the methodology of measurement and what is measured are quite different. This is critical to understand if you will not be paid for your parts because the Ra you measured is not in fact the Rz surface profile that customer specified.
what do you mean by Ra and Rz values
Ra is Indian standard whereas Rz is DIN standard
Approx - Rz is 4 times of Ra
Because, there are two types of RZ value- shortwave & longwave. A High Longwave RZ value will be less smooth than a high shortwave RZ value, because in shortwave, even though the RZ value is high, the undulations are very close together, and so will appear smooth when measured over a long or short area. A High RZ longwave surface appears less smooth, as the undulations occur over a longer area, and so will have more effect with relation to how smooth the surface is. RZ measures only the height of the surface descrepancy at any given point, its not concerned with the frequency of that descrepancy over any distance of the surface-this is how RZ value can be high, but surface finish appears smooth- Its a High RZ, short wavelength surface. Hope this Helps, Will at phantomscreenprint.co.uk
http://www.innovativeorganics.com/Media/Documents/S0000000000000001030/SURFACE%20ROUGHNESS%20VALUE%20CONVERSIONS.pdf
Ra is the roughness of the surface used in engineering. Mu(greek letter)metres is one millionth of a metre. To put in perspective glass would be around Ra 0.1, polished chrome plating would be around Ra 0.3 so Ra 0.8 is still fairly smooth but a dull finish. You would just be able to feel the surface with your fingernail.
RUB DOWN WITH 1200 GRADE WET AND DRY THEN IF ALLOWED POLISH UP WITH BRASSO.
Surface texture refers to the topography or roughness of a surface, which can be measured using parameters like Ra or Rz. Surface integrity, on the other hand, encompasses surface properties beyond roughness, such as residual stress, microstructure alterations, and material properties affected by the manufacturing process. In essence, surface texture refers to the physical appearance of a surface, while surface integrity delves deeper into the structural and material changes induced by manufacturing processes.
Number 4 ground finish is equivalent to a maximum Ra of 32 micro inch (0.80 micro meter) when measured according to the recommendations in ANSI/ASME B46.1 - Surface Texture. In addition, surface finish equivalent to 150 grit or better as obtained with silicon carbide and properly applied on the surface would also meet specifications of No. 4 finish. Source: 3-A Sanitary Standard. Hope this helps. Mike Anunike
A surface roughness tester is a device used to measure the roughness of a surface by analyzing the texture and profile of the surface irregularities. It provides numerical data, such as Ra and Rz values, which describe the average roughness and peak-to-valley height of the surface respectively. These measurements are important for ensuring the quality and performance of manufactured components.
In engineering terms, Ra is the arithmetic meaning for roughness of a surface, and is also referred to as arithmetic average.