| INTRODUCTION:In-situ metallography has become one of the important NDT tools for industrial inspection system. Over the years demand is observed in the developing countries like India . In current scenario, in-situ metallography is widely accepted in many areas of industries from quality control to life assesment of engineering parts and plant structures. In-situ metallography is useful in developing micro structures to analyze the material to derive metallurgical information. Important Areas Of In-Situ Metallographic 1) Quality control checks for metallurgical industries. 2) Life assessment of process plant components, subjected to high temperature damages. 3) Heat treatment of the engineering components. 4) Risk based assessment of process plant. 5) Damage identification & audit. 6) Weld quality evaluation for critical application. To meet these demands, we have sucessfully introduced INSIPOL-2000. A unique portable electrolytic polisher/etcher with advanced control system and ease of operation. The INSIPOL-2000 is designed to help practicing metallurgist to overcome practical difficulties. PRINCIPLE OF ELECTROLYTIC POLISHING/ETCHING: Electrolytic polishing produces a highly polished distortion free surface that is ideal for microscopic examination. The main advantage is that there are no deformation layers to observe the micro structure-view as no abrasives are used. When an electrolyte flows between anode (a metal to be polished) and cathode, the micro protruding metal gets dissolved and uniform polished surface is obtained at particular current. The flow of electrolyte ensures the removal of metal products accumulated due to dissolution. The quantity of polishing also depends on laminar flow, which removes uniform metal. Etching generally occurs at the lower current than polishing, where only grain boundary is attacked preferentially. | 