Micro and Macro Examinations

Micro and macro examinations assess the structure, quality and properties of material

In our certified UKAS and ISO-17025 screening laboratories, skilled engineers from Intertek can conduct micro and macro exams.  We promote all sector industries and our training is supplied for all manufacturing phases–from raw material assessment and aid in product design studies and growth to performance problems in the manufacturing system, component error in-service, and compliance with domestic and global norms.
At our well-equipped on-site machine shops, we can prepare samples for micro and macro exams.

Micro Examination

Micro examination is performed for a number of purposes, most commonly it is carried out to assess the structure of material for quality purposes:

• Ensures correct heat treatment is employed
• Detects unwanted phases and inclusions
• Ensures castings are free from cracks or voids and segregations
• Identifies where excessive grain growth has occurred
• Determines fracture modes and corrosion damage in failure investigations

A sample is either sliced to size or installed in a resin mould to perform the microscopic examination and then polished to a mirror finish and generally engraved in a suitable chemical solution before a metallurgical microscope examination.  For micro exams, magnifications of x50 and above are used. Intertek has camera and microscopes covering magnification ranging from x1 to x1.500.

Macro examination

Macro examinatio is mainly used to check weld performance. A cross section of welded material for examination is polished and engraved. Porosity, absence of welding penetration, absence of side wall fusion, bad welding profile and other significant flaws are inspected according to the appropriate welding standard.

This review is an global welding standards necessity such as:

• BS EN ISO 5817
• ASME IX
• AWS D1.1

Macro exams are usually conducted with a magnification of less than 20x.

The fast turnaround times of Intertek for micro and macro exams implies that we can sustain you with the least interruption to your procedures. Our expertise in Total Quality Assurance can ensure compliance with national and international codes and standards and receive accurate assessments for your materials.