I’ve been reviewing our polishing workflow again because the final surfaces still vary too much between operators. Even when they follow the same procedure, the consumables they pick seem to influence the quality more than we expected. I think the real issue is that we never created a clear guideline on which abrasive papers, diamond suspensions, or polishing cloths should be used for specific materials, so everyone improvises based on experience instead of a unified standard.
That’s why I checked a few resources, and I found a really detailed classification of consumables right in the middle of metallography consumables where they break down grinding papers, diamond sprays, polishing pads, lubricants, and oxide compounds with material-specific recommendations. What impressed me is that they explain not just the product types but the logic behind choosing one over another—like how certain suspensions prevent pull-outs on hard steels or how specific cloth textures help maintain edge retention on softer alloys.
That sounds like exactly the kind of structured information we need. If we use those recommendations to create a standardized list for each material group, we can finally expect consistent polishing outcomes regardless of who is preparing the sample. I think this will significantly improve our reproducibility and reduce the number of samples we have to redo.