Understanding the Use of Air Gaging in The Automotive Industry

Air-gages

Air gaging is the use of compressed air to measure small spaces and hard to reach areas. Air gaging works by forcing a stream of air through finely tuned nozzles. The air gage then measures various dimensions of the space based on the air backstream. Air gages have over the years become hugely popular due to their flexibility and ease of use. Air gages have been used in the automotive industry for many years. Here are some of the ways that these useful gages serve the automotive industry.

Measuring Connecting Rods

Connecting rods are rigid components of the engine that link a piston to a crankshaft. By doing this, the connecting rods help to transform reciprocating motion into rotating motion or vice versa. Connecting rods are found in many types of engines but the most popular use is in automobile engines. Connecting rods require a very high degree of precision for them to function adequately. If one of the connecting rods fails, it often results to complete engine failure.

Use of Air Gages

During the manufacturing process, air gages are used to measure the distances between the piston end of the connecting rods and the crank end bores. Care is taken to ensure that the diameter, flatness of the parting surface and many other elements of the connecting rods are standardized and are up to the required dimensions. This is because any error in these elements can cause the engine to perform at less than its optimal level.

Air jets are used because they are insensitive to the diametrical size as well as to rod movement. This way, any variability associated with operator technique is eliminated. Accurate measurements can be taken fast and easily. This is especially useful in a factory setting where these parts are typically produced in their thousands every day and quality control operators need to measure random samples fast and accurately.

Workbench Version

The bend and twist gage have a bench version. This particular gage is good for busy workshops with a high volume of inspections. The device has a bend and twist fixture and also has an air to electric converter. The design of the gage is configured for easy and fast loading of workpieces. The data is also captured on the user interface and can easily be transferred on to a computer or another type of platform for analysis and storage

No Wear and Tear

One other reason why air gage is popular in the automotive industry is the fact that they are not susceptible to wear and tear. This is unlike contact gages such as calipers which come into contact with the part being measures. Air gages also clean the surface that is being worked on, meaning that dust and other elements do not affect the integrity of the readings from the air gage.

In conclusion, air gages are a bedrock of the automotive industry. As we have seen, they offer a flexible and fast way to measure samples.

by George Chitos