Application Notes

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Roughness measurement of an engine valve face using a laser microscope

Engine valve
Engine valve

Application

Valves are necessary in an internal combustion engine to ensure the proper fuel-air mixture intake or combustion gas exhaust, by closing the intake and exhaust ports of the combustion chamber. To ensure that each valve closes the associated port as completely as possible, the valve face contact surface must be polished to increase flatness. The flatness must be measured to determine if it is within tolerance.

A contact-type roughness tester has often been used to measure the contact surface flatness. However, the contact-type roughness tester can only present line roughness data, and requests for more reliable planar roughness data are increasing.

The Olympus solution

Roughness measurements made using the LEXT OLS5000 3D laser scanning microscope provide planar roughness data, which is more accurate than line roughness data alone.

Features of the product

  1. Since roughness is measured using the plane, more accurate roughness data is provided.
  2. Color images, laser images, and 3D profile data can all be obtained at the same time, expanding the range of analysis.

Images

Valve face contact surface

Valve face contact surface

Planar roughness measurement of the valve face contact

Planar roughness measurement of the valve face contact

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.

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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.