Surface Roughness/Finish

This category includes systems used to inspect the surface integrity of a workpiece after it has been processed by any surface modification process, including forming, metal cutting, welding, surface treatment, or other surface alteration. In the fabrication process, a surface’s roughness is a measurement of the height of irregularities and asperities on a finished surface after machining. ‘Finish’ is not a measurable quality, but depend on the viewer’s perception and the requirements of the task. Devices used to measure the roughness of a workpiece’s surface are called profilometers; manual comparison can also be made against a sample of a known surface roughness.