| No. | Process | Details |
| 1 | Determination of sample selection location and interception method | Select the sampling location and inspection surface. This process takes into account the characteristics of the sample and the processing technology, and the selected location must be representative. |
| 2 | Mosaic | If the size of the sample is too small or the shape is irregular, it needs to be mounted or clamped. |
| 3 | Sample rough grinding | The purpose of rough grinding is to smooth the sample and grind it into a suitable shape. General steel materials are often coarsely ground on a grinder, while softer materials can be smoothed with a file. |
| 4 | Sample fine grinding | The purpose of fine grinding is to eliminate the deep scratches left by rough grinding and prepare for polishing. For general material grinding methods, there are two types: manual grinding and mechanical grinding. |
| 5 | Sample polishing | The purpose of polishing is to remove the fine abrasion marks left by the polishing and become a bright and traceless mirror surface. Generally divided into mechanical polishing, chemical polishing, electrolytic polishing, and the most commonly used is mechanical polishing. |
| 6 | Specimen corrosion | To observe the structure of the polished sample under the microscope, metallographic corrosion must be carried out. There are many corrosion methods, mainly chemical corrosion, electrolytic corrosion, constant potential corrosion, and the most commonly used is chemical corrosion. |
