Surface Finish

INTRODUCTION
The modern demands of the automobile, the airplane, and
other modern machines (heavier loads, higher speeds
with less friction) need for accurate control of surface.

Not all surfaces can be finished because of cost

constrains. Few surfaces requires special surface finish
and should indicate on drawing by using surface finish
symbol.
The ideal surface finish is the roughest that will do the job
satisfactorily.

ANSI/ASME recommended a system of surface texture

symbols.

MEASUREMENT OF
SURFACE FINISH
1. SURFACE TEXTURE:
The characteristics quality of an actual
surface due to small departures from
its general geometrical form which,
occurring at regular or irregular
intervals, tend to form a pattern or
texture on the surface
24/03/2012

Lec # 27 & 28

SURFACE TEXTURE
Repetitive or random deviations from the nominal surface
which forms the pattern on the surface.
Surface texture includes Roughness, Waviness, Lays and
flaws.
Factors affecting surface roughness:
1. Vibration
2. Material of the work piece
3. Type of machining
4. Rigidity of the system
5. Type, form, material and sharpness of cutting tool
6. Cutting condition i.e. speed, feed, depth of cut
7. Type of coolant used
Reasons for controlling surface texture:
1. To improve service life of the components.
2. To reduce initial wear of parts.
3. To improve fatigue resistance
4. To reduce frictional wear
5. For good appearance

Irregularities on surface can also be grouped into

following two categories.
1.
PRIMARY
TEXTURE
(ROUGHNESS/
MICRO
GEOMETRICAL)
The surface irregularities of small wavelength are called
primary texture and caused by direct action of cutting
elements on the material i.e. cutting tool shape, tool feed
rate and other disturbances like friction, wear or
corrosion. It includes irregularities of third and fourth
order.
2.
SECONDARY TEXTURE (WAVINESS/
MACRO
GEOMETRICAL)
The surface irregularities of
considerable wavelength of
a periodic character are called
secondary texture. These result
due to inaccuracies of slides,
wear of guides, misalignment

Objectives of Machining
Symbols (Finish Marks)
1.Define the surface to be machines or
finished.
For die-maker a finish mark means that allowance of extra
metal in the rough workpiece must be provided for the
machining.

Old finish
marks symbol

2.Specify a particular surface finish

3.Determine the manufacturing process
6

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Surface roughness symbols:
Surface texture symbols are used to
define surface texture, roughness
Surface may be
and lay.
Material removal
produced by
any method

Material removal
by machining is
required to produce
the surface
Material
removal
prohibited

3.5

allowance. 3.5 is the

amount of stock to be
removed
More surface
characteristics are
specified in these
spaces.

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Application of surface roughness
symbol on drawing:

Normal to the surface.

The point of the symbol should be directed inward toward the
body metal, not upside down.
Could be vertical or horizontal as the surface, but not at any
angle.
Could be provided as a general note.
Approx. 3X

Symbol
00

00

3X
1.5X
60

00

Letter height = X

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Definitions:

Surface texture: includes roughness, waviness, lay and flaws.

Profile: is the contour (shape) of a surface in a plane perpendicular
to the surface.
Micrometer [] : 1*10-6 m = 1/1000000 m
Roughness: small peaks and valleys found in the surface (fine
irregularities)
Roughness height: arithmetical average deviation [].
Roughness

Roughness

Roughness

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Definitions:

Roughness width: distance between two peaks that make the

roughness
Waviness: larger deviation from the nominal surface on which the
roughness is superimposed
Waviness height: distance from peak to valley
Waviness width: distance between successive wave peaks or
successive wave valleys.
Lay: directions of tool marks, or grains of surface
Flaw: surface defects.
Roughness

Roughness

Roughness

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Location of surface specifications on
surface finish symbol:

Maximum values are specified

Roughness

SURFACE ROUGHNESS
Lay symbols:
If it is necessary to specify the
direction of the tool marks, it
must be applied to the surface
texture symbol:

SURFACE SPECIFICATIONS
Surface finish symbol (machining symbol) can be used to
specify the surface finish and machining/manufacturing
process.
1) Surface finish:
-is usually specified as a roughness value in micrometers
printed above the finish symbol.
-The roughness value is related to the machining process.
See Table.
-For more exact machining the upper and lower limits of
roughness are specified.
2) Specifying process:
Could be directly specified on the finish symbol.

EXAMPLES:
Application of surface texture values to
symbol

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Usually all information are not required. Only
roughness height and machine allowance is
important. In this case basic symbol is used.
Roughness height in [m] or in [ inch]. All other
in mm or inch.

EXAMPLE

Centre Line Average (C.L.A.) Method (Ra):

In this method surface roughness is measured as the
average deviation from the nominal surface.
C.L.A. is defined as the average value of the ordinates
from the mean line, regardless of the arithmetic signs of
the ordinates.
C.L.A. value or Ra =

R.M.S method:
In this method the roughness is measured as the average
deviation from the nominal surface.
R.M.S value is defined as the square root of the arithmatic
mean of the values of the squares of the ordinates of the
surface measured from a mean line.
Let, the sample length L is divided into n equal parts
and h1,h2,h3..hn are the heights of the ordinates erected
at those points.
Then,
hrms=

Ten Point Height Method (Rz):

In this method the average difference between the five
highest peaks and five lowest valleys of surface texture
within the sampling length, measured from a line parallel
to the mean line and not crossing the profile is used to
denote the amount of surface roughness.
So, Rz= Ten point height of irregularities

This method is relatively simple

Method of analysis and measures
the total depth of surface
irregularities within the sample
length. But, it does not provide
Sufficient information about the
surface as no account is taken of frequency of the
irregularities and the profile shape.

Direct
methods
enable
to
determine a numerical value of
the surface finish of any surface.

When the stylus is

moved over the surface
to be measured, the
irregularities
in
the
surface
texture
are
measured and it is used
to assess the surface
finish of the work piece.

1. Skid or Shoe
2. Finely pointed Stylus or Probe
3. An
amplifying
device
for
magnifying
the
stylus
movement and indicator
4. Recording device to produce a
trace

Advantages:
The electrical signal available can be processed to
obtain any desired roughness parameter or can be
recorded for display or subsequent analysis.
Disadvantages:
1.These instruments are bulky and complex
2.They are relatively fragile
3.Initial cost is high
4.Needs skilled operator
5.Distance between stylus and skid and shape of the
skid introduce error in measurement for wavy surfaces.