George Schuetz Director of Precision Gages
Working With Your Working Gage Blocks
The uses of working gage blocks are as varied as the number of gage blocks in a large set. The working blocks have an intermediate grade and are often used in the inspection or calibration lab, but they may also be found on the shop floor.
Read MoreSemi-Automatics—The In-Between Gages
The faucet has been opened a little, and you've just received a long-awaited contract to produce 10,000 large trunnion caps for a manufacturer of earth moving equipment. Despite the joy, you realize that you have a problem: The machines will be in place and ready to run the part shortly, but you haven't given much thought to the gaging.
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The 'Issues' With Height Gages
Don't tell anyone, but there is something of a problem with height gages. The big issue that they have is what they measure: height.
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The Real Dirt About Gaging
I'm not sure that any of us in the metrology business are very close to godliness, but I do know that cleanliness is the first step to approaching accuracy in gaging. Probably every machinist is at least nominally aware that dirt can interfere with the ability to take accurate measurements.
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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.
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.
Read MoreWhere's The Fault? SWIPE To Find Out
Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad tidings. This goes back to the dawn of recorded history, when a tribal leader might easily decide to kill the messenger if the news was not to his liking.
Read MoreGaging Oldies But Goodies—A Review Of Some Things We Should Know By Now
Ten years ago this month, Quality Gaging Tips first appeared in 91ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ÎÛ. Since that time, we have covered many tools and techniques for assuring accurate, repeatable measurement and gaging in machine shops.
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