
George Schuetz Director of Precision Gages
Searching For The Perfect Identical Waves
When two different dimensional measuring systems are used on the same part, one would expect to get pretty much the same results. But in certain cases, this may not be true.
Read MoreCalibrating Gages: With Master (And Engagement) Rings, Size Matters
A master ring, or ring gage, is basically a bore of known dimension. The precision hole is often used as a setting master for variable ID gages (such as bore gages, air tooling and mechanical plug gages), for go/no-go mastering of fixed ID gages and for go/no-go OD inspection of male cylindrical workpieces.
Read MoreCalibrating Gages: Your Place Or Mine?
Large companies can cost-justify hiring specialists in gage calibration and keeping equipment to perform calibration in-house. But for most shops, the economical approach is to hire a calibration service.
Read MoreA Probing Look At Probes
The capability of a measuring instrument often comes down to how the contact point interacts with the part being measured—that is, the probe or contact. There are some things to keep in mind when using a contact tip or probe arm as part of your measurement.
Read MoreDimensional Collateral: Do Two Sines Equal A Cosine?
It is not just irony to say that comparative gages have their greatest accuracy at zero. Even though such a gage could provide a direct reading measurement, it is always best to use it as a comparator.
Read MoreGage Block Verification
A QC manager asked if he could verify gage blocks in-house. “You always say the gage maker’s rule of thumb states that any gage used to verify another gage must resolve to ten times its accuracy,” he wrote.
Read MoreGetting My Stars Aligned
Gage design requires certain physical characteristics for reliable performance. A rigid and sound design, for instance, helps ensure that operators have as little influence on the measurement as possible.
Read MoreAn Inside Look At Special Diameters
Sometimes we are faced with making critical inside diameter checks on parts that do not present themselves in a straightforward fashion. Usually these checks are on the inside of some type of bearing, and they can be almost any size.
Read MoreMicrometer Accuracy: Drunken Threads And Slip-Sticks
Whether it’s a screw thread or digital micrometer, the instrument’s level of precision depends on two factors: the inherent accuracy of the reference (the screw thread or the digital scale) and process errors. With a screw micrometer, accuracy relies on the lead of the screw built into the micrometer barrel.
Read MoreAdvances In Air Gaging
Over the years, the tooling for air gaging has remained basically the same: steel tubes or rings with precision orifices that set up a pressure/distance curve when in use. As the orifice is restricted, flow is reduced and pressure builds up in the system.
Read MoreReverse Polarity: Countering Your Clockwise Indicator
In the last issue, we looked at the advantages of balanced and continuous dial indicators. There are also measurements that require dial indicators with a counterclockwise dial.
Read MoreAll Over The Dial
There are endless variations in the dials used on mechanical dial indicators. In most cases, though, they can be broken down into two distinct styles: balanced and continuous.
Read More