Precision Metallographic Cutting Equipment

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Precision sectioning exists to protect the sample. A thin blade turning at low speed under flood cooling takes the cut without the heat and deformation an abrasive wheel leaves behind, which is what coatings, thin sections, brittle materials and electronics need. NextGen supplies precision cutters for that work, for specimens prepared to ASTM E3.

The range runs from manual low-speed cutters for delicate single samples to high-speed automatic machines for routine sectioning, with micrometer feed where the cut has to land in the same place every time. Diamond and CBN blades, clamps and coolant come from the same supplier, machines are installed on site, your team is trained on the parameters, and support continues for the life of the cutter.

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What Precision Sectioning Does

Precision cutting exists to protect the sample. A thin blade on a controlled feed under coolant takes the cut with less heat and deformation than an abrasive wheel, which matters for small, delicate and coated samples, thin sections, brittle materials and structures that are not homogeneous. Thermal damage from cutting can show up as discoloration, burn marks, smeared material, local hardness variation, tempering effects in steels or microcracking in brittle materials, and grinding cannot reverse a structural change made below the surface. Large steel or alloy parts that will be ground and polished afterwards are usually sectioned on an abrasive saw for routine sectioning and larger samples, and precision cutting is the safer approach for small, delicate, coated or heat-sensitive samples.

The Standard Behind Specimen Preparation

ASTM E3 treats sectioning as the first step of the preparation sequence: the section is cut with cooling so the structure is not altered, then mounted, ground and polished, with optional etching to ASTM E407. The guide states principles rather than a fixed recipe, which is why blade, load and feed are matched to the specimen.

What Affects a Precision Cut

Blade and speed come first: a thin diamond wafer blade slices slowly but cleanly and suits ceramics, carbides and electronic parts. Feed and load come next. A weight sliding loading system or a micrometer head limits damage on brittle sections, and an automatic feed keeps the cut repeatable. Clamping and jigs matter for small or special-shaped work, and coolant flow carries heat away. Forcing the cut raises heat and deformation, so the feed is set for the material.

Precision Cutters from NextGen

The GenCut GL100E is a low-speed cutter with a micrometer head, weight loading and jigs for small and fragile samples up to 25 mm. The GL200E is a high-speed machine with automatic feed and a 60 mm capacity. The GL80A cuts up to 80 mm in automatic or manual mode, and the GL350 and the manual GL100M cut up to 100 mm. Feed differs by model: the GL100E cuts by gravity weight or in manual mode, the GL200E feeds automatically along the Y axis with pulse and manual options, and the GL100M is hand fed. Blades, clamps and coolant come from the NextGen consumables range.

For Laboratories

One partner to equip your complete metallography laboratory

Precision sectioning is the first step of metallographic preparation. NextGen equips the rest of the laboratory too, from mounting presses, grinders and polishers to hardness, tensile and impact testing, and stays responsible for it after delivery.

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

Build My Metallography Lab

Products

6 products
GenCut GL100E – Low-Speed Precision Metallographic Cutter Precision sectioning GenCut GL100E – Low-Speed Precision Metallographic Cutter GenCut GL100E is a low-speed automatic precision cutter for metallographic preparation of small and delicate… View product Get quote GenCut GL100M – Manual Metallographic Cutting Machine 100 mm Precision sectioning GenCut GL100M – Manual Metallographic Cutting Machine GenCut GL100M is a precision manual metallographic sample cutting machine for clean, controlled preparation of metal… View product Get quote GenCut GL200E – High-Speed Precision Metallographic Cutter 5000 rpm Precision sectioning GenCut GL200E – High-Speed Precision Metallographic Cutter GenCut GL200E is a high-speed automatic precision metallographic cutter for accurate sectioning of metals, ceramics,… View product Get quote GenCut GL350 – Metallographic Cutting Machine 3000 rpm Precision sectioning GenCut GL350 – Metallographic Cutting Machine GenCut GL350 is a precision metallographic sample cutting machine for larger laboratory and industrial specimens. View product Get quote GenCut GL80A – Precision Metallographic Cutting Machine 2100 rpm Precision sectioning GenCut GL80A – Precision Metallographic Cutting Machine GenCut GL80A is a precision metallographic sample cutting machine for preparing metal specimens with a cutting… 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

Start from the largest section and how fragile it is. The GL100E (25 mm) and GL200E (60 mm) are the small-section machines, low-speed with micrometer control and high-speed with automatic feed. The GL80A cuts to 80 mm, and the GL350 and the manual GL100M to 100 mm. Send the largest section, the material and its hardness and the team will confirm the model. Request a quote.

The GL80A and GL350 offer automatic and manual work modes, and the GL100M is manual, with a handwheel for the Y axis. On the GL80A the wheel moves automatically in the Y axis and returns on its own, with intermittent cutting for metal workpieces and continuous cutting for non-metal workpieces, at a cutting speed of 0.01 to 1 mm/s. All three have a closed cutting chamber with an observation window and quick clamping.

The product page lists typical applications: pipe up to 3.9 in (100 mm) with a 6 mm wall, solid iron-base bar up to 100 mm in diameter at hardness up to HRC 30, and solid iron-base bar up to 60 mm at hardness up to HRC 60. It also cuts 100 × 100 mm angle steel and channel steel. Feed is set from 1 to 40 mm/min, and extra blades are available for other materials.

The GL200E is built for deformation-free cutting of metals, hard alloys, ceramic materials and crystals, electronic components, rock and ore, concrete, organic materials, and biological materials such as teeth and bone. Its Y-axis feed runs from 0 to 600 mm/min in steps of 0.01 mm and the spindle from 500 to 5,000 rpm. The maximum cutting diameter is 2.36 in (60 mm), and feed can be automatic, manual or pulse.

The GL100E cuts in manual mode or by gravity, using a weight and counterweight. A weight sliding loading system sets the load from 0 to 15.9 oz (0 to 450 g), which limits sample damage so brittle sections survive the cut. A micrometer head with 0.01 mm position accuracy moves the sample, and the cutter ships with single head, double head and irregular sample jigs.