Surface Roughness Measurement – Simplified Notes

What is Surface Roughness or Surface Finish?

●​ It's how smooth or rough a surface is after machining (like cutting, grinding, etc.).​

●​ No surface is perfectly smooth; it always has tiny irregularities.​

●​ The texture is defined by:​

○​ Lay: direction of the surface pattern​

○​ Roughness: small, fine irregularities​

○​ Waviness: larger, more widely spaced irregularities

Why is Surface Finish Important?

●​ It affects how parts fit together in assemblies.​

●​ Important for reducing friction and wear when parts slide.​

●​ Helps in lubrication, tight sealing, and better heat conduction.​

●​ Impacts corrosion resistance, cleanliness, and the appearance of a product.​

●​ Influences the precision and performance of machine components.

How is Surface Finish Indicated?

●​ In engineering drawings, surface finish is indicated using standard symbols and

roughness values.

Parameters of Surface Roughness

These are measurable values that describe surface finish, such as:
●​ Ra (Roughness Average): the average height of roughness over a surface.​
●​ Other parameters: Rz, Rq, Rt (we'll explain these if needed).​

Factors That Affect Surface Finish

●​ Cutting Speed: Higher speeds may give smoother surfaces.​

●​ Depth of Cut and Feed Rate: Too deep or too fast = rougher finish.​

●​ Tool Geometry: Shape and sharpness of the cutting tool.​

 ●​ Material Properties: Both tool and workpiece material matter.​

●​ Type and Quality of Machine Tool​

●​ Vibrations during machining.​

●​ Lubrication used during the cutting process.​

How is Surface Roughness Measured?

1. Contact Type (Touch-based)

●​ A stylus (needle-like tip) moves over the surface and measures its ups and downs.​

●​ Common devices: Profilometers.​

●​ Gives accurate readings but may slightly scratch soft materials.​

2. Non-Contact Type (No touching)

●​ Uses optical or laser methods to scan the surface.​

●​ No damage to the surface.​

●​ Examples: Laser scanners, interferometers.

Classification of Geometrical Irregularities

These irregularities are imperfections on a surface that result from different stages or causes
during manufacturing. They are classified into four orders based on how and why they occur:

1. First-Order Irregularities
●​ Caused by major machine tool inaccuracies.​
●​ Examples: lack of straightness in machine guideways.​
●​ Due to weight of metal, cutting forces, or misalignments in the machine.​

2. Second-Order Irregularities
●​ Caused by vibrations during machining.​
●​ Example: chatter marks (repeated patterns or waves on the surface).​

3. Third-Order Irregularities
●​ Caused directly by the machining process, even when the machine and setup are
perfect.​
●​ These are the natural roughness patterns left behind by tools.​

4. Fourth-Order Irregularities
●​ Formed due to chip separation during cutting.​
●​ Result from the rupture of material as it breaks away from the workpiece.​
Types of Surfaces
1. Nominal Surface
●​ The ideal surface as per design — perfect and smooth.​
●​ It’s what we imagine or draw in diagrams.​

2. Rough Surface
●​ The real surface after machining.​
●​ Has tiny peaks and valleys when viewed under a microscope.​
●​ Always present due to tool marks and machining imperfections.​

3. Wavy Surface
●​ A surface with bigger undulations than roughness.​
●​ Caused by:​
○​ Tool deflections​
○​ Inconsistent lubrication​
○​ Machine/tool vibrations

Nomenclature of Surface Texture

Here are some common terms used in surface finish and roughness:
1.​ Surface Roughness:​
○​ Small, fine irregularities due to the machining process.​
2.​ Profile:​
○​ The cross-sectional shape of the surface when cut and viewed sideways.​
3.​ Flaw:​
○​ A defect like a crack, scratch, or hole.​
○​ Usually not included in roughness measurement unless specified.​
4.​ Sample Length / Cut-off Length:​

○​ A specific portion of the surface used for measurement.​

○​ Helps in standardizing surface roughness values.​

5.​ Lay:​

○​ The direction or pattern left on a surface by machining (e.g., straight lines,

circles, etc.).​
 6.​ Waviness:​
○​ Larger and more widely spaced irregularities than roughness.​
○​ Often due to machine/tool movement issues.

Analysis of Surface Finish

To measure how rough or smooth a surface is, we use specific methods. The most common
ones are:

a) Centre Line Average (CLA) Value – Ra

●​ This is the most widely used method to describe surface roughness.​

●​ Ra is the average distance from the surface profile to the center (mean) line,
regardless of whether the point is above or below the line.​

●​ Think of it as: "How far, on average, are all the tiny peaks and valleys from the center
line?"​

Formula (CLA or Ra):

Where:
✅ Used in standards (like BIS - Bureau of Indian Standards) to represent surface
roughness.

b) Root Mean Square (RMS) Value – Rs

●​ This method calculates roughness by squaring each height value, taking the average of
these squares, then taking the square root of that average.​

●​ Squaring gives more weight to larger deviations.​

Formula (RMS or Rs):

Where:

c) Ten Point Height Method – Rz

●​ Also known as the Ten Point Method.​

●​ You pick 5 highest peaks and 5 lowest valleys on the surface.​

 ●​ Then take the average height of the 5 peaks and average depth of the 5 valleys, and
find the difference between them.​

Formula (Rz):

●​ This method is good when you want to know the extreme variation on a surface, not
just the average.​
Representation of Surface Roughness
Surface roughness is shown using a standard symbol that can include several details. These
details help describe the surface texture more completely.
Parts of the Surface Roughness Symbol:

●​ a = The roughness value (Ra) given in micrometres (µm).​

●​ b = The manufacturing method or any surface treatment used (like grinding or coating).​

●​ c = The sampling length used during measurement.​

●​ d = The direction of surface pattern (also called lay direction).​

●​ e = Machining allowance (extra material left for further processing).​

●​ f = Any other important roughness information.​

These details are added around the basic surface finish symbol to clearly communicate surface
quality requirements.

Methods for Measuring Surface Roughness

There are two main types of methods to measure or assess surface roughness:

1. Comparative or Qualitative Methods

These methods do not give exact values. Instead, they are used to compare the surface visually
or by touch against known standard samples.

Types of Comparative Methods:

Touch Inspection
●​ You move your fingertip over the surface to feel the roughness.​

●​ This can detect roughness as small as 0.01 mm.​

●​ It cannot detect very small flaws.​

Visual Inspection
 ●​ You look at the surface with the naked eye.​

●​ Only large or obvious flaws can be seen.​

Microscopic Inspection
●​ A microscope is used to view the surface closely.​

●​ Only a small area can be seen at once, so several readings are needed.​

●​ Sometimes a beam of light is used at an angle to help highlight scratches or defects.​

Scratch Inspection
●​ A soft material like lead or plastic is rubbed over the surface.​

●​ It picks up the shape of scratches, making them easier to see.​

Micro-Interferometer
●​ An optical flat (a special glass) is placed on the surface.​

●​ Light is shone on it to create interference patterns.​

●​ Scratches appear as lines in these patterns and can be studied.​

Surface Photographs
●​ Photographs are taken using special lighting.​

●​ With vertical light, defects appear as dark spots.​

●​ With angled light, defects show as bright areas.​

●​ Comparing these photos helps in understanding surface flaws better.

Direct Measurement or Quantitative Methods

These methods give accurate and numerical values of surface roughness using special
instruments.

1. Stylus Probe Instruments

Principle:

When a fine needle-like stylus moves over a surface, it follows the ups and downs
(irregularities). These are measured to assess the surface finish.

Working:

●​ The instrument has a stylus, a skid, an amplifier, and a recorder.​

●​ The skid moves slowly across the surface (by hand or motor).​

●​ As the skid moves, the stylus also moves up and down based on the surface
roughness.​

●​ These vertical movements are magnified, then amplified, and finally recorded as a
trace or graph.​

●​ The recorded trace is then analyzed (manually or automatically) to find the roughness
value.​

Advantages:

●​ Can measure any desired roughness value (like Ra, Rz, etc.).​

Disadvantages:
●​ Cannot be used on soft or fragile surfaces.​

●​ The instrument is expensive.​

●​ Needs a skilled person to operate.​

2. Tomlinson Surface Meter

Principle:

This device uses both mechanical and optical methods to magnify and record surface
irregularities.

Construction:

●​ A diamond stylus touches the surface to be measured.​

●​ It is held by springs against a lapped steel cylinder.​

 ●​ The stylus is connected to a leaf spring and an arm, which has a diamond scriber at
the end.​

●​ A smoked glass plate is placed above the scriber.​

●​ The setup also includes rollers that guide the motion.​

Working:

●​ The body of the instrument moves horizontally over the surface using a screw
mechanism.​

●​ As the surface has highs and lows, the stylus moves up and down.​

●​ These movements make the lapped cylinder roll.​

●​ The rolling causes the arm and scriber to move.​

●​ The diamond scriber draws a line on the smoked glass based on the surface
roughness.​

●​ The final trace is magnified using an optical projector for observation and
measurement.​