A roughness tester, also referenced as a roughness meter, or roughness gauge, is a portable device that is used to efficiently measure the roughness of an object. Surface roughness testers are used to determine a material’s roughness through a variety of parameters. ATEC offers roughness tester rentals for products from leading manufacturers like
Mitutoyo,
Zeiss,
Proceq,
Qualitest,
Buehler,
Mahr, and
Starrett.
How To Test surface roughness
Though both tools answer the same query, surface profilometers measure roughness at the nanometer level. Roughness testers enable a user to determine the roughness of a material surface quickly. Some testers have internal storage facilities, allowing you to save your results and visit them for analysis at a later time. A surface profilometer is sometimes equipped with a stylus that is able to physically touch the material surface for testing. Others can scan the surface with optics and light. Many record data through various parameters like mm or inch, roughness curve graph, bearing area curve, and more, and display results on a built-in LCD screen. Both roughness testers and surface profilometers offer high accuracy and measurement speed for effective surface inspection.
What Is a Surface Roughness Tester?
Surface roughness is an important measurement factor used to determine the quality of a surface for a specific purpose. Irregulates on a machined surface impact the performance of the surface and the performance of the end product. Smoother surfaces are not as vulnerable to corrosion and cracks as compared to rougher surfaces. Roughness testers can measure predetermined lengths as long lines are traced for rougher surfaces and shorter distances are used to measure finer surfaces. Advanced surface roughness instruments measure an area of the surface using non-contact methods.