Application Notes
Evaluation of the Inner Surface of Cylinder Liners
Cylinder liner
Application
The cylinder liners of combustion chambers in engine blocks directly contact the pistons moving inside the chambers. To enable smooth piston movement, the inner surface of the cylinder liners must be adequately lubricated. Grooves on the cylinder liners help provide the required layer of lubricant. These grooves are called cross hatches. In addition, the inner surface of a cylinder must have a specific roughness condition to ensure the proper sliding performance. To evaluate cylinder liners, three characteristics must be examined:
- Cross-hatch configuration
- Cylinder liner surface roughness
- Cross-hatch intersecting angle
Solution
The LEXT OLS5000 microscope uses lasers to perform 3D measurement of the delicate surface features of cylinder liners, which is necessary for quality management.
LEXT OLS5000 product features
- Improved resolution (plane resolution of 0.12 μm) achieves high-precision measurement.
- Roughness measurement capability enables the acquisition of accurate measurement data.
- Smart scan functionality enables fully automatic acquisition of 3D data, which helps minimize differences in the data acquired by different microscope operators.
- Image stitching function enables high-precision measurement within a broad field of view.
Images
Cylinder liner image Cylinder liner image (reproduction) provided by a laser microscope (objective lens: 20X; zoom: 1x)
Cross-hatch configuration image (reproduction) during measurement
Interior surface roughness image (reproduction) during measurement
Cross-hatch intersecting angle image (reproduction) during measurement
Related Products
LEXT OLS5500
Hybrid 3D Optical Profilometer
- Traceable surface measurements from the nanometer to micrometer scale
- Laser scanning microscopy (LSM), white light interferometry (WLI), and focus variation microscopy (FVM) in one award-winning platform
- First 3D optical profilometer to offer guaranteed accuracy and repeatability* for both LSM and WLI measurements
- WLI mode delivers up to 40x faster measurement throughput than conventional LSM
- Exceptional precision across surfaces with in-house engineered optics
- Intuitive interface and smart automation streamline operation for users of all levels
- AI-enhanced and high-throughput workflows with PRECiV™ software integration
*Based on Evident’s internal research as of October 2025. The guaranteed accuracy and repeatability apply only if the device has been calibrated according to the manufacturer’s specifications and is in defect free condition. Calibration must be performed by an Evident technician or an Evident-authorized specialist.
LEXT OLS5100
The LEXT™ OLS5100 laser scanning microscope combines exceptional accuracy and optical performance with smart tools that make the system easy to use. The tasks of precisely measuring shape and surface roughness at the submicron level are fast and efficient, simplifying your workflow and delivering high-quality data you can trust.