Methods of comparison of surface texture based on fractal dimension and Hotelling’s T2 test

Comparative analysis of the surface texture of machine parts can be successfully carried out using statistical tests. The paper presents a methodology of method used to compare the surface texture by applying Hotelling’s T2 test as well as a method used to evaluate surface topography by applying fractal dimension. The tests were carried out on samples produced with the use of face milling process for four types of materials. The following types of steel were used: 40HM, C45, NC6 and WCL. For each type of material, four areas were machined with the same machining parameters. Based on these results a decision was made whether the surfaces, despite the same machining conditions, were significantly different from each other. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the fractal dimension enabled to characterise signal irregularities in quantitative and qualitative way.