Surface Notes

If you work with coatings, electrical contacts, sliding surfaces, substrates for painting, etc., you know that controlling surface peaks can be the difference between a functional part and a failed one. The Peak Analysis in OmniSurf3D is an interactive tool for visualizing the peak material. Click and drag the cutting plane on the Material Ratio

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digital Metrology has addressed one of the most common problems in the display of areal/3D surfaces: The problem of the palette! In the image above you’ll see the new Smart Palette controls in our OmniSurf3D software being adjusted to emphasize the important features of the surface. How does it work? Let me explain… Our eyes

Digital Metrology has recently launched the new Surface Matters newsletter. 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 December edition we show our readers how to