PELCO^® Precision Lapping Fixtures

Precision hand lapping fixtures allow for the preparation of planar, parallel, and highly polished surfaces on metallographic specimens, single-crystal wafers and semiconductors, glasses, rock samples, and other materials.

Lapping processes are also used to generate highly parallel, smooth faces, and to thin specimens to a precise target thickness. They may aid greatly in avoiding rounding or overpolishing when a hard material is embedded in a softer matrix, such as in epoxy-embedded samples. This is particularly useful in hand polishing semiconductors, optical components, and for thinning TEM specimens before finishing via dimple polishing.

PELCO^® lapping fixtures allow for lapping of samples from <1/8" (3mm) to 1" (25mm) in diameter, and up to 1/2" (13 mm) thick. Micrometer and shim-controlled versions are available. Fixtures are equipped with tungsten carbide feet, which are highly resistant to wear from the lapping process. They can be used with the PELCO^® Lapping Tray below, or with most grinder/polishers. Accessory sample mounts are available for the PELCO^® 15000 Lapping Fixture which are directly compatible with the PELCO® Dimpler™ and the PELCO® Video Alignment Microscope and can be transferred without demounting the sample.

front view	bottom view with mount		PELCO® 14100 Shimmed Lapping Fixture The PELCO® 14100 Shimmed Lapping Fixture has a magnetic sample mount and uses shims to set sample thickness. It can accommodate samples 0.5" (13mm) in diameter and is supplied with shims from 0.0010" to 0.0222" (0.025 to 0.508mm) in thickness. The sample mount is magnetically held to the fixture, allowing easy inspection and removal of specimens. The diameter of the fixture base is 1.1875" (48mm). This fixture is ideal for routine disc grinding before Dimpling TEM samples. Additional sample mounts are available.
front view	bottom view with mount		PELCO® 14500 Micrometer Lapping Fixture The PELCO® 14500 Lapping Fixture is micrometer-controlled and marked in 25 micron increments. It can accommodate samples up to 0.5" (13mm) in diameter, and 0.5" (13mm) in height. The sample mount is threaded and easily removable for wax or adhesive mounting. The carbide foot is replaceable and the diameter of the fixture base is 1.5" (38mm). Additional sample mounts and pin stub mounts are available.
front view	bottom view with mount		PELCO® 15000 Micrometer Lapping Fixture The PELCO® 15000 Lapping Fixture is micrometer-controlled and marked in 25 micron increments. It can accommodate samples up to 1" (25mm) in diameter and 0.5" (13mm) tall. The sample mount is easily removable for wax or adhesive mounting. The removable guide can be used for directional polishing, and can double as a rest to prevent the fixture from rolling when placed on the bench. The carbide foot is replaceable and the diameter of the fixture base is 2.7" (68.6mm). Additional sample mounts, special pin stub and M4 sample mounts for SEM specimens, and a PELCO® Dimpler™ compatible sample mount for pre-thinning specimens prior to Dimpling are also available for this fixture.
front view	bottom view with mount		PELCO® 77500 Digital Micrometer Lapping Fixture The PELCO® 77500 Lapping Fixture combines micrometer control with a high-precision digital micrometer readout. The setpoint micrometer is marked in 25 micron increments and the digital micrometer allows precise process control to ~1 micron. Samples may be wax mounted, or held by vacuum pressure applied via the freely rotating vacuum attachment. It can accommodate samples up to 2" (50mm) in diameter and 0.5" (13mm) tall (up to 0.74" (18.8mm) with the Low Profile Mount). The sample mounts are easily removable. The tungsten carbide foot is replaceable and the diameter of the fixture base is 4.0" (102mm). Additional vacuum standard (plain), and low profile sample mounts are available for this fixture.

PELCO® Lapping Tray The PELCO® Lapping Tray is a convenient solution for hand lapping or polishing with any of the PELCO® 14100, 14500, 15000 Lapping Fixtures and with the PELCO® Tripod Polisher™ 590. It provides a smooth, flat, and stable polished glass surface for lapping in a convenient catch tray for the used lapping fluid, allowing for easy cleanup after processing is complete. The lapping surface is 12 x 12" (300 x 300mm) square.

Special Mounts

For greater throughput of samples, and to make it easier to use the fixtures with a wide range of samples, additional mounts are available for the lapping fixtures. The larger 77500 fixture has Standard, Vacuum, and a Low Profile mount available, which allows for taller samples to be polished. The 15000 and 14500 have standard mounts and mounts modified to hold common SEM pin and M4 mount styles. In many cases, this alleviates any need to demount a specimen from the lapping fixture and remount it for imaging, can be used to refinish stubs, and increases the variety of specimen mounting options available. Compatible Pin Stub Mounts (up to 25mm), Compatible M4 Mount

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