The Pearson System of Distributions: Its Application to Non-Gaussian Surface Metrology and a Simple Wear Model

Abstract

The height distributions of surface profiles generated by some engineering production processes are discussed, and it is shown that they may usually be modelled by continuous distributions from the Pearson system. A simple profile truncation model for wear is proposed based upon previous experimental results. This model is applied to a number of Pearson distributions to predict post-wear surface finish parameters for initially non-Gaussian surfaces.