The 5 things everyone should understand before measuring surface roughness

Surface roughness is a key quality criterion in many manufacturing and inspection processes, yet it is not always measured in the same way.

Contact-based and optical measurement methods are based on fundamentally different principles. Depending on the surface geometry, material, and measurement setup, this can lead to significantly different results, especially for complex, reflective, or sensitive surfaces.

Understanding how surface roughness is measured is therefore just as important as knowing which parameters are evaluated and how they should be interpreted.

In this short guide, we summarize:

• Common surface roughness measurement methods
• Key differences between contact-based and optical techniques
• Typical pitfalls and sources of deviation
• Practical considerations for reliable roughness evaluation

👉Download the Roughness Guide and
gain a clearer understanding of surface roughness measurement in practice.