A novel use of non-contact methods in analyzing the physical and technical surface characteristics of different materials using electromagnetic measurement techniques

•Non-contact methods were used for physical and technical surface characteristics.•Coherence Scanning Interferometry, Confocal, Focus Variation and Confocal Fusion were used for measurements.•Different light colours were used for these techniques and measurement methods. Researchers and industry professionals often use surface metrology techniques to analyze and quantify these surface characteristics, enabling them to make informed decisions about machining strategies and process improvements. This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of surface characteristics of two different materials i.e., C45 steel and brass using electromagnetic measurement techniques. The research used techniques based on: Coherence Scanning Interferometry, Confocal, Focus Variation and Confocal Fusion. Additionally, different light colours were used for these techniques and measurement methods to assess their impact on the quality of mapping the electromagnetic surface. The results demonstrate that the regardless of the colour of the scanned surface (steel or brass), only approximately 50 % of the profile points achieved a 40 % match with the base profile points by scanning with blue light.