the low-cost way to measure profile
Testex is the manufacturer of Press-O-Film replica tape. Press-O-Film provides inspectors and researchers a simple way to obtain an impression of a surface.
Press-O-Film (POF) consists of a layer of crushable plastic microfoam coated onto a polyester film of highly uniform thickness.
When compressed against a roughened material, Press-O-Film accurately replicates details of its surface roughness.
The impression can be studied in several ways:
- A simple micrometric dial thickness gage can be applied to the replica for field measurement of the average maximum peak-to-valley roughness, or "profile," of a replicated surface, or,
- A digital thickness gage such as the PosiTector RTR can also field-measure profile and bridge the gap between tape grades by incorporating automatic linearization.
- An optical profiling interferometer or confocal microscope can be used in laboratory settings to produce maps of the replica's surface topography. This is most appropriate to study of subtle features at the microinch (25 nanometer) level.