Abstract: Apparatus for inline measurement of material removal during a polishing or grinding process including: a. a substantially circular rotatable grinding or polishing pad; and b. a sample holder; and c. a sample with a top, a bottom and one or more side surfaces; the sample holder being arranged to hold the bottom surface of the sample in contact with the pad and the sample holder being connected to a moving device to move the sample to a position at least partially over the rim of the pad, during at least a part of the process, the apparatus also including a detecting device for sampling the distances between a reference mark and a target area in the sample and a plane defined by the bottom surface of the sample during the process.

Abstract: The invention relates to grinding/polishing sheet, which comprises 2 or more annular grinding/polishing zones (1-5) separated by intermediate annular distancing zones (6). One or more of the grinding polishing zones (1-5) comprises one or more non-continuous areas, that are part of an annular structure forming channels (8) in radial direction. The grinding/polishing sheet can be placed on a rotatable grinding/polishing disc for manual, automatic or semiautomatic preparations of materialographic samples. The invention also relates to a method for preparations of materialographic samples.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a support (4-7) for temporary fixation of a self-sticking abrasive and/or polishing sheet (2) comprising an adhesive layer (3), said support (4-7) comprising a surface for receiving the sheet (2), where the surface of the support (4-7) is so adapted that the resulting adhesive force between the sheet (2) and the support (4-7) is varied over the surface of the support (4-7).

Abstract: An abrasive element for grinding samples during supply of liquid lubricant includes a layer of binding agent containing grains of a grinding agent and particles of an organic acid, the organic acid being soluble in the lubricant and the particles thereof having sizes of 5 to 250 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An attachment means for attaching a sheet-formed abrasive and/or polishing means to a magnetized support, said attachment means comprising a ferromagnetic base layer and an external adhesive layer to which the abrasive and/or polishing means attached, and where said ferromagnetic base layer comprises a ferromagnetic metal foil and that said attachment means comprises a liner sheet having a first side adhered to a first side of the base layer by means of an internal adhesive layer, the liner sheet having the external adhesive layer disposed on the second side of the liner, the external adhesive layer being capable of releasably fixating the abrasive and/or polishing means and said external adhesive layer being capable of substantially retaining its adhesive capacity after removal of the abrasive and/or polishing means. The base layer is optionally and preferably provided with a friction increasing layer on the second side.

Abstract: A grinding/polishing cover sheet for placing on a rotatable grinding/polishing disc (3) consists of a thin foil (1), to which a coating (2) of a hard composite material has been applied through a stencil with or without an associated serigraphic membrane. The foil (1) is stiff in its own plane, but flexible perpendicularly thereto. The composite layer may consist of a matrix of artificial resin with one or more substances embedded therein, e.g. particles of one or more metals or ceramic materials, or fibers or particles of synthetic substances or graphite. The foil can be held in position on the grinding/polishing disc (3) by magnetism or by glueing.

Abstract: A plurality of fragments of printed circuit boards, so-called coupons, each having a row of plated-through holes to be examined and two reference holes, are mounted on positioning pins extending through the reference holes, and are then embedded in a molded block of a curable plastic material to form an independent multi-coupon sample with extending pins ends. A plurality of such samples are mounted in pockets of a sample holder so that their extending pin ends engage with hardened surface portions on the front face of the sample holder. The samples are then contacted by an abrasive element to remove material down to a cross-sectional level corresponding to the common diametrical plane of the plated-through holes. A jig can be used to cut out a coupon with reference holes from a circuit board.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the grinding or polishing of workpieces, particularly metallographic samples, the grinding or polishing pressure is transmitted to the workpiece through a deformable transmission link which is strained by strain gauges of an activating member, which is then immobilized. The apparatus comprises means for sensing the elastic deformation of the transmission link and changes of that deformation during the progress of the process, whereby a simultaneous measurement of the grinding or polishing pressure and the depth of the layer of material removed by the grinding or polishing is obtained.