Types of metal

I have a list of metal samples with measured densities, hardness numbers and magnetic tests. Prepare a clean sheet that sorts each sample by likely metal type, highlights any that contradict more than one test, and adds a confidence column I can defend in the lab report. I need it by Wednesday so I can include it in the client handoff.

Before I send the metal-identification table to procurement, make it quick for a non-technical buyer to approve. Put the most likely metal name and its primary evidence on the left, expose the one test that could make a reviewer hesitate, and summarize how many samples need confirmatory testing and why.

I ran density, hardness and a magnetism check on 28 metal fragments and two samples show density consistent with aluminum but are magnetic and have hardness like steel. Procurement expects a single metal label. Tell me the most likely diagnoses, which quick follow-up test to run in the lab this afternoon, and what to tell procurement now so I don’t lose credibility.

Across dozens of batches we repeatedly spend time re-testing 6–8 ambiguous fragments that force weekend lab runs. Where are we most likely wasting time in our identification workflow, what simple habit would cut re-tests by half, and how should I change the sample arrival checklist to reduce these recurring ambiguities?