Accuracy and repeatability play critical roles in industrial production applications, which are boosted with the help of digital height gauges. Traditional height measuring tools people were used to manually operate include rulers and calipers, which evolved into digital height gauges with the advent of digital technology.
Now more than ever, measuring workpieces is easier and faster, promoting productivity and better results. In this article, you’ll learn the important reasons why you should invest in digital height gauges.
What Is Digital Height Gauge?
Measure workpieces feature heights and conduct compatibility assessment for manufacturing using a digital height gauge. This high-precision metrology instrument measures the height of workpieces, providing marked locations and relative to a reference plane or for future use.
Learn more here about how digital height gauges work for your detailed reference.
Now that you know what a digital height gauge is check the following good reasons why you need to invest in this innovative tool.
1. Obtain More Accurate Measurements
Investing in digital height gauges is highly recommended to ensure accurate instrumentation when working on various workpieces. Here’s how to use digital height gauges to obtain the most accurate measurements:
- Clean Granite Plates: Gauge blocks and a granite plate are required before measurement. Clean the granite plates because dirt and poor condition on the contact surfaces can affect the results. Also, inspect the gauge on the side to assess the bottom. If there are deformations, such as scratches or burrs, you can use a cera or rubber stone to remove them.
- Test: The surfaces should be leveled by mounting a test indicator to the gauge’s scriber and bringing it to the reference part. Set the gauge to zero and press the corners of the base. The surface isn’t level when the indicator moves, so you need to smooth the surface using a cera or rubber stone.
- Remove Buildup: Eliminate buildup in the column rack on the column to avoid uneven movement that can lead to miscounting of digital height gauges.
2. Well-Thought Internal Mechanics
Modern technology helps various industrial sectors, clearly depicted by digital measuring devices such as height gauges. The internal mechanics of digital height gauges consists of digital, analog, and physical processes, promoting high resolution and precision. Electronic height gauges are categorized into three groups:
- First Group: These gauges are slightly the same as mechanical height gauges with an inch or metric conversion, data output, and floating zero and absolute zero.
- Second Group: It includes all of the features of the first group with better tool accuracy and additional features, including tolerance setting, max/min, inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) measurement, total indicator reading (TIR), and probe compensation.
- Third Group: It has all the features of the second group with a higher accuracy rating and powerful features, such as a motorized touch probe, air bearings, and a computer interface. Also, they can measure a two-dimensional part feature by rotating the workpiece. Using such a digital height gauge is highly recommended to obtain higher accuracies. It reduces the demand on your coordinate measuring machine (CMM), a device measuring a physical object’s geometry by sensing an object’s discrete points using a probe.
3. Smart Features, Tracking, And Performance
Accurate measurements are essential in any industry, particularly the manufacturing industry. The digital height gauge is a height measuring tool designed with superior precision and versatility. It’s easy to use, reliable, and smart.
Digital height gauges come with impressive features, tracking capabilities, and overall performance.
- Features
Digital height gauges consist of the base plate, the measuring station, and the evaluation or control display. The measuring area of digital height gauges comes with the base plate border and the stylus. Most gauges can measure 12- to 24-inch objects. There are some gauges that can measure objects 40 inches or more. Height gauges should use a grade 0 or 1 granite base plate mounted on a vibration-insulated stand.
- Tracking
Digital height gauges keep track of reference points, performing manual operator measurements using a single keystroke. In a vertical path, the measuring station is suitable for one-dimensional coordinate measurements, used primarily for measuring distances between points and diameters on the test piece. It’s also possible to take two-dimensional measurements when the test piece is tilted at 90 degrees.
- Performance
Digital height gauges have a long range of motion like a giant caliper with greater accuracy than traditional and mechanical benchtop gauging systems. Versatile digital height gauges can perform a wide range of measuring tasks effectively and reliably.
4. Take Measurements Fast and Easy
The touch-probe option of a digital height gauge allows seamless sending of measurements to a data collector, indicating a complete measurement and the reading is ready. The touch probe avoids human error.
Investing in digital height gauges has distinct advantages. It’s easier to read measurements in a digital display on the digital height gauge than a dial indicator. You can easily switch between units of measurement and zero set anywhere. The calculation power was enabling the digital height gauge to memorize the lowest and highest point within a sweep.
5. Boost Greater Productivity
Technicians are less concerned with watching and recording readings. Instead, they can focus more on ensuring that the entire production process runs smoothly from start to finish. Investing in high-quality, accurate, robust, and durable digital height gauges boosts greater productivity.
Here are the important things to know about digital height gauges contributing to greater productivity:
- Improve Quality Control: Digital automatic gauges establish accurate and precise feature characteristics and dimensional locations in manufacturing processes, improving quality control and saving material and labor costs.
- Compliance: Digital height gauges measure product features based on their specifications and design drawings.
- Take Other Measurements: Digital height gauges measure angles, straightness or perpendicularity, and flatness. Also, this tool can verify center dimensions.
Conclusion
Investing in digital height gauges promotes accurate measurements, improved productivity, and excellent product outcomes. Digital height gauges promote a faster inspection process with smooth device operation.
Whether you have a small or large manufacturing company or factory, using digital height gauges in your production ground makes height measurements a lot easier, faster, and more accurate. Choosing the best brand of digital gauge for your business will yield rewarding results.