Whenever human lives may be affected, technology must be 100% reliable. For this reason, autopilots in airplanes and trigger mechanisms in airbags, for example, are subjected to stringent materials testing. This testing includes a wide variety of methods used to measure the behavior and material characteristics of standardized material samples or finished parts (component testing) under thermal, mechanical and chemical stress. During the tests, a material is checked for purity, faults or load capacity. The new Leica M165 C and M205 C allow experts in the materials testing lab to see structures smaller than ever before.