4D Technology, the Tucson-based subsidiary of Onto Innovation, announced the 4Di InSpec SR, a portable optical system that measures surface roughness down to 12 nm Sa on the shop floor. The company positions it against 2D contact stylus gauges and large microscope-based optical profilers, both of which are sensitive to vibration and typically confined to quiet lab environments.
The system uses patented technology to take 3D roughness measurements in seconds regardless of ambient vibration. Sa accuracy is better than 0.5 percent across the full measurement range. The non-contact optical approach eliminates surface damage, enabling measurements on carbon fiber, metals, composites, plastics, and silicon without the need for surface replication.
What's new here is the combination of nanometer-level resolution and genuine portability. The small form factor allows the gauge to measure in virtually any orientation, reaching tight corners, fillet surfaces, and hard-to-access areas on large components including turbine blades, engine cylinders, and precision bearings, applications where existing options typically require lab conditions or surface replication.
Four configurations are available: tabletop, workstation-mounted, armature-mounted, and robot-mounted for automated inspection on production lines. Software runs on a touchscreen interface, complies with ISO surface texture filters and 3D S-parameters, and supports data export to external quality control systems. Target applications span aviation and aerospace components, medical implants, automotive parts including EV battery surfaces, semiconductor wafers, additive manufacturing parts, and in-situ monitoring during grinding, polishing, and lapping.
Craig Manning, VP of Onto Innovation, said the system delivers "lab-quality, 3D roughness data directly on the shop floor for faster decision making." 4D Technology plans to exhibit the 4Di InSpec SR at IMTS 2026, booth 134480, in Chicago from September 14 through 19.
