Study of a micro-roughness probe with ultrasonic sensor

This paper presents a micro-roughness measuring probe which involves an ultrasonic vibration sensor in a longitudinal tapping mode. This sensor is controlled by a measuring force control system. The combination of a fine and coarse driving mechanism realizes non-destructive, accurate and high-speed measurement. The measuring force is 1 μN to 1 mN with 1 kHz maximum dynamic response in the vertical axis. A mechanical structure, the characteristics of it and an evaluation method of the measuring force are described in the paper. Several results, for instance the surface damage after tracing and micro-roughness measurement, are shown.