Manufacturing Technology 2026, 26(1):34-42 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2026.004

Effect of Machining on 3D Surface Texture and Scratch Resistance of Structural Steel

Eva Jurickova ORCID...1, Oskar Zemcik ORCID...2, Stepan Kolomy ORCID...2, Josef Sedlak ORCID...1, Denisa Hrusecka ORCID...1, Felicita Chromjakova ORCID...1, Petra Sliwkova ORCID...2
1 Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Management and Economics, Department of Industrial Engineering and Information Systems, Mostní 5139, Zlín 760 01, Czech Republic
2 Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic

This study experimentally compares how three common machining routes, turning, milling and grinding, affect the surface texture and tribological response of three structural steels (C45, 42CrMo4, 30CrMoV9) under conditions where the profile roughness Ra is deliberately aligned across routes. Areal topography was measured by coherence correlation interferometry and evaluated according to ISO 25178 (height metrics Sa, Sq, Sp, Sv, Sz, St). The bearing area curve (Abbott–Firestone) was used to derive functional descriptors Rpk, Rk and Rvk. Scratch resistance was determined on a UMT‑3 tribometer (Rockwell 120°, P = 50 N) as HSp = 8·P / w² in accordance with ASTM G171. The results show that surfaces with comparable Ra can differ markedly in areal extremes and BAC‑derived parameters, which is reflected in scratch response. These findings support replacing sole Ra specification with areal and bearing‑curve descriptors when functional performance is critical (friction, sealing, wear).

Keywords: ISO 25178, Areal parameters, Bearing area curve (BAC), 3D surface texture, Scratch resistance, ASTM G171
Grants and funding:

This research study was supported by the grant “Comprehensive technology for interdisciplinary work with advanced materials emphasizing their multidisciplinary applications”. FSI-S-25-8787

Received: October 24, 2025; Revised: January 9, 2026; Accepted: January 26, 2026; Prepublished online: February 20, 2026; Published: March 21, 2026  Show citation

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Jurickova E, Zemcik O, Kolomy S, Sedlak J, Hrusecka D, Chromjakova F, Sliwkova P. Effect of Machining on 3D Surface Texture and Scratch Resistance of Structural Steel. Manufacturing Technology. 2026;26(1):34-42. doi: 10.21062/mft.2026.004.
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