Measurments of Lengths, Angles and Surface

Roughness
Sankalp Vishnoi
SC18B042

10/01/2020

Contents
1 Introduction 2

2 Job Description and drawings 2

3 Plan of Inspection and Instrument selected 3

4 Specification and Working principles of Instruments 3

5 Methodolgy 4

6 Results and Discussion 6

7 Possible Errors and causes 8

8 Other possible Measurement systems 9

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1 Introduction
The current trend for product miniaturisation drives the demand for high preci-
sion manufacturing equipment. Consequently, measuring and inspection meth-
ods with an even higher level of precision should be available to characterise both
products and manufacturing processes in the micrometre range. The importance
of quantifying the precision arises from the fact that performing measurements
under seemingly identical circumstances do not generally produce identical re-
sults. This report shows how Digital Height gauge ’Cite-600’, Digital universal
protractor, Sine bar and slip gauges are used to precisely measure lengths and
angle of given specimens.

2 Job Description and drawings

1. Specimen-1

Figure 1: Engineering Drawing

2
 2. Specimen-2

Figure 2: Engineering Drawing

3 Plan of Inspection and Instrument selected

Clearly form the drawings of specimen, we have to measure lengths, diame-
ters, angles and surface roughness. Digital height gauge seems to be the best
option for these as it can precisely measure the lengths and roughness using
a probe. Moreover, its aircushion makes it possible to precisely measure the
surface roughness of the specimen. For measurement of angle, again we can
use Digital height gauge. Other than that Sine bar and slip gauges is also a
convenient option. Both of them were used to measure angles present in the
specimen in the lab.

4 Specification and Working principles of In-

struments
1. Digital Height gauge a CITE 600
The Digital Height Gauges are universal workshop or laboratory machines
which are reliable and robust to be integrated as close as possible to the
user. Multi-functional but always simple to use, they are a metrological
multi-user asset, that replaces the most conventional measuring tools.[1]

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 Table 1: Digital Height Gauge with Air-Cushion.
Drive Range Accuracy Perpendicularity Measurement Capabilities
Manual 0-600mm (2+3L/1000) microns 9 microns Height, depth, step, PCD,
straiightness, perpendicularity

2. Digital Universal Protractor

A Digital Universal Protractor is a device which directly displays the angle
between its two scales. These are easy to use, have a set zero button and
can work in different modes.
3. Sine Bar
A sine bar consists of a hardened, precision ground body with two precision
ground cylinders fixed at the ends. The distance between the centers of
the cylinders is precisely controlled, and the top of the bar is parallel to
a line through the centers of the two rollers. The dimension between the
two rollers is chosen to be a whole number (its 200mm in lab) and forms
the hypotenuse of a triangle when in use. When a sine bar is placed on a
level surface the top edge will be parallel to that surface. If one roller is
raised by a known distance, usually using gauge blocks, then the top edge
of the bar will be tilted by the same amount forming an angle that may
be calculated by the application of the sine rule[2].
4. Gauge Blocks
Gauge blocks also known as slip gauges are a system for producing pre-
cision lengths. The individual gauge block is a metal or ceramic block
that has been precision ground and lapped to a specific thickness. Gauge
blocks come in sets of blocks with a range of standard lengths. In use, the
blocks are stacked to make up a desired length.
An important feature of gauge blocks is that they can be joined together
with very little dimensional uncertainty. The blocks are joined by a slid-
ing process called wringing, which causes their ultra-flat surfaces to cling
together. A small number of gauge blocks can be used to create accurate
lengths within a wide range. By using 3 blocks at a time taken from a set
of 30 blocks, one may create any of the 1000 lengths from 3.000 to 3.999
mm in 0.001 mm steps[3].

5 Methodolgy
• Measuring lengths
1. St-1 mode of the digital height gauge does not require calibration, thus by
directly switching to it, lengths are measured.

2. St-2 mode requires a calibration which is done using a calibration cylin-

der, in which probe touches two sides 20mm apart. The calibration is
completed by touching the probe two times to the datum (surface).
3. Thickness and inner lengths are measured using St-2 mode.

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• Measuring Diameters
1. In St-2 mode the probe was placed touching lower end of the circle.
2. The handle was locked and again the same thing was repeated for the
upper end.
3. This gave the diameter for holes.
• Measuring Roughness
1. The height gauge was set to St-1 in continuous measurement mode and
the probe placed above the surface whose roughness was to measure.
2. The Air-cushion of the machine was switched on and measurement was
started by pressing F4 (to start collecting data in continuous measurement
mode).
3. After moving probe upon the whole surface, results for roughness were
obtained.
• Measuring Pitch Circle Diameter
1. Set the mode to St-2, and switch to 2-D mode.
2. 4 holes were marked on the pitch circle whose diameter has to be deter-
mined.
3. For X-axis reading, data of all the 4 holes were taken by touching the
probe at two extreme points on each circle.
4. Then the specimen was rotated and Y-axis readings were noted in a similar
fashion for same holes.
5. Machine gave the Pitch circle diameter.
• Checking Perpendicularity
1. Setting the mode in St-2, change the probe with another probe capable of
measuring perpendicularity.
2. Again in the continous measurment mode, start the measurment at the
top and take the probe dowm till the bottom.
3. Machine gives the inclination of the perpendicular surface (if any).
• Measuring Angle
1. Using digital height gauge
(a) Two Mild steel slabs were placed on the surface, adjacent to the
machine?s front part. The specimen was placed such that inclined
surface touches the probe at some point.
(b) After taking the reading of this point, one slab is removed and again
probe is touched to the same inclined surface, so that other point is
at a known horizontal distance from the previous one. This distance
is the width of the slab.

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 (c) Machine gives the inclination of the surface.
2. Using Sine bar

(a) The angle of inclination in the specimen was measured using a ’Dig-
ital universal protractor’.
(b) The angle of inclination was obtained as the complementary of the
reading obtained in the protractor.
(c) Using basic trigonometry, approximate height required for elevation
of an end of the sine bar was obtained using obtained complementary
angle and hypotenuse as 200mm.
(d) Several slip gauges were selected and combined to make the required
height.

(e) Specimen was placed on the sine bar with its inclined surface in
contact with the hypotenuse of sine bar.
(f) Using the dial indicator fixed on the stand (as shown in the figure
above), inclination of the surface was checked with ground, and the
process repeated until we got the inclination value near about zero.

6 Results and Discussion

Several measurements obtained using above methodology and instruments were.
1. Specimen-1

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2. Specimen-2
Pitch Circle Diameter=39.988mm

3. Perpendicularity Check
Inclination of the surface =0.006o
4. Angle Measurment
Digital Universal Protractor Reading=

75.75o (1)

.
Actual angle of specimen=

90o − 75.75o = 14.25o (2)

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 Hypotenuse of Sine Bar= 200mm.
Thus, height of slip gauges required is given by
h
sin(14.25) = (3)
200

This gives h=51.055

Table 2: Results from Dial Gauge

Trials Slip Gauge height Reading of the dial(mm*100) Deviation(mm) corrected Height
1 51.055 23 0.23 51.285
2 51.285 30 0.3 51.585
3 51.585 8 0.08 -

In the third trial we got the deviation below 10 in the dial gauge, which
close enough than other readings.
Using the obtained height from this experiment angle was calculated using
eq. 3 and the angle obtained by calculation (eq. 2), the error was found
to be:
Theroitical value
= 14.25◦ (4)
Experimental Value
= 14.946◦ (5)
Error=
14.946 − 14.25
∗ 100 = 4.88% (6)
14.25
5. Roughness Result
Rp=0.037mm
Rv=0.035mm
Therefore, Rz= 0.072mm and Ra= 0.036mm

7 Possible Errors and causes

1. While touching the probe of digital height gauge with surface, we need
to make sure that only the spherical part of probe is touching the surface
otherwise it may create an instrument error.
2. While measuring the surface roughness value, make sure that the probe
is not scratching against the surface. Scratching will lead to a lot of
inconsistency in the roughness readings.
3. Make sure to tighten the dial indicator to the stand. Loosened dial would
give results.
4. Parallax could create a human error while setting zero in the indicator.

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 5. The error upto ±10 in the dial indicator reading roughly corresponds to
the surface roughness of the specimen.

6. Since handling of dial gauge involves manual movememt of the stand, it

creates some error as pin dosent touch the surface along a single line.
7. There is always some amount of error while using slip gauges for height.

8 Other possible Measurement systems

1. For lengths measurements calipers and screw gauge can are easy to use as
well as gives precise values.
2. For angle measurements Inclinometer and Goniometer could also be used
directly.

3. For roughness measurements there are several portable surface roughness

devices available which can precisely measure the roughness and waviness
of the surface. An alternative way is to use a diamond stylus profilometer
which can even generate surface profiles.

References
[1] https://www.msi-viking.com/TESA-00730074-Micro-Hite-600-Manual-
Height-Gage-24-inch
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sine bar

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge block