An optical technique for the measurement of 2-D texture of roller bearing surfaces

An optical method was developed for the assessment of surface texture of tapered roller bearings. This technique was based on an analysis of the bi-directional scattering pattern of a surface which was illuminated by a coherent light source. The scattering pattern was captured by a CCD camera and then digitized by a frame grabber board on a PC-AT. The Bi-directional Reflective Distribution Function (BRDF) was obtained to derive the zero and second moments of the distribution function. These moments were then correlated to the RMS roughness and slope of the surface profile which was obtained from a stylus instrument. Good correlations were established for these parameters which indicates there exists a relationship between the BRDF of the surface and its surface profile statistics. This method offers a convenient way for the inspection of 2-D surfaces in the range of 0.2 /spl mu/m to 0.8 /spl mu/m RMS roughness. >