Measurement
Fixtures Are A Common Source Of Gaging Error
As a gaging engineer, my concept of a gage includes both the measuring instrument and its fixture. Assuming you are dealing with a reputable supplier, and your instrument was engineered to do its job as intended, there is probably little you can do to improve its accuracy, aside from throwing it out and spending more money.
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Choice Of Bore Gage Depends On The Application
Indicating bore gages come in two basic varieties: adjustable-capacity gages with interchangeable contacts or extensions and fixed-size gages with plug-type bodies. While indicating plug gages can measure closer tolerances with higher repeatability than adjustable ones, these are only two of several factors to consider when selecting a bore gage.
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Bore Gaging Flexibility Boosts Productivity
A key machining operation at the plant is the boring of metal; consequently, improved inner and outer diameter measurement ability is required.
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Scanning CMM Gets Auto Parts To Market With Speed, Accuracy
In the game of darts, the bull's eye is 4 cm in diameter. It doesn't matter where the dart hits inside the bull's eye—dead center, slightly to the left or right of dead center—to score points, as long as it lands within the 4-cm circle.
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Opening Up Metrology
The current state of metrology equipment mimics the disparity of spoken languages. Proprietary operating systems, available on metrology equipment from CMMs to hand-held electronic gages, are unique to the manufacturer. Getting data from one measurement operating system into another requires translation and interpretation of the data. In many cases, just like language, some design intent and nuances of the data can get lost in translation.
Read MoreYou Won't Err With Air
It is perfectly natural that machinists should have an affinity for mechanical gages. To a machinist, the working of a mechanical gage is both straightforward and pleasing.
Read MoreHoles Big Enough To Fall Into
Maybe you’re not in Texas, but suddenly you find yourself faced with a huge measurement requirement. You’ve been given the task of checking some large diameters—not your 6 inch variety—I mean those large enough to drive a herd of cows through.
Read More20 Questions To Help Select The Right Gage And Master
You will soon be going into production with a new component. There are six or eight ways you could measure the part and dozens of products that might do the job.
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Coming To Terms With Accuracy
A question I am frequently asked is, "How accurate is that gage?" I am usually tempted to say something like, "Super accurate" or "So accurate you wouldn't believe it!" But I don't. Instead, I take a deep breath and give my questioner a couple paragraphs worth of information, then watch his jaw drop because he was only expecting a few words.
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Looking Beyond Inspection
For this shop, the only fly in their ointment was quality inspection. When the shop first started producing parts in the summer of 2000, punched blanks had to be sent a few miles up the road, where quality technicians could check setups with a coordinate measuring machine. The round trip could take as much as 2 days.
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