“Computational Surface and Roundness Metrology” provides an extraordinarily practical and hands-on approach towards understanding the diverse array of mathematical methods used in surface texture and roundness analysis. The book, in combination with a mathematical package or programming language interface, provides an invaluable tool for experimenting, learning, and discovering the many flavors of mathematics that are so routinely taken for granted in metrology. Whether the objective is to understand the origin of that ubiquitous transmission characteristics curve of a filter we see so often yet do not quite comprehend, or to delve into the intricate depths of a deceptively simple problem of fitting a line or a plane to a set of points, this book describes it all (in exhaustive detail). From the graduate student of metrology to the practicing engineer on the shop floor, this book is a must-have reference for all involved in metrology, instrumentation/optics, manufacturing, and electronics.

“Computational Surface and Roundness Metrology” provides an extraordinarily practical and hands-on approach towards understanding the diverse array of mathematical methods used in surface texture and roundness analysis. The book, in combination with a mathematical package or programming language interface, provides an invaluable tool for experimenting, learning, and discovering the many flavors of mathematics that are so routinely taken for granted in metrology. Whether the objective is to understand the origin of that ubiquitous transmission characteristics curve of a filter we see so often yet do not quite comprehend, or to delve into the intricate depths of a deceptively simple problem of fitting a line or a plane to a set of points, this book describes it all (in exhaustive detail). From the graduate student of metrology to the practicing engineer on the shop floor, this book is a must-have reference for all involved in metrology, instrumentation/optics, manufacturing, and electronics.

The measurement and characterisation of surface topography is crucial to modern manufacturing industry. The control of areal surface structure allows a manufacturer to radically alter the functionality of a part. Examples include structuring to effect fluidics, optics, tribology, aerodynamics and biology. To control such manufacturing methods requires measurement strategies. There is now a large range of new optical techniques on the market, or being developed in academia, that can measure areal surface topography. Each method has its strong points and limitations. The book starts with introductory chapters on optical instruments, their common language, generic features and limitations, and their calibration. Each type of modern optical instrument is described (in a common format) by an expert in the field. The book is intended for both industrial and academic scientists and engineers, and will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

The subject of this book is surface metrology, in particular two major aspects: surface texture and roundness. It has taken a long time for manufacturing engineers and designers to realise the usefulness of these features in quality of conformance and quality of design. Unfortunately this awareness has come at a time when engineers versed in the use and specification of surfaces are at a premium. Traditionally surface metrology usage has been dictated by engineers who have served long and demanding apprenticeships, usually in parallel with studies leading to technician-level qualifications. Such people understood the processes and the achievable accuracies of machine tools, thereby enabling them to match production capability with design requirements. This synergy, has been made possible by the understanding of adherence to careful metrological procedures and a detailed knowledge of surface measuring instruments and their operation, in addition to wider inspection room techniques. With the demise in the UK of polytechnics and technical colleges, this source of skilled technicians has all but dried up. The shortfall has been made up of semi skilled craftsmen, or inexperienced graduates who cannot be expected to satisfy tradition al or new technology needs. Miniaturisation, for example, has had a pro found effect. Engineering parts are now routinely being made with nanometre surface texture and fiatness. At these molecular and atomic scales, the engineer has to be a physicist.

This volume contains original, refereed worldwide contributions. They were prompted by presentations made at the ninth AMCTM Conference held in Goteborg (Sweden) in June 2011 on the theme of advanced mathematical and computational tools in metrology and also, in the title of this book series, in testing. The themes in this volume reflect the importance of the mathematical, statistical and numerical tools and techniques in metrology and testing and, also in keeping the challenge promoted by the Metre Convention, to access a mutual recognition for the measurement standards.

This book provides insights into surface quality control techniques and applications based on high-definition metrology (HDM). Intended as a reference resource for engineers who routinely use a variety of quality control methods and are interested in understanding the data processing, from HDM data to final control actions, it can also be used as a textbook for advanced courses in engineering quality control applications for students who are already familiar with quality control methods and practices. It enables readers to not only assimilate the quality control methods involved, but also to quickly implement the techniques in practical engineering problems. Further, it includes numerous case studies to highlight the implementation of the methods using measured HDM data of surface features. Since MATLAB is extensively employed in these case studies, familiarity with this software is helpful, as is a general understanding of surface quality control methods.

Advances in engineering precision have tracked with technological progress for hundreds of years. Over the last few decades, precision engineering has been the specific focus of research on an international scale. The outcome of this effort has been the establishment of a broad range of engineering principles and techniques that form the foundation of precision design. Today’s precision manufacturing machines and measuring instruments represent highly specialised processes that combine deterministic engineering with metrology. Spanning a broad range of technology applications, precision engineering principles frequently bring together scientific ideas drawn from mechanics, materials, optics, electronics, control, thermo-mechanics, dynamics, and software engineering. This book provides a collection of these principles in a single source. Each topic is presented at a level suitable for both undergraduate students and precision engineers in the field. Also included is a wealth of references and example problems to consolidate ideas, and help guide the interested reader to more advanced literature on specific implementations.