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Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless)

Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless)
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Parent Product
Surface Roughness Tester - Profilometers
Application
Surface Roughness Testing
Standards
ASME B46.1
DIN 4768
ISO 4287
JIS B 0601
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Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless) - QualiSurf™ 300

Portable Surface Roughness and Waviness Tester for Lab and Shop Floor Use

QualiSurf™ 300 skidless surface roughness tester measures surface texture on machined components in metrology labs, workshop verification stations, inspection rooms, and directly at the machine. The instrument evaluates five profile types: roughness profile, waviness profile, primary profile, Abbott curve, and motif. A differential inductive sensor with a ±500 µm vertical range captures fine tool marks and coarse form deviation within one traverse. Results appear on a 5-inch color IPS touchscreen.

Qualitest supplies the QualiSurf™ 300 as a two-piece portable system built around a drive unit and a separate control housing. The drive unit mounts to an adjustable lifting frame, so the sensor height can be set without a granite stand or a separate measuring column. A built-in rechargeable battery supports work away from a bench outlet. A waterproof carrying case protects the instrument between jobs, which lets the gauge travel to the part instead of the part traveling to the lab.

Parameter calculations follow JIS, ISO, DIN, and ASME conventions, so one instrument can serve drawings released under different specifications. The software stores named configurations for recurring jobs, and the operator selects a saved setup and starts the trace rather than rebuilding filter and cutoff settings each time. Roughness, waviness, and material ratio results are available together after a single traverse. Data leaves the instrument through a TF card, a USB flash drive, or Wi-Fi printing.

Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless) - QualiSurf™ 300 Applications

The QualiSurf™ 300 serves manufacturers that treat surface finish as a functional requirement rather than a cosmetic one, particularly where sealing, wear, fatigue life, or lubricant retention depend on texture.

  • Automotive Powertrain Manufacturing: verifies finish on cylinder head decks, crankshaft journals, camshaft lobes, and valve seats where oil film behavior depends on measured texture
  • Bearing, Seal, and Cylinder Liner Production: applies Abbott curve parameters (Rk, Rpk, Rvk) to plateau-honed and superfinished surfaces to confirm load-bearing area and oil retention volume
  • Precision Machining and Contract Job Shops: confirms ground, turned, milled, and honed finishes against customer drawings before parts ship
  • Hydraulic and Pneumatic Component Inspection: reaches bore walls, deep holes, and internal channels that skidded gauges cannot access
  • Aerospace Component Verification: documents finish on blade roots, landing gear components, and fastener holes where surface texture affects fatigue performance
  • Mold, Die, and Tooling Shops: measures EDM, polished, and textured cavity surfaces including curved and radiused geometry
  • Metrology Labs and Calibration Rooms: provides reference-quality profile analysis with waviness and form separation for arbitration and correlation studies
  • Medical Device and Implant Manufacturing: characterizes finishes on articulating surfaces, instrument shanks, and mating components
  • Incoming and Supplier Quality Inspection: screens purchased components against specified Ra, Rz, and material ratio limits at receiving
Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless)

Standards

The QualiSurf™ 300 calculates surface texture parameters using the parameter definitions published in the following international standards. Selecting the correct standard and edition matters, because definitions of parameters such as Rz and Rmax changed between revisions and produce different numeric results on the same profile.

  • ASME B46.1-1995 - Surface Texture (Surface Roughness, Waviness, and Lay)
  • DIN 4768-1990 - Determination of Surface Roughness Values Ra, Rz, Rmax by Means of Electrical Contact Stylus Instruments
  • ISO 4287-1984 - Surface Roughness: Terminology
  • ISO 4287-1997 - Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS): Surface Texture: Profile Method: Terms, Definitions and Surface Texture Parameters
  • JIS B 0601-1982 - Surface Roughness: Definitions and Designation
  • JIS B 0601-1987 - Surface Roughness: Definitions and Designation
  • JIS B 0601-1994 - Surface Roughness: Definitions and Designation
  • JIS B 0601-2001 - Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS): Surface Texture: Profile Method: Terms, Definitions and Surface Texture Parameters
  • JIS B 0601-2013 - Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS): Surface Texture: Profile Method: Terms, Definitions and Surface Texture Parameters

Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless) - QualiSurf™ 300 Key Features

The QualiSurf™ 300 combines a wide-range inductive sensor, a skidless drive unit, and a full parameter library in a package that moves between the lab and the production floor.

  • Skidless Stylus Measurement: a single stylus contacts the part with no guide shoe, which opens access to fillet radii, deep grooves, curved surfaces, deep holes, and internal channels
  • Wide-Range Inductive Sensor: the ±500 µm vertical range accepts rough and stepped surfaces without repositioning, so the instrument handles as-cast and as-machined parts on the same setup
  • 50 mm Traverse Length: a long measuring stroke covers extended evaluation lengths and long-wavelength waviness in one pass
  • Five Measurement Types: roughness profile, waviness profile, primary profile, Abbott curve, and motif analysis run from the same trace, so one measurement answers several drawing callouts
  • Dual-Resolution Sensing: resolution scales with the selected range, reaching 0.0016 µm on the ±50 µm setting for fine finishes and 0.016 µm on the ±500 µm setting for coarse surfaces
  • Integrated Lifting Frame: the sensor mounts to a height-adjustable column on the instrument body, which removes the need for a separate stand or fixture on most parts
  • Multi-Standard Parameter Library: JIS, ISO, DIN, and ASME parameter definitions are selectable, so results match the standard cited on the drawing
  • Stored Measurement Configurations: named setups recall filter, cutoff, speed, and parameter choices for repeat jobs, which shortens changeover between part numbers
  • Five Filter Types: Gaussian, FFT, PC, DP, and 2RC filtering supports both current practice and correlation with legacy inspection data
  • Adjustable Measuring Force: force settings between 0.4 mN and 0.75 mN allow lighter contact on soft or coated surfaces and firmer contact on textured ones
  • Form Removal Options: global, half-length, center, two-point, and curve fitting remove tilt and curvature before parameter calculation
  • 5-Inch Color IPS Touchscreen: live profile graphics and tabulated results read clearly under shop lighting and viewing angles
  • Flexible Data Output: results transfer through a TF card, a USB flash drive, or Wi-Fi printing, which suits both paper reports and digital records
  • Battery Operation: the internal rechargeable battery reaches full charge in three hours and supports measurement where no outlet is available
  • Two-Piece Portable Build: separate drive and control units pack into a waterproof case for transport between plants, cells, and inspection rooms

Theory and Method

Contact stylus profilometry converts surface geometry into an electrical signal. A diamond stylus with a 5 µm tip radius rides across the surface at a controlled speed along a straight path. Peaks and valleys deflect the stylus arm vertically, and that motion shifts a ferromagnetic core inside a differential inductive transducer. The core displacement unbalances the coil pair, and the bridge circuit converts the imbalance into a voltage proportional to height. Sampling that voltage against traverse position produces the total profile.

The skidless design sets the QualiSurf™ 300 apart from skidded gauges. A skidded instrument references the workpiece through a curved shoe beside the stylus, and that shoe averages out long wavelengths, suppressing waviness and distorting form. The QualiSurf™ 300 references an internal straightness datum inside the drive unit, held to 1 µm over 50 mm. Because only the stylus touches the part, the gauge reaches R angles, deep grooves, curved surfaces, deep holes, and narrow channels that leave no room for a skid.

Digital filtering then splits the total profile into its components. A short-wavelength λs filter strips out sensor noise, the λc cutoff (Gaussian, FFT, PC, DP, or 2RC) separates roughness from waviness, and the λf cutoff separates waviness from underlying form. Form removal routines subtract tilt and curvature before parameters are calculated. Amplitude parameters such as Ra and Rz come from the filtered profile, while the Abbott curve integrates the profile into a material ratio curve that yields Rk, Rpk, and Rvk for functional surfaces.

Surface Roughness Tester (Skidless) - QualiSurf™ 300 Technical Specifications

ParameterSpecification
Measuring Range, X-Axis (Traverse)50 mm
Measuring Range, Z-Axis (Vertical)±500 µm
Sensor Resolution0.0016 µm at ±50 µm range; 0.016 µm at ±500 µm range
Drive Unit Straightness1 µm / 50 mm
Measurement TypesRoughness profile, waviness profile, primary profile, Abbott curve, motif
Parameter StandardsJIS-82, JIS-87, JIS-94, JIS-01, JIS-13, ISO-84, ISO-97, DIN-90, ASME-95
Roughness Profile ParametersRa75, Rq, Rp, Rv, Rc, Rt, S, R3z, PPI, Ra, Rsk, Rku, Ry, Sm, RΔa, RΔq, Rz, Pc, Rλa, Rλq, lr, RSm, Rz94, RPc, RS, Rz.I, Rpm, HSC
Waviness Profile ParametersWCA, WCC-q, WCC-p, WCC-v, WCC-m, WCC2Sm, WC-q, WC2p, WC-v, WCM, WC2Sm, WC-t, Wa, Wq, Wsk, Wku, Wp, Wv, Wz, Wc, Wt, WSm, WΔq, WPc
Primary Profile ParametersRsk, Rku, Rmax, Sm, Δa, Δq, Rz, λa, λq, lr, TILT A, AVH, Hmax, Hmin, AREA, Rz.J, Pa, Pq, Psk, Pku, Pp, Pv, Pc.I, Pt, PSm, PΔq, PPc, Pc
Abbott Curve ParametersRk, Rpk, Rvk, Mr1, Mr2, V0, K, A1, A2
Motif ParametersNCRX, AR, R, Rx, NR, CPM, SR, SAR, AW, W, Wx, Wte, NW, SW, SAW, Rke, Rpke, Rvke, Mr1, Mr2, V0, K
Evaluation CurvesRoughness profile, waviness profile, primary profile, Abbott curve, motif
Characteristic CurvesAbbott curve (Rmr(c), Rmr2(c), Rδc(c), tp(c), tp2(c), Htp(c)), amplitude frequency analysis curve, amplitude distribution curve
Form RemovalGlobal, first half, second half, center, two points, curve
Filter TypesGaussian, FFT, PC, DP, 2RC
Filter Cutoff λs0, 2.5, 8, 25 μm
Filter Cutoff λc0.08, 0.25, 0.8, 2.5, 8 mm
Filter Cutoff λf0.8, 2.5, 8, 25 mm
Evaluation LengthSampling length × number of samples (standard and custom sampling length modes)
Measuring Speed0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00 mm/s
Return Speed0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00 mm/s
Sensor TypeStandard universal type
Sensor PrincipleDifferential inductance
Sensor Range±500 μm
Stylus5 μm tip radius diamond, 90° included angle
Measuring ForceAdjustable, 0.4 mN to 0.75 mN
Display5-inch color IPS touchscreen
Data OutputTF card, USB flash drive, Wi-Fi printing
Interface LanguagesMultilingual, English standard
VoltageAC 220 V ±10%, built-in rechargeable battery (AC adapter charging), 3-hour charge time (110V is also available)
Power ConsumptionApprox. 30 VA
Drive Unit Dimensions80 (W) × 392 (L) × 180 (H) mm
Control Unit Dimensions245 (W) × 162 (L) × 68 (H) mm

Standard Configuration

ItemQuantityDescription
Drive Unit1Main unit actuator with traverse mechanism
Sensor1Differential inductive pickup, ±500 μm range
Standard Stylus15 μm radius diamond, 90° included angle
Roughness Reference Specimen1Calibration test block for verification
Charger1AC adapter for the internal battery
Waterproof Carrying Case1Protective transport case for the instrument
Allen Wrench12.5 mm, for sensor and frame adjustment
Product Certificate1Conformity documentation
User Manual1Operating and maintenance instructions
Warranty Card1Warranty registration document

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Surface Roughness Tester - Profilometers