Part VI - Engineered surfaces — A philosophy of manufacture

Abstract

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the characterization of surface finish in three dimensions. This has been deemed essential since engineers, conscious of the importance that surface character has on the functional performance of the component in service, have strived to improve their understanding. It has become clear during the evaluation of three dimensional (3-D) surfaces that although this is an important feature of functional performance many other factors are equally important. Clearly the example of the analysis technique shown here, the ballising process, relates to just one of a number of similar processes, which could all usefully benefit from similar treatment. In addition, there are a number of other processes that could be investigated to determine the surface conditioning as a result of the specific process used. If all or most of the process parameters were investigated, it would be possible to produce a comprehensive ‘atlas' of the surfaces produced in association with a range of processes. The development of a range of atlases would enable the functional process control parameters to be accurately set, which would ensure that the topography produced and the consequential condition of the surface and near-surface physical layers are compatible with the intended function for the surface.