The Keyence IM-7030T is the newest addition to the IM Series. The new drop-indicator, light probe, 8 x12 in. FOV, and programmable ring light help make this the most capable measurement unit to date.
The L.S. Starrett Co., a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, metrology systems and more, will be demonstrating at IMTS a wide range of its latest solutions from Automated Vision Technology.
When explaining surface finish measurement, it can be helpful to start with the classic metaphor of a desert, as often described by gage maker Taylor Hobson. Imagine grains of sand as roughness, the ripples of sand as waviness, and then the undulating dunes as the surface profile.
Beginning some 30 years ago, portable surface finish gages—some small enough to fit in a shirt pocket—brought a new level of part control to the manufacturing floor.
As part tolerances tighten, both form and surface finish have a bigger influence on the size and function of the product. And with pressures on manufacturing to be more productive, it is no longer viable for checks of surface or form to be performed on a measuring system in a quality room.
How does the surface texture affect the friction between two dry parallel sliding surfaces? It turns out that this problem has challenged some of the greatest minds in science and engineering.
The problem with surface finish is that it gets deep very quickly. Many people talk about the “finish” or the “roughness” of a surface as if it were one unique thing.