Surface-roughness measurement using dry friction noise

A new technique for determining surface roughness is introduced. It is based upon measuring the generated noise due to dry friction of a metallic blade which travels over the surface under consideration. If the frictional force is made small enough to excite the blade, and not the entire system, then the noise will be proportional to surface roughness, and independent of the measured specimen size and material. A prototype acoustic device was designed and constructed and then used to substantiate the technique. Several specimens were machined by different machining processes to obtain a wide range of roughnesses. The specimen surface roughness was measured by a widely used commercial instrument (Talysurf 10), and the prototype transducer. A straight line correlation (on a logarithmic graph) between sound pressure levels (SPL), obtained from the transducer, and roughnesses, obtained from the Talysurf instrument, was found over the range from 0.025 to 100 m. The coefficient of correlation between the measured values of SPL and roughness was as high/as 98 percent. Therefore, the technique could be adopted for measuring roughness and the prototype may thus be considered as a new roughness measuring device.The prototype device has the advantages of being sensitive, accurate and compact. It also has the capability of measuring the roughness of almost any type of surface regardless of its shape, material and complexity. Hence it is considered adequate for most engineering applications.