With the number of micrometers on the shop floor and in inspection areas these days, it’s important to understand the degree of confidence that one can expect from this instrument. Whether it

Years ago, we did a column in this space that talked about how "electronic gaging amplifiers" could help "make gaging more efficient and productive."

We are all familiar with the versatility of calipers—Vernier, dial, or digital. On the shop floor, in the inspection room, or even now for the home hobbyist, the caliper is a fast and easy-to-use tool to make basic length measurements.

Although it has been around for a long time, the caliper is still an extremely versatile and useful tool for making a wide range of distance measurements (both ODs and IDs).

Snap gages are most frequently used in production environments where precise diameter or thickness measurements need to be made quickly and repeatably. They can be hand held or mounted on frames, and typically consist of a "C" frame, two anvils (one fixed and the other under spring tension), and a backstop on the frame to locate the part.

Measuring instruments have been used for the inspection of manufactured parts ever since the first vernier caliper was introduced.

Your snap gages have been out on the shop floor for years and have served you well. Normally, they are zeroed with a zero master, measurements are made, and all is well.

When measuring multiple diameters on shafts and similar parts with two or more cylindrical features, fixture gages incorporating multiple indicators offer convenience, speed, and economy. By building multiple gaging stations into a single fixture, it is possible to eliminate the expense of duplicate work-holding devices.

With the number of micrometers on the shop floor and in inspection areas these days, it’s important to understand the degree of confidence that one can expect from this instrument.

The basic micrometer is one of the most popular and versatile precision hand-held measuring tools on the shop floor. While the most common type is the outside diameter style, the principle can be used for inside diameters, depths and grooves.

Insert a work-piece into a snap gage and you

For those medium and large parts with inside diameters greater than four inches, an inside micrometer is often used as the inspection tool of choice

Convenience is one of the reasons the caliper is often the tool of choice for length/diameter measurements. The basic caliper provides direct size information quickly, has relatively high resolution, and is easily adaptable to many different measurement applications.

Convenience is one of the reasons the micrometer is often the tool of choice for length/diameter measurements. The basic micrometer provides direct size information quickly, has high resolution, and is easily adaptable to many different measurement applications.

The Swiss Army knife has been around for over 100 years. It's an invaluable collection of tools and accessories that can get you by in an emergency. The same can be said of the Universal Digital Caliper.

Make sure the gage is suited to the application. The anvils should be narrower than the part being measured to avoid uneven wear on the measuring surfaces.