Welcome to the Surface Roughness Analysis Blog

Accurate measurement keeps processes within specifications, which is, of course, key to producing quality goods. But the equipment required to acquire accurate data can be expensive to purchase and operate.

Fluid retention is a critical function of the surface texture in many applications. These surfaces may need to retain oil for lubrication, for example, or fluids may need to be

So many wear mechanisms…so many definitions “Wear” is the progressive modification to a surface. It may result in a loss, deposit, or redistribution of material[1]. Quantifying different types of wear

For those of you who have taken my class, you know that this is an important resource for me. Ernest Rabinowicz really pioneered our understanding of friction and wear, both

Over the years we’ve shown these images frequently on our website (which has just been updated, by the way!). Taken together, they sum up the kinds of issues we see—and

It’s a regular refrain on this blog: surface texture consists of a spectrum of spatial wavelengths, ranging from shorter spatial-wavelength roughness through longer spatial-wavelength waviness and form. Through the process

Floyd Alburn Firestone was an acoustical physicist with wide-ranging talents, with important contributions in fields including acoustics, non-destructive testing, medicine, and surface texture. He is remembered as developing the first

Rotary lip seals create a boundary around shafts in rotary equipment, typically to retain lubricant on one side versus air or gas on the other. On first consideration, it would

The Roughness Average, or average roughness parameter, Ra, is the average of the surface heights of every point along the “roughness profile.” Its equivalent for areal (3D) measurements is the

I’ve been working with surface roughness for over 30 years…yet I am always looking for ways to expand my knowledge. This book has been in heavy rotation for me since

Many companies use both stylus and optical measurement technologies to measure surface texture. A question that we are often asked is, “Can the measurements between these different systems correlate, and

How would you go about measuring these coins? In terms of value, the most precious would likely depend upon your age, and possibly the time left on your parking meter!