FAQ

The list below covers our most frequently asked questions on products, applications, materials and service.If you cannot
find an answer to your query please contact a member of our technical team who will help you.

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How long will a cast iron plate last?

The lifespan of a Logitech cast iron plate is dependent on the usage and material being processed. Typically the plate should be replaced once the groove depth is below (1mm) 800 micron.

If it is a plain plate it should be replaced when the height from the process surface to the centre recess is below 1mm.

Do you refurbish plates?

Logitech do not refurbish lapping plates due to the health and safety implications of handling and machining plates that have been used with various sample materials and consumables, some of which are hazardous to health.

What is the maximum sample load on a Logitech Jig?

The maximum load for samples used with a Logitech Precision Jig is:

PP5 used with angular adjustment plate – 2.8kg load
PP6 used with angular adjustment plate – 4.8kg load
PP8 – 6.7kg load
PP9 – 9.5kg load

What is the best parallelism for a jig?

Typical flatness of a sample lapped with a Logitech precision lapping jig is 1 micron per inch of sample diameter or better. If you are not achieving this level than we recommend that you check the condition and flatness of your lapping plate and jig.

What is the maximum angle on a jig?

The maximum angle on a Logitech jig is +/-3°.

How long will a Logitech Jig last?

If properly maintained a Logitech jig will last for many years with few parts needing replaced.

It is recommended that jigs are stripped down for maintenance at a minimum of every 6 months or when necessary?

What is polishing?

Polishing is typically used following a lapping process to remove the lapping damage and produce an acceptable level of surface finish / surface roughness. Various combinations of polishing pads and slurries are available from Logitech to allow different materials to be polished as required.

What Industries use your lapping, polishing and cutting equipment?

Logitech equipment is ideal for a number of industries.  Our main clients process materials from:

We supply to clients from many different industry areas and material processes, if you would like to discuss your particular area please contact us.

How long will the chemlox last?

We recommend a 6 month shelf life for our Chemlox polishing fluid. This life can be extended if the fluid is kept out of direct sunlight with the cap in place and stored in a temperature controlled environment, kept above freezing and lower than 23 degrees C.

Which pad is suitable for me?

Logitech can provide a wide variety of polishing pads and cloths of different characteristics and sizes to meet the different requirements of surface finish, surface roughness and flatness across various materials. The pad material, hardness, compressability and structure all have a bearing on the results that will be achieved.

Generally where the sample size is 20cm2 / 2″ diameter or less we recommend that a plain pad or plate is used for processing. Where the samples are larger than these sizes grooves are required to allow lapping abrasive or polishing slurry to pass uniformly between the sample and the pad or plate.

What is the hardness of the polishing pads?

Depending on the type of pad required, there is a range of shore hardness between A-92 and D-57.

What backing material is used on Logitech polishing pads?

PSA Backing: Specially formulated pressure sensitive adhesive backings are available on all types of Logitech supplied pads. The exposed side of the adhesive is engineered to adhere to all platen material and is resistant to most slurry mixes.

PSA backings are available in formulas ranging from High Holding to Low Tack/Easy Release.

What are the grooving arrangements on polishing pads?

Generally where sample size is 20cm2 / 2″ diameter or less we recommend that a plain pad or plate is used for processing. Where the samples are larger than these sizes grooves are required to allow lapping abrasive or polishing slurry to pass uniformly between the sample and the pad or plate.

Standard Logitech EP1 and EP2 pads are grooved 100mm square by 1mm wide.

What is the groove depth of polishing pads?

Standard Logitech EP1 and EP2 pads are grooved 100mm square by 1mm wide. The groove depth is approximately 0.5mm.

What is the maximum sample load on a Logitech Jig?

The maximum load for samples used with a Logitech Precision Jig is:

PP5 used with angular adjustment plate – 2.8kg load
PP6 used with angular adjustment plate – 4.8kg load
PP8 – 6.7kg load
PP9 – 9.5kg load

I have forgotten my password, what do I do?

If you forget your password, simply go to the members area of the website.

On the members registration box there is a lost password feature. Insert your email address and click reset. You will be send an email to reset your password.

How can I order consumables?

Consumables are now available for online purchase with a credit card payment or receive a quote to pay offline.

What are the Terms and Conditions of Sale?

The full Logitech Limited terms and conditions of sale can be found at /terms

Do you have experience in the Photovoltaic industry?

Our equipment can be used for lapping, polishing and cutting of materials typically used in the Photovoltaic industry such as silicon, cadmium telluride and copper indium gallium selenide. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

How can I pay for my order?

You can purchase your consumables using Visa, American Express or Mastercard.

Alternatively we can send you an invoice for payment, however goods will not be despatched until payment has been received.

Can I have an online quote rather than placing an order?

Yes, simply add the product(s) and click on the request a quote button.

How long will it take to receive consumables after I order?

We hold stock of most of the consumables that we offer, therefore we can usually ship next day after order receipt.

Depending on your location it may take up to 2 weeks.

I want to order an item but is out of stock

Our online shop has been designed to prevent orders being placed against out of stock items.

Please contact us with the product details at consumables@logitech.uk.com or check back within a couple of days to see if the item is available.

What if I order the wrong thing?

Unsuitable consumable items can be returned to Logitech for a refund by contacting us at enquiries@logitech.uk.com.
We will only accept the return of these goods on the following conditions:

1.    All items must be in the original packaging and be unopened.

2.    Logitech Ltd will refund the invoiced price for the product, less a 20% handling charge.

3.    The client is responsible for the return of the goods to Logitech Ltd, Erskine Ferry Road, Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow, UK, G60 EU.  Unless the goods are deemed faulty.

4.    The refund amount will be processed against the credit card which paid the original invoice.

What is the shelf life of Logitech consumable products?

Expiry dates are all clearly marked on Logitech product packaging. We only produce and sell premium products to ensure our clients receive the best shelf life.

What are the specifications of Logitech glass substrates?

Logitech glass slides and substrates are manufactured to stringent procedures, ensuring flatness and the elimination of bubbles, seeds, striae and other imperfections.

Comprised of high quality sheet glass to give maximum resistance to corrosion, the microscope slides also benefit the user with sand blasted edges for greater safety and ease of handling.

How much abrasive should I add to my cylinder?

For most applications we recommend a ratio of between 10 and 15% abrasive to water in the slurry cylinder. The optimum ratio for a particular process can be confirmed through trials.

What is the minimum required groove depth of my drive ring?

Drive ring replacement
Over time the drive ring on your lapping jig will be worn away, this will be evident through the reduction of the groove depth when you invert the jig. When the grooves become shallow you can re-cut them if you have the necessary equipment (Logitech do not perform this service) and we would recommend that the new depth cut is 2.5mm. The second time this happens we recommend that you replace the drive ring, a replacement can be sourced fom Logitech

What is the arbor size of the saw blades?

Logitech supply a range of saw blades with varies arbor sizes.  A full list of the saws and arbor sizes can be found here

Do you provide training?

When you buy a system from Logitech a fully expensed training course at our facility in Scotland is often included- talk to your local representative to hear more about this. If you want a training course to cover your existing equipment this is also available at our training facility in Scotland, our training team is available all year.

Do you have any experience in the Medical sciences industry?

Our equipment is used in a number of diverse applications in the medical science industry, please get in touch to discuss your particular requirements and find out if we can help.

What are the benefits of lapping compared to grinding?

A grinding process can cause high levels of stress on delicate materials as the grinding medium tears at the surface of the material, often generating a lot of heat and potentially leaving an uneven surface behind. The damage caused during grinding will also propogate through the material, often producing considerable sub-surface damage. Where a grinding pad is used on a revolving platen, it will always wear unevenly due to the difference in relative movement speed and pad area across the pad diameter, this means that the grinding effect on the sample will change during the process, reducing the accuracy of the sample and the uniformity.

Lapping is a more gentle process as the abrasive is held in a carrier fluid which passes as a liquid between the sample and the lapping plate, and as the liquid flows it performs in a more uniform manner, resulting in more uniform samples. The damage to the material during the lapping process is much lessened and more predictable, and the chance of sample breakage is much reduced.

What is polishing?

Polishing is typically used following a lapping process to remove the lapping damage and produce an acceptable level of surface finish / surface roughness. Various combinations of polishing pads and slurries are available from Logitech to allow different materials to be polished as required.

What is the recommended Gallium Arsenide process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for lapping and polishing of Gallium Arsenide, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Gallium Arsenide.

What is the recommended Silicon Wafer process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for lapping and polishing of silicon, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Silicon.

What is the recommended Silicon Carbide process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for lapping and polishing of silicon carbide, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Silicon Carbide.

What is the recommended Gallium Nitride process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for lapping and polishing of Gallium Nitride, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Gallium Nitride.

What is the recommended Sapphire process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for lapping and polishing of Sapphire, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Sapphire.

What is the recommended Concrete Thin Section process?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for sawing, lapping and polishing of geological materials such as concrete, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for Concrete.

What is the recommended process for Thin Section Coal Preparation?

Logitech have tried and tested processes for the preparation of coal thin and ultra thin sections, with machine selection dependant on material size and throughput requirements.

Some of our application process notes provide information on the process route for the preparation of Ultra thin and thin coal sections.

How much abrasive should I add to my cylinder?

For most applications we recommend a ratio of between 10 and 15% abrasive to water in the slurry cylinder. The optimum ratio for a particular process can be confirmed through trials.

How to attach a pad to a flat plate?

Our polishing pads and cloths are all supplied with a self adhesive backing fitted, allowing them to be easily attached to a flat plate.

How do I fit a pad to my plate?

To fit a self-adhesive backed pad onto a flat plate you should first of all remove the plate from the machine and place on a clear surface. Removal all trace of previous pad / adhesive and clean thoroughly. Peel back a small section of the paper that covers the adhesive and apply to the edge of the plate, careful to ensure that positioning is good. Ease off more of the backing paper whilst pushing the pad down onto the plate gradually, ensuring that no air pockets are allowed to form. Use a clean rolling pin / round bar to press the pad down onto the plate as you continue to ease off the backing paper until the whole pad is secured. Roll over the pad with the rolling pin to ensure it has been fixed well and check for any bumps. On soft cloths it is possible to pierce any small bumps that are found with a sharp knifeto allow the trapped air out, after which they can be rolled flat. A newly fitted pad should be conditioned thoroughly before use- harder pads can be conditioned with a diamond conditioner, softer pads with a conditioning ring. The polishing slurry should be dripped onto the pad during the conditioning.

Why are some pads grooved?

Generally where sample size is 20cm2 / 2″ diameter or less we recommend that a plain pad or plate is used for processing. Where the samples are larger than these sizes grooves are required to allow lapping abrasive or polishing slurry to pass uniformly between the sample and the pad or plate.

How long will my pad last?

Pad life varies considerably depending on the pad type, sample type and processing conditions.

How do I bond my samples?

When working with fragile materials you may need to bond the sample to a glass slide or substrate. This will support the sample during processing.

Logitech have a number of options for bonding samples to substrates, such as thin section bonding jigs or wafer substrate bonding units. These are used with Logitech adhesive consumables such as epoxy resin, quartz wax, thin film bonding wax and araldite mounting resin.

Logitech Thin Section Bonding Jigs enable you to control the thickness of your bonding for precise bond orientation. These jigs are ideal when working with ultra thin geological samples.

The Wafer Substrate Bonding Units offer premium bonding for the processing of fragile semiconductor wafers such as silicon or gallium arsenide.

What is lapping?

Lapping is a machining process where two surfaces are rubbed together with an abrasive in between, with the purpose of removing material in a controlled manner. Lapping typically produces a uniform surface that nevertheless is ‘damaged’ by the lapping process; the depth and nature of this damage will be the result of a combination of factors such as the particle size and material of the abrasive, the force applied, the material type, the lapping plate, and so on. Logitech can offer a variety of abrasives and lapping plates that will produce required results on various materials.

What type of lapping plate do I need?

Where a sample material’s hardness is measured at aproximately 4 Mohs or less, we would typically use a glass plate for lapping. Where the hardness is higher than 4 Mohs we would use a cast iron plate.

What is the standard groove depth of a glass plate?

The grooves on a Logitech glass plate are approximately 3mm deep.

How long will a glass plate last?

The lifespan of a Logitech glass plate is dependent on the usage and material being processed. Typically the plate should be replaced once the groove depth is below (1mm) 800 micron.

If it is a plain plate it should be replaced when the height from the process surface to the centre recess is below 1mm.

What is the standard groove depth of a cast iron plate?

The standard groove depth is approximately 3mm.