(Carl Zeiss: Thornwood, NY) -- Carl Zeiss MicroImaging Inc. introduces the Axio Lab.A1 microscope for examinations in reflected light in the materials sciences. Its intuitive operation makes this upright microscope suitable for routine lab applications in metallography, quality control, and for inspection tasks in production lines. This permits microscopic examinations of metallographic specimens and samples made of polymers or other materials. The Axio Lab.A1 can be used to determine the structure and surface quality of specimens, as well as cracks or impurities.

The benefit of this microscope for industrial applications is the 50-watt halogen illumination. This halogen bulb is excellently suited for brightfield reflected light, and especially for darkfield and differential interference contrast in circularly polarized light (C-DIC) as well as polarized light. These contrasting techniques require a large amount of light. The interference contrast in particular is unique in this class and offers additional information about the sample, e.g., tiny defects or scratches that aren't visible in brightfield or darkfield applications. The 22-millimeter field of view offers the user optimal visibility of the sample.

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