Earlier this year, BMW installed six grinder-polisher systems type EcoMet 30 from Buehler, an ITM company, in the metallographic laboratory at their Dingolfing plant. Designed for maximum ease of operation, these units provide time-saving and efficient operation, along with highest operator safety.
The new grinder-polisher systems, which were introduced to the market in late 2017, are used mostly in quality control, which the laboratory performs on a variety of metals and metallic components, manufactured both in-house and by suppliers.
In the BMW laboratory, the EcoMet 30 grinder-polishers operate around six hours every day, preparing up to 50 samples per unit. Even with this high sample throughput, no compromise can be made in terms of consistency and quality of results. According to Wolfgang Brand, Head of Microscopy in the laboratory, the major features which caused BMW to opt for the single, non-automated system variant were high ease of operation, robust design and fast cleaning, all of which ensure highly efficient and low-maintenance operation over a long period of time.