New Buehler metallographic lab on the campus of the University of Warwick

Buehler ITW Test & Measurement has opened a new European Solutions Centre in a collaborative venture with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) with over 600 staff and a strong relation with over 1,000 global companies, offering support to over 1800 SMEs through dedicated programmes.

Part of WMG’s Materials Engineering Centre at the University of Warwick campus, Buehler’s new Solutions Centre aims to support academic and industrial research on various technologies ranging from additive manufacturing, energy storage, machining and processing of metallic and composite materials to joining technologies.

The new laboratory is equipped with latest metallographic sample preparation equipment, including several abrasive and precision sectioning machines, high-end grinder-polishers and a spectral analysis system for chemical characterisation of materials. Available equipment also includes Buehler’s latest hardness testers in varying degrees of automation and testing capabilities, and Nikon optical microscopes interfaced with Buehler’s own image analysis software for ideal metallographic analysis.

Dr. Evans Mogire, European Technical and Laboratory Manager at Buehler, comments: “The new Solutions Centre allows us to better address complex customer applications and/or technical requests relating to metallography and provides exceptional facilities for conducting and hosting seminars in the metallographic sector. The collaboration with WMG is a win-win relationship, offering both resident material scientists and Buehler access to latest characterization technologies for metallic, polymer, ceramic and composite materials.”

Paul Johnson, Technical Services Manager at WMG, adds: “This well-equipped microscopy, metallographic and materials preparation laboratory provides a valuable resource for the entire group. It offers us the opportunity to work side by side with a leading developer, producer and supplier providing us with leading-edge, perfectly maintained metallographic preparation and characterisation equipment, whilst Buehler can benefit by working with the very latest materials that we are developing and gain valuable insights for the further development of its product range.”