The team of Applied Laboratory And Engineering Solutions – AppLES has successfully completed the installation and demonstration of state-of-the-art metallographic equipment at the Shipbuilding Technology Laboratory (STL) of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

The new laboratory infrastructure significantly enhances the laboratory’s capabilities in microstructural evaluation, failure analysis, and materials characterization, supporting both educational activities and advanced research work.

Installed Equipment

The installation included two high-end technological systems covering critical stages of metallographic analysis:

NIKON ECLIPSE LV150N – Optical Metallographic Microscope

This is a modern upright reflected-light metallographic microscope, designed for observations in brightfield, darkfield, polarized light, and DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) modes.

The system is complemented by the NIKON DS-Fi3 color digital camera and a complete image analysis software suite, offering:

• Advanced measurement tools
• Grain size analysis in accordance with ASTM, ISO, and JIS standards
• Automated measurements using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

QATM Qetch 1000 – Electrolytic Polishing & Etching System

The Qetch 1000 is a versatile and reliable electrolytic polishing and etching unit, ensuring:

• Fast and repeatable preparation of metallic specimens
• Clear revelation of fine microstructural features
• High reproducibility of results

It is ideally suited for applications involving stainless steels and aluminum alloys, where superior surface quality is required.

Strengthening Education and Research

The new installation significantly reinforces the STL laboratory’s activities in the areas of:

• Education and training
• Research and Development (R&D)
• Quality control
• Failure analysis

Funding and Implementation Framework

The procurement of the equipment was carried out within the framework of the project “Strategic Research Plan of the National Technical University of Athens”, under the call SUB2: “Universities of Excellence”, OPS Code TA 5180665, funded by the Greece 2.0 – National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

AppLES Supports Advanced Metallographic Research

AppLES is proud to contribute to the upgrade of NTUA’s research infrastructure and sincerely thanks all partners for their trust and excellent collaboration.

With expertise, experience, and specialized solutions, AppLES continues to support academic and industrial research with cutting-edge equipment.