- Abbott-Firestone curve
The Abbott-Firestone curve or bearing area curve (BAC) describes the surface texture of an object. In physical terms, it is a plot of the bearing area or bearing length ratio at different heights above the object's general form.
Mathematically it is the cumulative probability density function of the surface profile's height and can be calculated by integrating the profile trace. [Cite book | author=Stachowiak, G. W.; Batchelor, A. W. | authorlink= | coauthors= | title=Engineering tribology | date=2001 | publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann | location=Boston | isbn=0750673044 | pages=450]
The Abbott-Firestone was first described by EJ Abbott and FA Firestone in 1933. [ cite journal|title=Specifying surface quality: a method based on accurate measurement and comparison|journal=Mechanical Engineering|date=1933|first=E.J.|last=Abbott|coauthors=F.A. Firestone|volume=55|issue=|pages=569-572|id= |url=|format=|accessdate=2008-06-05 ] It is useful for understanding the properties of sealing and bearing surfaces. It is commonly used in the engineering and manufacturing piston cylinder bores of internal combustion engines. [Cite book | author=Flitney, Robert | authorlink= | coauthors= | title=Seals and Sealing Handbook, Fifth Edition | date= | publisher=Elsevier Science | location= | isbn=1-85617-461-1 | pages=484] The shape of the curve is distilled into several of the surface roughness parameters, especially the Rk family of parameters.
References
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