Inspection Microscope

An inspection microscope is often used in any type of chemical or biological processing plant for the purposes of failure analysis or process control, among others. These are the "big boys," as far as microscopes are concerned. An inspection microscope is usually quite large, and looks nothing like its more primitive cousin, the light microscope. You can even get hand held inspection microscopes which are often used in industry. They can be used for inspecting finishes and joints and so on.

However, smaller versions can be used, such as those that are fed into a confined area, such as a piece of machinery, for close work. A camera will often be attached to an inspection microscope for the purpose of recording findings. Inspection microscopes work at very high resolutions, which can be anything up to 1000. This should be compared with the usual 10x of a school microscope.

Just a Few Inspection Microscope Uses

A high powered inspection microscope would also be used for inspecting gems in the gemstone industry. As you can see they have many applications, and for every different type of application there are as many different types of inspection microscope. Some need to have a lens which can be swiveled around on a platform, like the kind used for examining electrical circuitry, for example.

As with any expensive piece of equipment, it will pay to take very good care of your inspection microscope. You can be sure that all the parts of a microscope are expensive, so care should be taken that they are not damaged by specimens. Dirt and debris should always be removed immediately (and with great care) to avoid scratching vulnerable lens surfaces.