Light microscopy is one of the most commonly performed functions in a metallurgical laboratory. MEE has a light microscope for almost any task, with magnifications ranging from 5X to 2400X.

Low magnification imaging is commonly used for observation of small samples or fine external specimen features. Several of the optical light microscopes at MEE are equipped with digital cameras for recording and measuring features of interest from the microscopic examination. The Keyence VHX-1000 digital light microscope can also provide 3D surface profiling and depth measurement capabilities that are typically unavailable by conventional optical microscopy.

Metallographic examination by light microscopy is most often performed using reflected-light microscopy. Utilizing the properties of the filters and analyzers that can be applied to reflected-light microscopy, microscopic features, such as grain structures or material inclusions can be enhanced for better observation. Each of the three Reichert MeF3 microscopes in the MEE laboratory can be equipped with brightfield, darkfield, polarized light, and differential interference contrast (DIC) illumination to provide optimal lighting conditions for your samples.