Selecting the appropriate cutting instrument for
a particular application requires careful consideration of a number of variables
including sample composition, sample size, sample geometry, sample stability,
etc. Testbourne offers two types of cutting methods, Low Speed Diamond Wheel
Saws and a Wire Saw. Hard stable materials are generally most appropriate for
the Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saw while brittle materials are better suited to a
Wire Saw.
Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saws
These saws are used as the workhorse in most laboratory environments. The
use of a metal bonded, continuous rim diamond wheel as the cutting medium
enables the Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saw to section virtually any material. Low
blade speeds (300 RPM max) minimize subsurface damage and all but eliminate
surface heating, thereby reducing subsequent polishing. Applications for the
Low Speed Diamond Wheel Saw range from sectioning metallurgical samples and
wafering single crystals to thin slicing of biological and geological
materials for analysis.
Wire Saw
A Wire Saw can cut the same variety of materials as the Low Speed Diamond
Wheel Saw yet has the advantage of cutting with a gentler lapping action. The
Wire Saws can be used with an abrasive slurry or with a diamond wire and can
easily cut brittle samples that would normally chip or crack when cut on a
Diamond Wheel Saw. The Wire Saw can often reduce post cut polishing and is
ideal when little or no subsurface damage can be tolerated. Applications for
Wire Saws range from wafering and dicing ceramics and semiconductor materials
to opening electronic packages for failure analysis.
