Surface Roughness, Texture and Tribology Class Modules Now Online

Modular format makes learning about surface roughness, finish, friction, and wear more affordable and accessible

Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 - 13:00

(Michigan Metrology: Livonia, MI) -- The long-standing “Surface Texture and Tribology” short course, presented by Don Cohen, Ph.D. of Michigan Metrology, is now available as individual modules on the udemy.com learning website. The online format allows students to choose the course segments that are pertinent to their work and to learn at their own pace and schedule.

“This online, modular format makes learning about surface roughness, finish, friction, and wear more affordable and accessible,” says Cohen, who presents the course. “The material goes beyond equations and instead focuses on how texture relates to component functions, such as friction, sealing, durability, and appearance. It’s designed for technicians, engineers, and scientists who address surface finish issues daily, but because it’s modular it is approachable for anyone who wants to understand surface interactions.”

The course modules range in length from 45 minutes to 2 hours, including material covering:

• Surface finish: introduction, instruments and correlation
• Filtering for roughness waviness and form
• Surface roughness parameters
• Wear mechanisms, measurement, and specification
• Dry, sliding friction
• Lubricated friction
• Rolling friction
• Surface energy, wetting, and surface roughness
• Seals, sealing, and surface finish
• Coatings: surface roughness from substrate to topcoat

“We have been providing training in surface metrology and tribology for over 15 years,” says Cohen. “This class makes nearly 16 hours of training available to students, and it’s available for learning at the pace that’s best for retaining the information.”

More class details are available at michmet.com/classes. In addition to the online modules, Cohen also offers this training live (in person or online) several times per year. Registration requests can be made by visiting michmet.com/classes, by calling (866) 953-5030, or by emailing info@michmet.com.

About the instructor, Donald Cohen

Donald Cohen, Ph.D., established Michigan Metrology in 1994 to help engineers and scientists solve problems related to, “squeaks, leaks, friction, wear, appearance, adhesion and other issues,” using 3D surface texture measurement and analysis. Prior to forming Michigan Metrology, Cohen was vice president of engineering at WYKO Corp. (now part of Bruker Corp.), developing surface metrology instrumentation. He served as vice chairman/chairman of the ANSI/ASME B46.1 Surface Texture Standards committee from 2000–2011 and is past chairman of the STLE-Detroit section. He holds bachelors and masters degrees in physics and a Ph.D. in optical sciences.

About Michigan Metrology LLC

Since 1994, Michigan Metrology has been providing high-volume inspection services and solving problems related to surface roughness, wear, texture, finish, flatness, and more. Using advanced 3D surface roughness measurement and analysis techniques, state-of-the-art equipment, and expert understanding of 3D surface metrology, the company has helped thousands of clients with solutions for surface development, manufacturing process issues, and product warranty concerns.

About The Author

Quality Digest

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