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At the most basic level, manual gages are designed to make it easier to stage and gage a workpiece, ensure the best possible performance for the measuring task at hand, and reduce operator error. With this type of fixturing, the technician does not need to expend a significant amount of effort and time to complete the task. Today’s manufacturing operations are fast-paced. Those operations are also based on short runs of precision parts and flexibility. That is why using a gaging system that matches the way components are made is highly recommended. Here are further ways to simply gaging processes:

The Coordinate Measuring Machine, otherwise referred to as the CMM is a familiar tool in manufacturing facilities. It stands out as one of the most effective and reliable tools used in quality control. Used for three dimensional measurement and verification, CMMs come in different designs and of course brands.  This makes it hard for a manufacturer with little or no knowledge on CMMs to buy one.  There are however, factors that can make the whole buying process easy. Such factors include:

Much has been said and written about statistical process control, commonly referred to as SPC. Shop owners seem to keep off the process, citing reasons such as how expensive SPC gaging equipment are or how small their facilities are. These two reasons can best be termed as misconceptions. SPC is not as complicated as most people think. Secondly, you do not need complex computerized systems and costly software to get into SPC. You should therefore benefit from gaging for SPC, as much as your competitors do. But before that, here is how to simplify the whole gaging process.

When it comes to metrology, nothing matters more than accuracy. That’s why it is important to invest in high-quality calibration equipment if you are in the metrology industry. But even then, regular calibration is vital because even with the most advanced equipment, you risk inaccuracy anytime you ignore regular calibration. What then follows are losses, botched expenses and costly expenses. To fully appreciate the importance of regular gage calibration, one needs to first understand what calibration is and how the whole process works.

Snap gages are basically go/no go gages that measure outside diameters. Their appearance is similar to micrometers. A snap gage also features anvils that can be found on a micrometer too. You should keep in mind that snap gages come in an array of sizes and shapes. There can be types A, C, and U, and the gages may come with dial or digital indicators. Apart from measuring outside diameters, snap gages can be used for measuring widths and groove diameters. In this post, we will focus on one of the main variations of snap gages – adjustable snap gages. You will learn how to master this extremely useful gage.

With all of the types of height gages available, and with each of their matching applications, it might be hard to decide which one is the most appropriate for you. Which gage will meet your needs? The following will hopefully help you distinguish between not only the different types of height gages but the various purposes for which they were designed.