Mounting press, grinding and/or polishing device, and production line for mounting samples and for machining the mounted samples

Method for mounting a plurality of samples in mounting material with a mounting press, wherein a sample loading table comprising a plurality of loading stations is loaded with a plurality of samples to be mounted, and the samples are subsequently automatically mounted one after the other in a program-controlled manner by a control device in clock cycles with the following clock steps:

• a) the sample loading table moving a loading station with a sample to be mounted to a sample receiving position of a pressing unit having a press cylinder
• b) introducing the sample from step a) from the sample receiving position into the press cylinder of the pressing unit by a plunger drive and feeding mounting material from a feeding device into the press cylinder,
• c) pressing the mounting material and the sample in the press cylinder to produce a mounted sample,
• d) ejecting the mounted sample upwards out of the press cylinder by the plunger drive,
• wherein the clock cycle is repeated with the clock steps a) to d) to mount a plurality of samples.

A mounting press for mounting samples in mounting material comprising:

• a pressing unit with a press cylinder and having a sample receiving position;
• a feeding device for feeding mounting material;
• a sample loading table having a plurality of loading stations, on each of which the operator can place a sample to be mounted;
• a control device including a program control adapted to automatically control at least the sample loading table, the pressing unit, and the feeding device, so as to carry out a plurality of mounting press operations automatically and sequentially one after the other without intermediate operator intervention, after the sample loading table has been loaded with a plurality of samples to be embedded, wherein the control device is adapted to automatically control the mounting press in a plurality of sequential cycles, each including the following steps:
• a) the sample loading table moves one of the loading stations with one of the samples to be mounted to the sample receiving position of the pressing unit,
• b) the sample to be mounted is introduced from the sample receiving position into the press cylinder and the mounting material is fed into the press cylinder,
• c) the mounting operation is performed to produce a mounted sample, and
• d) the thus mounted sample is ejected upwardly out of the press cylinder, wherein steps a) to d) are repeated by the program control to sequentially mount the plurality of samples.