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"Our parts meet spec, but they fail in the field." "We can't trust our incoming parts." "Something changed in our process and now some parts aren’t performing." Problems like this force a lot of companies to make expensive decisions like 100% screening or overly tight tolerances. But there are better solutions! Learn how to move past "good enough" and get out in front of quality issues, in this Surface Notes blog post. Read More

Comparing textured surfaces to visual/tactile samples may not give you enough information to control a plastic texture. In this post we look at how surface texture software can help you visualize and explore textured surfaces, as well as providing a suite of parameters that might lead to better ways to tolerance them. Read More

Digital Metrology has recently added the Hommel-Etamic Waveline W5 to our list of supported gages for TraceBoss and TraceBoss+ surface gage software. See the full list of supported gages on the TraceBoss and TraceBoss+ pages! Read More

Where will cracks develop in a surface's texture? In a lot of literature researchers often focus on the deepest valley, using roughness parameters such as Rv and Sv. But cracks don't always form at the deepest valleys. A better way to predict cracking is to focus on the sharpness of features rather than the depth. In this tutorial we’ll show you a better method, and better parameters, for estimating sharpness and predicting crack development. Learn more! Read More

Do you really know the difference between roughness and waviness?

If we want to understand and describe surface texture, we need to understand how to separate roughness from waviness. We often do this by applying a Gaussian filter. In this short video we show you how that process works. We'll also show you the importance of the "filter cutoff wavelength," where we choose to separate roughness from waviness. This cutoff has a huge impact on the values of our surface roughness parameters!

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Do you ever want to compare a surface you're making to a past surface that you know performed well? TraceBoss+ now gives you that ability with a single click! Find out how the new Reference Profile gives you an immediate visual reference, so instead of just honing by numbers you can target the SHAPE that you know is good. Read More

We've had a lot of requests for a hard bound version of The Surface Texture Answer Book—and now it's here! The new hardback edition is ready to withstand daily use in in manufacturing, in a lab, in a greasy shop...wherever your need to have this reference close at hand. The Answer Book is also available in paperback, and in e-book format for viewing on a Kindle device or using the free Kindle app. Now you have three ways to get answers when you need them! Learn more about this valuable reference and purchasing options here. Read More

Join us for a FREE webinar! On August 28, 12:00–1:00 PM (CDT), Digital Metrology's Mark Malburg will present, "Intros and Advancements in Surface Measurement," as part of NCSL International's "Metrology in Motion" Webinar Series. The event is free of charge and open to all NCSL members and non-members. For more information and to register visit ncsli.org/page/mmws. Read More

Measuring microscopes (or “optical dimensional microscopes”) can be used to measure lateral features like circumferences. Some also report 3D surface roughness statistics...but there's a big difference between optical dimensional measurement and optical surface texture measurement. OmniSurf3D software can help you to verify that the measured feature heights are "real" — see how in this Surface Notes blog post.   Read More

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