ABSTRACT
Surface metrology ensures that all aspects of the surface geometry are known and preferably controlled. As a general rule all three types of measurement must take place in order to ensure that the workpiece will do its assigned job for the time specified; to guarantee its quality. In fact the two blocks ‘manufacture’ and ‘function’ are not completely independent of each other as can be seen by the line in the figure joining the two. Historically the correct function of the workpiece was guaranteed by controlling the manufacture. It will soon be made clear that surface metrology cannot simply be regarded as an irritant to be added to the general size measurement of a component. There has been a reluctance up to now to adopt such methods, probably due to the lack of education effort in metrology, in the UK certainly, and in the USA and most of the rest of the world.
