Run a Correlative LM job template for Component or Oil Cleanliness Analysis.

Step 1: Technical Cleanliness Standard Selection

Provides a list of available standards for the TCA module that shall be used for the analysis.

  1. Select the relevant standards. See Technical Cleanliness Standard Selection Tool.

NOTICE! For particle height measurement and correlative analysis only one standard can be selected.

Step 2: Input Form

In the Form Selection tool, an input form is provided. The specimen form is part of a loop. This step is iterated with Continue until the last loop iteration is reached. The specimen number increases automatically by 1 with each iteration. Exit Loop activates the next step.

  1. To choose the corresponding customer, in the Customer/Supplier field, click in the table to add the selected customer data.
  2. The form is displayed in the report.

Step 3: S&F Holder Calibration

Stores automatically the coordinates of the L-marker positions in the Particle Selection EDS file and is used later in Free Mode during the EM/EDS-analysis by the S&F Find (List) tool to retrieve the particle selection from the LM job run.

  1. In the Calibration Settings tool, from the Sample Holder list, select the sample holder you are using now and you will be using later on the EM. Holder for correlative TCA:
    MAT Particle 47 mm
    MAT Particle 50 mm
  2. On the live image, move the scanning stage to locate the L-markers and confirm the corresponding positions.

See Calibrating the S&F Holder.

Step 4: Tiles (measurement area)

Provides pre-configured settings for the specimen acquisition.

  1. Select an image acquisition setting and adjust the position of the tile regions if required.
  2. Verify Support Points of the tile regions. To conduct automated focusing in the background, activate Focus Correction tool > Determine Z-Values with Software AF Before Acquisition. Continue with Start.
  1. The number of acquired overview images determine the number of workflow iterations of the following steps. Each iteration finishes with the report step.

Step 5: Particle Segmentation

Extracts objects from the background by applying the pre-defined relative threshold range.

Use the pre-defined settings for the image segmentation.

Step 6: TCA Standard-Specific Settings

Configures specific parameter for the standard based calculation.

  1. Select a membrane filter type you want to use for particle analysis. You have the following options:
    - Mesh Membrane Filter (component cleanliness)
    - Foamed Membrane Filter (component and oil cleanliness)
    - Others (oil cleanliness)
    Default: Foamed Membrane Filter.
  2. Add values to the desired normalization parameter, if required.
  3. Select how many of the largest particles per type you want to add to the report. The coordinates of all pre-selected particles will be added to the Position list with EDF.
  4. If the Equivalent Spherical Method (Components) tool is part of your workflow, check if you need to adapt the Reference Area.

See TCA Standard-Specific Calculation Workbench

Step 7: Size Distribution (Live)

Shows the absolute and normalized results of the particle size classification and approval status (if defined in standard template).

  1. Inspect for the selected standards the results per particle type and overall statistics.
  2. Change, if required, the particle type and exclude artifacts. Use the filter functions and approval display for rapid particle inspection.
  3. Conduct particle revision using the Edit view and retrieve particles in live mode.

See Size Distribution View.

Step 8: Position List with EDF

Performs automated EDF image acquisition on selected particles.

In general no further action is required.

Step 9 (Component): TCA Report

The TCA report is displayed for each specimen. You can adapt the report. To do so, configure the following settings:

  1. In the Template Selection tool, the default report template is selected.
  2. In the Chart Selection tool, select a particle counting result (absolute or normalized), one or more chart types, and one or more particle types. Select System Properties to have the system properties displayed in the report.
  3. In the Gallery Setting tool, set the image count per row.
  4. Click Apply to save your settings.
  5. The adapted report is generated.

Step 9 (Oil): Reports

Creates a report document for each specimen. The oil report template is pre-selected.

  1. Inspect for the selected standards the results for particle classification, approval status (if defined) and particle load.
  2. See particle images of the largest particles per type.
  1. You can print the report.

See Reports.