding and Polishing Do

Grinding and polishing decide what the microscope can show. Grinding removes the layer damaged by sectioning and leaves a flat, uniform surface, and polishing removes the thin deformed layer left by grinding without adding new scratches. Plane grinding with silicon carbide papers takes off saw marks, and the specimen is turned ninety degrees between papers so the old scratch pattern can be told from the new. Fine grinding often uses resin-bonded diamond disks. Rough polishing typically uses diamond suspensions of 6 to 3 microns, and final polishing uses 1 micron diamond or finer abrasives such as colloidal silica of about 0.05 µm.

The Standards Behind the Sequence

ASTM E3 describes the sequence in which each stage removes the damage left by the one before, until the surface shows the material and not the preparation. Hardness work on a prepared surface follows ASTM E384, which treats surface condition as part of the test, and etching follows ASTM E407.

What Affects Grinding and Polishing

Pressure, time, speed and lubrication set the result. Too much force leaves deep scratches or local heating, and insufficient cooling can smear soft alloys. High pressure or a polishing time that runs too long can round edges and raise hard phases above the matrix. Cleaning between steps keeps coarse particles out of the next stage, and a worn paper or cloth is replaced. Central force loads all the specimens in a holder together, while individual force loads each one on its own, so the pressure can be adjusted for each specimen. Plate size sets how many specimens fit at once, and a dual-wheel build lets grinding and polishing sit on separate plates so papers and cloths are not swapped between steps. Stored programs make the sequence repeatable between operators.

Grinders and Polishers from NextGen

The GenGrind range runs from manual to fully automatic. The N Series is manual, with 8, 10 or 12 in plates and single or dual wheels. The SA-C 250S and SA-I 250S are semi-automatic with central or individual force. The FA-IC 250S, FA-IC 250D and dual-wheel FA-IC are fully automatic with stored programs. The Belt BT and Belt BF belt grinders handle coarse stock removal. Papers, cloths and suspensions come from the NextGen consumables range.

For Laboratories

One partner to equip your complete metallography laboratory

Grinding and polishing is one step of metallographic preparation. NextGen equips the rest of the laboratory too, from cutting and mounting equipment to hardness, tensile and impact testing, and stays responsible for it after delivery.

  • Equipment, fixtures and software
  • Installation, training, calibration
  • Lifetime technical support

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Products

9 products
Most requested GenGrind N Series 200S / 250S / 300S – Grinder and Polisher 203 mm Grinding and polishing GenGrind N Series 200S / 250S / 300S – Grinder and Polisher GenGrind N Series is a manual metallographic grinder and polisher available in 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch formats,… View product Get quote Most requested GenGrind Belt BT – Tabletop Dual-Stage Belt Grinder Grinding and polishing GenGrind Belt BT – Tabletop Dual-Stage Belt Grinder GenGrind Belt BT is a dual-stage tabletop belt grinder for metallographic sample preparation where compact size and… View product Get quote GenGrind Belt BF – Floor-Standing Dual-Stage Belt Grinder Grinding and polishing GenGrind Belt BF – Floor-Standing Dual-Stage Belt Grinder GenGrind Belt BF is a heavy-duty floor-standing dual-stage belt grinder for high-volume metallographic sample… View product Get quote GenGrind FA-IC 250D – Fully Automatic Dual-Wheel Grinder and Polisher 254 mm Grinding and polishing GenGrind FA-IC 250D – Fully Automatic Dual-Wheel Grinder and Polisher GenGrind FA-IC 250D is a fully automatic dual-wheel metallographic grinder and polisher designed for… View product Get quote GenGrind FA-IC 250S – Fully Automatic Single-Wheel Grinder and Polisher 250 mm Grinding and polishing GenGrind FA-IC 250S – Fully Automatic Single-Wheel Grinder and Polisher GenGrind FA-IC 250S is a fully automatic single-wheel grinder and polisher for repeatable metallographic sample… View product Get quote GenGrind FA-IC – Fully Automatic Dual-Wheel Grinder and Polisher 100 rpm Grinding and polishing GenGrind FA-IC – Fully Automatic Dual-Wheel Grinder and Polisher GenGrind FA-IC Dual Wheel Fully Automatic is a metallographic grinder and polisher built to automate sample… View product Get quote GenGrind SA-C 250S – Semi-Automatic Grinder and Polisher 250 mm Grinding and polishing GenGrind SA-C 250S – Semi-Automatic Grinder and Polisher GenGrind SA-C 250S is a semi-automatic metallographic grinder and polisher for repeatable sample preparation with… View product Get quote GenGrind SA-I 250S – Semi-Automatic Grinder and Polisher 254 mm Grinding and polishing GenGrind SA-I 250S – Semi-Automatic Grinder and Polisher GenGrind SA-I 250S is a semi-automatic single-wheel grinder and polisher for metallographic sample preparation with… View product Get quote Metallography Consumables Metallography consumables Metallography Consumables Metallography consumables cover the materials needed for sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, etching, and… View product Get quote

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FAQs

The FA-IC 250S, FA-IC 250D, SA-C, SA-I and N Series ship with a 0.75 in water inlet hose and a 32 mm outlet hose, and the FA-IC 250S, 250D, SA-C and SA-I include a built-in nozzle, a waste collection tank and automatic cleaning. The N Series has a stainless steel 304 faucet at the plate. The belt grinders connect water per belt on the BT and through a recirculation cabinet on the BF. Papers and cloths are consumables, ordered to the material and finish.

Both are dual-stage, wet or dry grinders that take a standard 4 × 36 in belt, run at 50 to 600 rpm and handle samples up to 16 to 21 cm square. The BT sits on a bench, weighs 119 lb (54 kg) and has a built-in faucet with water control for each belt. The BF stands on the floor at 406 lb (184 kg) with a recirculation unit in the front cabinet. Pick by bench space and the volume of material removed.

On the FA-IC 250S, central load runs from 0 to 150 N, commonly 40 to 120 N, and individual force from 0 to 90 N. The dual-wheel FA-IC offers individual force of 0 to 50 N and central force of 0 to 160 N. The SA-C 250S applies pneumatic central pressure up to 0.5 MPa, commonly 0.1 to 0.3 MPa, and the SA-I 250S applies individual pneumatic pressure up to 0.5 MPa, commonly 0.2 to 0.3 MPa.

Yes. The FA-IC 250S and 250D and the SA-C and SA-I machines store up to 100 grinding and polishing programs, and the dual-wheel FA-IC stores up to ten procedures. A program holds plate speed, running time and direction, with timing from 0 to 99 minutes. Plate speed is stepless, from 100 to 1,400 rpm on the FA-IC 250S and 250D and from 100 to 1,000 rpm on the SA machines.

The standard holder on the FA-IC and SA machines takes six specimens of 1.18 in (30 mm) diameter. Other sizes are available on request: 25, 30 or 40 mm, 1, 1.25 or 1.5 in, or a custom size. The specimen size has to be stated when the order is placed, because holders are made to the specimen.

In order to determine the right polishing pad for your metallography polishing needs, please let us know what type of surface finish are you hoping to achieve. We have our general recommendations that typically work for most specimen preparation processes, however we would be happy to offer a more specific solution for you. Please shore your process with us and we will help figure out the rest

Low viscosity suspension tends to be used more for dozing applications. It is the better choice when polishing aluminum or brass materials.

Typically, we recommend high viscosity suspension because it offers a lower relief rate. This means that it does not waste the diamond on the polishing process. Additionally, the interaction between the polishing pad and high viscosity suspension allows it to stick to the pad for much longer (roughly 30 seconds) as oppose to roughly 10 sec with low viscosity suspension.

NextGen would be happy to offer samples of our metallography consumables to you. Simply let your product consultant know which item you are interested in and they will help you take care of the rest. You may contact us by phone or e-mail.

Our fully automatic metallographic polishers take an extra 1-3 days to complete relative to the manual polisher and grinder series. The fully automatic metallographic polisher - GenGrind FA-IC series is a state of the art polisher and grinder machine that makes sample preparation a joy for medium to large volume of samples. Contact us today to learn how the fully automatic polisher and grinder solution can be a good fit for your laboratory.

The most cost-effective metallographic polisher or metallographic grinder would be the GenGrind N Series - Single and dual wheel manual metallographic polisher and grinder. This series offers superior quality / low cost metallographic polisher and grinder to meet your low to medium sample preparation requirements. All units comes with variable wheel size and speed options. Additional upgrades, like our famous NG-Magneto upgrade, which allows your metallographic polisher and grinders to be used with magnetic consumables. Request quote today to learn more.

NextGen's metallurgical grinding and polishing equipment can be separated from the rest by the beautiful design, simply operation, and long shelf life. Each grinder and polisher machine is individually manufactured based on your specific needs. The metallurgical grinding and polishing equipment can be customized to your specifications with wheel diameter sizes, number of wheels, automated heads, variable speeds, load control and much more. Contact us today to have our quality consultants find the right fit for you.

When it comes to a lower specimen volume for your metallographic grinder or metallographic polisher needs, we would suggest our GenGrind N Series - Single and Dual Wheel Manual Metallographic Grinder and Polishing Equipment. This robust, and aesthetically pleasing polisher and grinding machine will serve you for many years to come. The machine comes as a single or a dual wheel option. The polisher and grinder has the option of fixed speed or variable speeds depending on your polishing requirements. It additionally can be upgraded to the magnetic model allowing you to use magnetic consumables with the unit. Request a quote today to get your metallographic grinder and metallographic polisher today.

NextGen's GenGrind FA-IC Series - Central and Individual Control Fully Automatic Metallographic Grinder and Polisher is not only our most sought after quality control grinder, but also the industry leader in fully automatic metallographic polishers. This machine comes with options of single of double platen of various diameters (8", 10" or 12"). The automatic metallographic polisher comes standard with a 3 sample holder head and can be upgraded to 5 sample option. The unique advantage of this fully automatic metallographic polisher and grinder is the ability to switch from central distribution force to individual distribution force as needed. The central force allows the operator to grind all of the samples equivalently, while the individual force allows the operator to grind samples through custom load application per sample. Contact us today to receive a quotation for your fully automatic metallographic equipment today.

All of NextGen's grinding and polishing machinery comes standard with everything your laboratory needs for long-term operation. We provide you with a basic set of consumables designed to create a plug and play scenario for your laboratory. If any additional consumables are required for your grinding and polishing machinery at any point in the future, you are most welcome to request quote for anything that you need to receive quality consumables at the lowest price.

Virtually each one of the GenGrind Series - Metallographic Polisher and Grinders for metallographic sample preparation has the option for both the single and double platen option. The metallography grinder's platens can come in 8", 10" and 12" diameters. They can also come with a magnetic platen allowing your metallography polisher and grinder to be used with magnetic consumables. Depending on the volume sample of specimen preparation, we would recommend the model that will provide you with the optimal solution for your metallographic polishing and grinding needs. Request your quote today.

Regardless of metallurgical grinding and polishing system needs, NextGen has you covered with our GenGrind Series - Metallographic Polisher and Grinders for metallographic sample preparation. Each of the metallographic polisher and grinders in the series is equipment for various applications best suited for your quality control laboratory. Contact our technical consultant team who will guide you towards the metallography polisher/grinder that perfectly meets your technical and budgetary needs.

Majority of the GenGrind Series - Metallographic Polisher and Grinders for metallographic sample preparation are bench top solutions. These polisher and grinders are easy to store, require minimum maintenance and are specifically designed with the operator in mind. Experience the difference of next generation bench top grinding and polishing metallographic equipment with NextGen. Contact us today to learn more.