Today the investment casting industry is facing severe competition and customers’ rising demands for improved casting quality at reduced cost. Meanwhile, analytical scanning electron microscopy has developed to be more advanced, functional and accessible. The aim of the present article is to highlight features of the analytic SEM and the important role that SEM has played in the field of R & D, quality control and defect investigation in casting production in Doncasters Limited.
Through various examples, this article will discuss features of SEM, X-ray EDS/ WDS micro composition analyses and EBSD crystallographic information, suitability and limitation of the analytical SEM for casting applications, sample preparation and data interpretation.