Blog Article
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Parameters Primer: Stylus(X,Y) Parameters
May 12, 2020The Stylus (X, Y) parameters (Rk, Rpk and Rvk) are derived from the Bearing Area Curve, based on the ISO 13565-2:1996 standard. The Bearing Area Curve, (also called the Bearing Ratio Curve, or
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Nanometer-scale roughness
April 11, 2020“Nanometer-scale” surface roughness may seem rare and specialized. But, in fact, many components and common products require nanometer-scale, or sub-nanometer-scale, average roughness (Sa) in order to function properly. The ability to
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How many measurements?
March 3, 2020Multiple surface texture measurements made in different locations over a surface will generally demonstrate some variation in the texture parameter being assessed, such as average roughness (Ra) or peak-to-valley height
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What wear measurement may and may not show you
March 10, 2019One of the great challenges of product design is accurately assessing how a component will wear in order to maximize its useful lifetime. Wear is, of course, caused by a
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Parameter Primer: Sds (Summit Density)
February 9, 2019Sds, the Summit Density, is one of the so-called “Hybrid” surface texture parameters. Sds counts the number of summits per unit area of the surface. The summits are derived from
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Surface texture measurement – did you set the cutoff lengths properly?
January 21, 2019Along with specifying the surface roughness with Ra (average roughness), one must establish the cutoff lengths used to measure the surface. A specification of Ra alone is inadequate, since measurement
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Take a hike! Understanding form, waviness and roughness in terms of a good walk
January 8, 2019The terms “roughness,” “waviness” and “form” are used everywhere in discussions of surface texture. But do we really understand how they are defined? For many years I have used an
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If you need less sliding friction, should you make the surface rougher or smoother?
July 6, 2018How is sliding friction affected by the surface texture of two dry parallel sliding surfaces? The relationship of dry (sliding) friction to surface texture is linked to the notion of
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Patent attorneys and surface texture
March 3, 2018When an invention is in an esoteric field, such as tribology or surface metrology, it is especially important for the inventor to assist the patent attorney in understanding the novel