Methods for characterizing engine block bore surfaces and apparatus therefor

A method for profiling a bore of an engine block, the method comprising:

• profiling a first sample area of the bore surface with a quantitative optical device (QnOD) to determine a quantitative surface characteristic of the first sample area;
• profiling the first sample area with a qualitative optical device (QlOD) to determine a qualitative surface characteristic of the first sample area, wherein the QlOD comprises a light source configured to emit light toward the bore surface at an emitting angle, and a sensor array configured to sense scattered light reflected from the bore surface;
• comparing the quantitative surface characteristic of the first sample area with the qualitative surface characteristic of the first sample area to determine a quantitative-qualitative correlation;
• profiling one or more additional sample areas of the bore surface with the QlOD to determine a qualitative surface characteristic map of the bore surface;
• and
• applying the quantitative-qualitative correlation to the qualitative surface characteristic map of the bore surface to determine the suitability of the bore surface for thermal spray deposition.