Hi Kevin and George,
Kevin- We design and build our own milling systems (that operate
on our custom software) to suit the particular needs of different
projects (molluscs, corals, trees, otoliths, speleothems, etc.). We
can put together micromills with up to 60cm travel in X-Y space and
automated 3D (X-Y-Z) digital characterization. The step size is 1/20th
of a micron in X-Y and they can be operated over any high speed
connection such that you could mill a sample here in Canada from your
office in California as long as we have a powder collecting monkey in
the lab. Although you could mount the sample and mill vertically, I
predict that you'll open a can of worms in terms of collecting the
powder. Unfortunately, there is no easy way out...and we've been
thinking about it for years!
George- the drill hole size is merely dependent on the diameter
of the bit (some very small bits are available but are also easily
broken. The benefit of milling is that the samples can be recovered at
a higher resolution by milling than by drilling single holes.
Hope this helps,
Bill
Dear Isogeochem List,
Are there any computer controlled
micromill systems that people are using where the sample can be
mounted vertically (such that the drill comes from the side) so that
gravity can be used to help collect the powdered sample?
I am pretty sure I ran across a website
for such a system but now cannot seem to find it.
Thanks,
Kevin
___________________________________________
Kevin G. Cannariato, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral
Research Associate
Department of
Earth Sciences
University of
Southern California
3651 Trousdale
Parkway
Los Angeles, CA
90089-0740
fax: (213)
740-8801
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web: http://earth.usc.edu/~cannaria
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--
Dr. William P. Patterson
Professor and Director of the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
114 Science Place
Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2
Canada
Phone: 306-966-5691(office); 306-966-5712(lab)
Email:
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Web: http://geochemistry.usask.ca/bill.html