Micro-Hardness Tester with an Image Capture and Analysis Software and Hardware

麦克马斯特大学拥有加拿大和北美最强大的材料工程研究努力之一。大部分表征工作和基础设施集中在麦克马斯特的加拿大电子显微镜中心(CCEM)，该中心是布罗克豪斯材料研究所的一部分，其中包括几台常规和高分辨率扫描和透射电子显微镜、一台聚焦离子束仪器、一台原子力显微镜和一小套光学仪器。光学显微镜套件由四台显微镜组成，其中两台通过Clemex摄像机共享Clemex PE图像分析软件。另外两台是通过2000年购买的图像捕获系统运行的，运行在MS-DOS Eclipse LNK软件程序上，使用一台相同年份的共享相机。所申请的资金将使CCEM能够升级老式显微镜(2000年购买)上的照相机和图像分析软件，以便能够对复杂的微观结构进行高质量的观察。此外，还将获得一台现代化的显微硬度计，这将使评估复杂微结构中力学性能的局部变化成为可能。目前使用的显微硬度计是1976年购买的，由一台Shimadzy Type-M型组成，加载能力从15到1000gf，不带摄像头。

McMaster University has one of the strongest materials engineering research efforts in Canada and North America. Much of the effort and infrastructure for characterisation has been centrally located in McMaster's Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) part of Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, which houses several conventional and high resolution scanning, and transmission electron microscopes, a focused ion beam instrument, an atomic force microscope and a small suite of optical instruments. The optical microscopy suite consists of four microscopes, two of which share Clemex PE Image Analysis software through Clemex video cameras. The other two are operated through and image capture system purchased in 2000, operating on a MS-DOS Eclipse LNK software program with one shared camera of the same vintage. The requested funds will allow the CCEM to upgrade the cameras and image analysis software on the older microscopes (purchased in 2000) in order to be able to perform high quality observations of complex microstructures. In addition, a modern microhardness indenter will be acquired which will make it possible to evaluate the local variation of mechanical properties within complex microstructures. The micro-hardness tester currently in use was purchased in 1976 and consists of a Shimadzy Type-M with loading capabilities from 15 to 1000gf with no camera attached.