Investigation of Surface Texture Using Image Processing Techniques

Surfaces of industrial parts need to be specified based on their utility and application environment. Since the quality of surface influences the suitability of components for a specific application, more attention had been given by researchers to measure the surface quality accurately. Current techniques of quantifying surface quality use profilometers, coordinate measuring machines and some optical techniques. With the advent of automation, surface characterization needs to be totally computerized so that the task of inspection (of surfaces) is greatly simplified and free from human error. In this research paper a methodology is presented that uses a computer vision system to characterize the nature of the surface. Computerized optical microscope will be used to acquire the images of the surface and the same images will be fed into MATLAB software for further investigations. The advantages of using a vision system over other techniques will be adequately discussed. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.