Our new article, “Hidden Waviness: When measuring roughness cannot solve quality challenges,” appears in the June 2020 issue of Quality Magazine. This article was written in conjunction with Don Cohen of Michigan Metrology. Specifications for surface texture frequently focus on surface “roughness”—the finer structures in the texture—often to the exclusion of the “waviness”—the larger structure … Read more
When we look at an areal (3D) measurement of a surface it can appear as a vast landscape of many sizable features: An optical, areal measurement typically includes millions of points. On the other hand, a stylus-based, 2-dimensional measurement typically includes just thousands of points. But just how big are the areas covered by these … Read more
Optical measurement of surface texture is becoming more and more widespread, and new technologies are providing faster measurement of larger areas. However, in the quest to measure faster over larger areas, we sometime lose touch with the ability to resolve smaller features. Most of the time there are hints at performance in the measuring system’s … Read more
Many surfaces are dominated by a repeating, pattern or shape in their texture. Sometimes this texture is desired, as on a gripping surface. Other times it is something we try to avoid, such as “orange peel” in paint, or chatter in a bearing raceway. In each of these cases it is helpful to isolate the … Read more
Our third edition of the Digital Metrology Surface Matters newsletter is out! In these quarterly emails we keep you up to date on the latest in surface analysis, including new software to explore your surfaces, case studies to share successes, and even free upgrades to your existing tools. In the March edition we introduce you to … Read more
For many critical applications, companies are finding it necessary to not just assess the geometric aspects of the surface, but also the quality of the surface. You’ll find specifications with terms such as “torn and folded material,” “porosity,” “pull-outs,” “micro-burrs” and “micro-ledges.” The surface in the image above is marked by torn and folded material … Read more