Diminishing tolerances, enhanced reliability and the need for predictable life-spans for products have emphasized the significance of surface finishes of manufactured parts. Over the years, there has been a considerable amount of development in this area. A variety of instruments, a good number of finish parameters and volumes of research have all enhanced the knowledge base. More recently, with the availability of advanced instruments, the focus is gradually shifting to the three-dimensional evaluation of surfaces. Practising engineers are keen to have solutions to problems connected with finish assessment. If past experience in this field is any lesson, there are many challenges that have to be overcome to arrive at a workable solution, which could satisfy the design and manufacturing engineers as well as researchers in this field. This paper examines these aspects in a brief fashion.
PerthenJ.Pruefen und Messen der Oberflaechengestalt, 1949 (Hanser, Munich).
4.
DreyhauptW.Oberflaechenpruefung auf Traganteil. Werkstattstechnik/Maschinenbau, 1954, 44, 280–284.
5.
NicolauP.Application du micrométre Solex á la mesure de état des surfaces. Méc., 1937, 21, 80–83.
6.
TannerL. H.A pneumatic Wheatstone bridge for surface roughness measurement. J. Phys. E, Sci. Instrums, 1979, 12, 957–960.
7.
WhitehouseD. J.Handbook of Surface Metrology, 1994 (Institute of Physics, London).
8.
WhitehouseD. J.ReasonR. E.The Equation of the Mean Line for Surface Texture Found by an Electric Wavefilter, 1965 (Rank Organisation).
9.
KuboM.PeklenikJ.An analysis of microgeometric isotropy for random surface structures. Ann. CIRP, 1968, 16, 235–242.
10.
NayakP.Random process model of rough surfaces. Trans. ASME, J. Lubric. Technol., 1971, 93, 398–407.
11.
WhitehouseD. J.Beta functions for surface typology?Ann. CIRP, 1978, 27(1), 491–497.
12.
SantochiM.VignaleM.A study on functional properties of honed surfaces. Ann. CIRP, 1982, 31, 431–434.
13.
MajumdarA.BhushanB.Role of fractal geometry in roughness characterisation and contact mechanics of surfaces. Trans. ASME, J. Tribology, 1990, 112, 205–216.
14.
MalkinS.Grinding Technology–Theory and Applications of Machining with Abrasives, 1989 (Ellis Horwood, Chichester).
15.
RadhakrishnanV.Fazlur RahmanJ.Functional assessment of grinding wheel surface characteristics by turbulence amplifier. Trans. ASME, J. Engng for Industry, 1981, 103, 99–102.
16.
CreathK.Phase-shifting interferometry techniques. In Progress in Optics XXVI (Ed. WolfE.), 1988, pp. 357–373 (Elsevier Science, Oxford).
17.
FrankowskiG.Schnelle Mikroprofil und Rauheitsinspektion auf der Basis mikroskopischer Streifenprojektionsverfahren. Technisches Messen, 1993, 60, 176–184.
18.
LonardoP. M.TrumpoldH.De ChiffreH. L.Progress in 3D surface micro-topography characterisation. Ann. CIRP, 1996, 45(2), 589–598.
19.
RosénB.-G.OhlssonR.ThomasT. R.Wear of cylinder bore microtopography. Wear, 1996, 198, 271–279.
20.
BrinksmeirE.RiemerE. O.Measurement of optical surfaces generated by diamond turning. In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 302–308.
21.
WhitehouseD. J.The parameter rash–is there a cure? In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, UK, 1982, pp. 1–16.
22.
DIN 4776 (1990) Rauheitsmessung; Kenngroessen RK, RPK, RVK, Mr1, Mr2, zur Beschreibung des Materialanteils im Rauheitsprofil; Messbedingungen und Auswerteverfahren, 1990.
23.
ISO 4287: 1997 Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS)– Surface Texture: Profile Method–Terms, Definitions and Surface Texture Parameters, 1997 (International Standardization Organization, Geneva, Switzerland).
24.
ScheersJ.VermeulenM.DeMaréC.MeseureK.Assessment of steel surface roughness and waviness in relation with paint appearance. In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 252–261.
25.
PfestorfM.EngelU.GeigerM.3D-surface parameters and their application on deterministic textured metal sheets. In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 207–214.
26.
AnanthapadmanabhanT.RadhakrishnanV.An investigation of the role of surface irregularities in the noise spectrum of rolling and sliding contacts. Wear, 1982, 83, 399–409.
27.
ThomasT. R.Rough Surfaces, 1982 (Longman Press, London and New York).
28.
TrumpoldH.HeldtE.Why filtering surface profiles? In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 244–251.
29.
ISO 12085: 1996 Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS)–Surface Texture: Profile Method–Motif Parameters, 1996 (International Standardization Organization, Geneva, Switzerland).
30.
ChettyO. V. K.RadhakrishnanV.MurthyR. V. G.On some aspects of surface formation in ECM. Trans. ASME, J. Engng for Industry, 1981, 103, 341–348.
HaesingJ.Die Messung der Glaettungstiefe nach dem E-system. Erfahrungen mit einem Zweitaster-Messgeraet. Ann. CIRP, 1963–4, 12(3), 138–143.
35.
BodschwinnaH.SeewigG.Moderne Methoden der Signalverarbeitung zur Welligkeitsmessung durch Abgrenzung des Welligkeits-anteils gegenüber Rauheit und Form. In IX Internationales Oberflächenkolloquium, TU Chemnitz, Zwickau, 1996, pp. 79–89.
36.
KrystekM.Formfilterung durch Splines. In IX Internationales Oberflächenkolloquium, TU Chemnitz, Zwickau, 1996, pp. 67–78.
37.
DaubechiesI.The wavelet transform, time-frequency localization and signal analysis. IEEE Trans. on Inf. Theory, 1990, 36, 961–1005.
38.
WeckenmannA.HeinrichowskiM.MordhorstH. J.Design of gauges and multipoint measuring systems using coordinate measuring machine data and computer simulation. Precision Engng, 1991, 13, 203–207.
39.
WeckenmannA.EitzertH.GarmerM.WeberH.Functionally-oriented evaluation and sampling strategy in coordinate metrology. Precision Engng, 1995, 17, 244–252.
40.
VorburgerT. V.TeagueE. C.Optical techniques for on-line measurement of surface topography. Precision Engng, 1981, 3, 61–83.
41.
BordmannR.Roughness form and waviness measurement by means of light scattering. Precision Engng, 1986, 8, 221–226.
42.
RaoN. V. R. S. SuryanarayanaPrithvirajV.RadhakrishnanV.An investigation into the assessment of surface finish by microwave reflection. Precision Engng, 1986, 8, 9–12.
43.
GabriniJ.AlbrehtJ.Surface profilometry based on fringe capacitance measurement. Trans. ASME, 1989, 192, 192–200.
44.
VargheseS.RadhakrishnanV.AchuthanN.Development of a surface finish sensor for machine tool applications. Trans. NAMRI of SME, 1995, 23, 339–344.
StoutK. J.SullivanP. J.DongW. P.MainsahE.LuoN.MathiaT.ZahouaniH.Development of methods for the characterization of roughness in three dimensions. Publication EUR 15178 EN, Commission of the European Communities, 1993.
47.
MalburgM. C.RajaJ.Characterisation of surface texture generated by plateau honing process. Ann. CIRP, 1993, 42(1), 637–639.
48.
Sanna ReddyH.RajaJ.ChenK.Characterization of surface texture generated by multi-process manufacture. In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 111–118.
49.
WestbergJ.Opportunities and problems when standardising and implementing surface structure parameters in industry. In Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, Keynote speech.
50.
SchmoeckelStaevesD. J.Function-oriented 3D filtering for tribological assessment of sheet metal surfaces in deep-drawing. Transactions of the Seventh International Conference on Metallurgy and the Properties of Engineering Surfaces, Gothenburg, 1997, pp. 438–444.
51.
ISO/TC213/AG9/N3, 1997. Morphological filters. Presentation by V. Srinivasan.
52.
SathyanarayananG.RadhakrishnanV.Roughness measurement with non-contacting inductive pick-up. In Symposium on Manufacturing Metrology, ASME Winter Annual Meeting, 1988, pp. 75–100.
53.
VargheseS.RadhakrishnanV.A multisensor approach to in-process monitoring of surface roughness, J. Mater. Process Technol.1994, 44, 353–362.
54.
WeckenmannA.KerstingT.SchmitzS.Optische Formmessung an Bohrungen. ITG-Fachbericht., 1998, 148, 145–148.
