Measuring surface flatness by light
Measuring surface flatness is extremely important for the functional use of many glass products or precision mechanics involved in holding optics and glass components. This involves characterizing the surface flatness for the most diverse areas of use. Whatever the application, Polytec offers optical measurement and testing solutions for reliable inspection of flatness on glass. Large-area measuring white-light interferometers of the TopMap optical surface profiler series measure the surface flatness of entire areas very quickly, without contact on a large field-of-view (FOV), gathering precise 3D insights with a precision down to the nanometer and even subnamometer range. TopMap optical 3D surface metrology represent high precision metrology tools used for evaluating form parameters like flatness, parallelism and more wheter in the metrology laboratory or close to production for industrial quality control. TopMap non-contact surface profilers continuously record height data at selected points in real time, resulting in precise flatness representations on large sample areas, that also work as immediate feedback within the production process. Such surface flatness measurement keeps product quality high and saves cost for later defects, malfunction and repair.
How to measure flatness and step-height using optical profilers
The video shows how to measure surface flatness and characterize step-height as fundamental surface form parameters on engineered surfaces using non-contact optical surface profilers like the TopMap line. These whitelight-interferometers allow for non-contact, reproducible and repeatable flatness measurements. Choose from different filters for different surface reflectivities and materials. Benefit from automated features like Focus Finder and automatic pattern recognition for faster flatness and step-height evaluation. Measure larger large areas with large field-of-view systems and even avoid stitching. Motorized tip-tilt functions may simplify the sample handling. Predefined measurement settings can significantly speed up the quality inspection. Define your regions of interest for flatness and step-height measurement by using masks. After flatness measurement and evaluation, easily export and share all insights regarding flatness paramters e.g. according to ISO 1101, step-height measurement and more.
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Reliable pass-fail analysis based on surface flatness
The mounting surface is very intricate and is made up of relatively narrow, partially recessed ligaments. It was impossible to determine the surface flatness with a conventional tactile profiler or sensor system because only a small portion of this surface was accessible to the scanner tip. Unlike tactile profilers, this situation was easily solved with a TopMap topography measurement system. The non-contact optical measuring procedure allows the areal characterization of almost any surface, independently of its specific geometry constraints, resulting in reliable pass-fail analysis.