Patent ID: 7317964
Filing Date: 2008-01-08
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A high speed, high precision, high repeatability method for 3-D reconstruction of microstructure specimens comprising the steps of: polishing selected serial microstructure sections of said microstructure specimen using a high-precision, high speed and high repeatability motorized metallographic polishing unit, measuring vertical distance between said selected serial microstructure sections; preparing said microstructure specimen from said polishing step for microscopic viewing and imaging; microscopic viewing of said microstructure specimen from said preparing step; digital imaging of said microstructure specimen for 3-D microstructure specimen reconstruction using data from said measuring step and 3-D microstructure volume rendering software providing real-time 3-D microstructure software data of said microstructure specimen; manipulating said microstructure specimen through said polishing, preparing, viewing and imaging steps using a robotic manipulator arm; controlling said polishing, preparing, viewing and imaging steps using serial-sectioning process control software including selecting the number of microstructure sections acquired from said microstructure specimen; and repeating said polishing, preparing and viewing and imaging steps until a pre selected number of microstructure sections from said microstructure specimen have been acquired.