Blog Article
What surface finish does a medical device need?
November 14, 2023For a medical device to function over a long lifespan, we need to accurately specify, measure, and control its surface finishes. Yet, most surface finish specifications rely on parameters that
My surface got shinier…but the average roughness stayed the same!
October 31, 2023Download this article as a PDF I have a surface with a certain average roughness value. When I polish the surface, it gets shinier…but the measured number hasn’t changed! What’s
How Do We Define Average Roughness?
October 17, 2023Average Roughness—in surface texture measurement, it’s one of the most frequently specified surface roughness parameters. In this video we look at how average roughness (Ra, or Sa) is calculated. We
Honing Plates (Sharpening Stones)
September 26, 2023Hone plates, or sharpening stones, are used to produce a fine edge on knives, scissors, and other tools. A kit of stones provides progressively finer grit sizes and spacings to
How Do We Define “Roughness?”
September 13, 2023“Roughness” can mean a lot of things, but in surface texture analysis, it has a very specific meaning. In this short video we look at how 2D and 3D surface
Noise May be Hiding in the Waviness
September 5, 2023Download this article as a PDF Abrasive wear can greatly impact the performance of engines and machinery. This kind of wear can be caused by excessive roughness on either of
How “Rough” is Roughness?
August 21, 2023We know that measuring surface roughness is important for performance, quality, and durability. But how “rough” are the typical “average roughness” values that we see on prints and specifications? In
Friction and the Real Area of Contact
July 25, 2023If I need to push a long, heavy block, it seems like it should be easier if I stand the block up rather than laying it flat on its face…and
Dashboard surface texture
July 7, 2023When you’re thinking about the most engineered surfaces in a car, you may think of cylinder bores, clutches, brakes, etc. But we’d like to put one more item on your
Cavitation erosion
June 22, 2023Cavitation is the formation of air bubbles in a fluid as it goes from high pressure to low pressure. The dissolved gas can grow into bubbles—and under certain conditions those