WIRE NEWS January 2017 | Page 4

Schleuniger SawPolish Units – Precise Sawing and Polishing for Accurate Crimp Cross Sectional Analysis

Creating micrographs , or cross-sectional views , of crimped connections with conventional methods and chemical etching is timeconsuming and requires strict adherence to on-the-job safety regulations . However , the Schleuniger MicroGraph System allows users to safely create high-quality cross-sectional views in a fraction of the time needed with conventional methods .
The first step in crimp cross-sectional analysis with the Schleuniger ’ s MicroGraph System is cutting , or sawing the terminal . Schleuniger ’ s SawPolish Units offer first class cutting quality with a carbide saw blade that makes the subsequent polishing process unnecessary in many cases . This reduces costs as well as overall processing time . Other systems on the market use a standard cutting disc that provides a very rough cut . Therefore , polishing is required and sample processing takes more time . Sawing can be further optimized using different sawing blades for different materials or small wires down to 0.03 mm2 ( 32 AWG ).
“ Precision pays off ,” states Schleuniger product manager , Rajeevan Kumaran , and precision is Schleuniger ’ s business .
For applications that do require polishing , a key benefit of Schleuniger ’ s SawPolish Units is that the sawing and polishing processes are combined in one device . The polishing disc is in line with the saw blade so the sample can be cut and polished WN JANUARY 2017 4 in one motion . Thus , test samples can be prepared in one step without having to remove the sample holder and processing time is minimized . Other , less advanced , solutions split sawing and polishing into two separate devices , thereby increasing processing time .
Schleuniger offers a full range of sawing and polishing units for this process . Schleuniger ’ s SawPolish product family is comprised of three machine versions to meet varying budgets and production needs : SawPolish Unit 6 , SawPolish Unit 60 and our newest model , SawPolish Unit 6 Comfort . The SawPolish Unit 6 and SawPolish Unit 6 Comfort can process crimp terminations with a maximum terminal height of 9 mm ( 0.35 ”). The SawPolish Unit 60 can accommodate terminals with a height of up to 25 mm ( 0.98 ”).
The new SawPolish Unit 6 Comfort also offers an adjustable mechanical stop with digital display that ensures repeatable cut positioning . Furthermore , a digital magnifier with a four-step zoom capability improves cutting visibility and is ideal for smaller applications . Sample holders can be easily and securely inserted into the SawPolish Unit using a tool-less , quick-change mechanism .
The wide range of capabilities on the various machine versions allows a broad spectrum of crimped and welded connections to be easily processed . Numerous , interchangeable sample holders are available to support a variety of applications , including standard crimp and welded connections as well as potted connectors .
The SawPolish Units are compatible with the ElectrolyteStaining Unit and the MacroZoom Unit 1.3 to form the MicroGraph System for complete crimp cross-sectional analysis .