The Rk parameters (Rk, Rpk, Rvk, Rmr1, Rmr2) are commonly used in the specification and control of plateau honing. However, there is a particular aspect of these parameters that can fool you… and it’s all about Rvk. Let’s take a step back and look at the plateau honing process. We start by honing a relatively … Read more
Controlling surface texture requires graphical data—and teamwork You’ve seen that controlling surface texture offers huge benefits for performance and wear. You’ve made the investment in measurement equipment. So, is there any benefit in spending more money on additional analysis software? We asked one of the most successful people in motorsports to find out. Here’s a … Read more
Many of us have seen these pictures of surfaces that the average roughness parameter, Ra, cannot distinguish between: However, you may not have seen different surfaces with the same values for the entire Rk family of parameters. For these Rk parameters: … we could have these two different surfaces: While the differences between these … Read more
When analyzing surface texture, we often need to separate specific features from the overall texture in order to analyze them. Isolating features from a complex background, however, isn’t always easy. Analyzing a surface created by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) In laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), an additive manufacturing technique, components are built up layer-by-layer … Read more
What makes a stone feel good in your hand? What magnitude of surface roughness is required for it to feel that way? We recently collaborated with stone enthusiast and retired metrologist Bob Rother to find out. Rother wanted to combine his passion for “rock hounding” with his background in process engineering and precision measurement to … Read more
Engine cylinder bore surfaces are among the most “engineered” surfaces in the world. Millions and millions of hours (and dollars) have been spent on testing and optimizing these surfaces. And countless magazine and journal articles have been published on these surfaces. Despite these efforts, we find that there is no single, “one size fits all” … Read more