Development of a quality assessment tool for electron beam textured surfaces (DTI bid called 'ASTIA').

TWI (Cambridge, UK) has recently invented a new surface texturing process called 'Surfi-Sculpt' (also known as 'Direct Writing') that can be used to 'grow' protrusions from the surface of a material using the repeated action of an intense electron beam. A limitless variety of features can be made using the 'Surfi-Scupt' technique. These include high aspect ratio spikes, burr-free holes, blades, channels and swirls. Typical surface features are in the height range 200 micron / 2 mm with maximum diameter of protrusions being 0.25 mm. Due to the distinctive features generated from the 'Surfi-Sculpt' process, innovative quality assessment methods need to be investigated to measure and analyse the three-dimensional structures produced. This proposal will aim to develop:1. Measurement Methodology / techniques that are rapid, offer suitable height tolerances and optimised procedures for sculpted surfaces. 2. Hardware: Bespoke measurement rigs and/or modifications to existing measuring hardware and instrumentation.3. Software: Modifications to existing software maybe be recommended to generate new parameters or to manipulate the data sets in different ways to allow rough surface feature recognition.