An Unambiguous Expression Method of the Surface Texture

The current specification and verification of surface texture in international standards are considered to be too theoretical, complex and over-elaborate for industry. A functional approach that completely expresses the complicated surface texture knowledge for designers and engineers is often nonexistent on the shop floor. Based on Geometrical Product Specification (GPS) philosophy, this paper proposes an unambiguous expression schema of surface texture. The surface texture knowledge in design, manufacture and measurement is based on the general GPS matrix and structured by a categorical object model. Explicit specification and verification processes and the mapping between them are presented. The ultimate goal is to improve the collaboration and bridge the knowledge gap between design, manufacture and measurement of surface texture to reduce product development lead time and improve product quality and performance.