A fiber optical interferometer system is described for non-contact measurement of surface topography. The system employs a fiber optic guide and lens arrangement that forms an interferometric cavity between the lens front face and the test surface. Changes in the surface topography are manifested as phase changes between the light reflected from the surface and the front face of the lens. An electronic control and data acquisition system converts the phase change into a voltage signal proportional to surface height. The system is calibrated and compared with stylus surface profile measurements performed on a standard set of machined surface samples. Comparison of the amplitude parameter, Ra, shows differences of between 17 percent and 34 percent across the set of samples, whereas, two spatial parameters, frequency and peak count, consistently compare within 1 percent to 12 percent throughout the Ra range: 0.42 μm ≤ Ra ≤ 2.89 μm.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Cavities, Data acquisition systems, Fiber optic sensors, Fibers, Interferometers, Lenses (Optics), Phase transitions, Signals, Surface roughness
1.
Chryssolouris, G., and Domroese, M., 1988, “Sensor Integration for Tool Wear Estimation in Machining,” Proc. Symposium on Sensors and Controls for Manufacturing, ASME, New York, pp. 115–123.
2.
Dornfeld
D. A.
,
1990
, “
Neural Network Sensor Fusion for Tool Condition Monitoring
,”
Annals of the CIRP
, Vol.
39
, No.
1
, pp.
101
–
105
.
3.
Garbini
J. L.
,
Koh
S. -P.
,
Jorgensen
J. E.
, and
Ramulu
M.
,
1992
, “
Surface Profile Measurement During Turning Using Fringe-Field Capacitive Profilometery
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR INDUSTRY
, Vol.
114
, pp.
234
–
243
.
4.
Huynh
V. M.
, and
Fan
Y.
,
1992
, “
Surface-Texture Measurement and Characterisation with Applications to Machine Tool Monitoring
,”
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
, Vol.
7
, pp.
2
–
10
.
5.
Kurada, S., and Bradley, C., 1995, “A Vision System for In-Cycle Tool Wear Monitoring,” Proc. of the 8th International Congress on Condition Monitoring and Diagnostic Engineering Management, Kingston, Ont., pp. 139–141.
6.
Lin, G. C., Shea, T., and Hoang, K., 1977, “Measurement of Surface Roughness with a Laser Beam,” Australian Conference on Manufacturing Engineering, pp. 132–133.
7.
Lin
P. P.
,
Parvin
F.
, and
Schoenig
F. C.
,
1991
, “
Optical Gaging of Very Short-Term Surface Waviness
,”
Trans. of NAMRI/SME
, Vol.
19
, pp.
327
–
332
.
8.
Lovoie, R. A., 1991, “Understanding the Limits of Ra,” Manufacturing Engineer, pp. 6.
9.
Luk
F.
,
Huynh
V. M.
, and
North
W.
,
1989
, “
Measurement of Surface Roughness by a Machine Vision System
,”
Journal of Physics. E Scientific Instruments
, Vol.
22
, pp.
977
–
980
.
10.
North
W. P. T.
, and
Agarwal
A. K.
,
1983
, “
Surface Roughness Measurement with Fiber-Optics
,” Technical Brief,
ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control
, Vol.
105
, pp.
295
–
297
.
11.
Salisbury, E. J., Moon, K. S., and Sutherland, J. W., 1994, “Nano-Surface Texture Measurement Using Laser Interferometry and Image Synthesis,” ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering, PED-Vol. 68-1, pp. 183–191.
12.
Salisbury
E. J.
,
Moon
K. S.
, and
Sutherland
J. W.
,
1995
, “
Phase Shift Estimation: A Method for Improving the Accuracy of Phase Shift Interferometry
,”
Trans. of NAMRI/SME
, Vol.
XXIII
, pp.
345
–
350
.
13.
Shin
Y. C.
,
Oh
S. J.
, and
Coker
S. A.
,
1995
, “
Surface Roughness Measurement by Ultrasonic Sensing for In-Process Monitoring
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR INDUSTRY
, Vol.
117
, pp.
439
–
447
.
14.
Shiraishi
M.
, and
Sato
S.
,
1990
, “
Dimensional and Surface Roughness Controls in a Turning Operation
,”
ASME JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR INDUSTRY
, Vol.
112
, pp.
78
–
83
.
15.
Spurgeon, D., and Slater, R. A. C., 1974, “In-Process Indication of Surface Roughness Using a Fiber-Optics Transducer,” Proc. 15th International Machine Tool Design and Research, Vol. 15, pp. 339–347.
16.
Stedman
M.
,
1988
, “
Limits of Surface Measurement by Optical Probes
,”
SPIE, Surface Measurement and Characterisation
, Vol.
1009
, pp.
62
–
67
.
17.
Ulsoy
A. G.
, and
Koren
Y.
,
1993
, “
Control of Machining Processes
,”
ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control
, Vol.
115
, pp.
301
–
308
.
18.
Vorburger
T. V.
, and
Teague
E. C.
,
1981
, “
Optical Techniques for On-Line Measurement of Surface Finish
,”
Precision Engineering
, Vol.
3
, No.
2
, pp.
61
–
83
.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1998
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.