Gauge Blocks

• Slip Gauges
• Standard of length for manufacturing
Gauge Blocks industry
• Metre line standard (earlier),
inconvenient
• End standards

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 1 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 2

History What are gauge blocks?

• Hjalmar Ellstrom, 1890 • a length standard
– Parallel surfaced steel measuring blocks having flat and
usable in combinations parallel opposing
surfaces
– Factory could not maintain enough sizes
• Length at
• Carl E Johansson, patent 1901 temperature 20oC
– Set of gauges that could be combined for
all sizes within its range

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 3 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 4

Definition Wringing
• Material Measure of rectangular section, • Two blocks stick together when they
made of wear resistant material, with are made to slide together with a small
one pair of planar, mutually parallel amount of grease between them
measuring faces, which can be wrung
to the measuring faces of other gauge
blocks to make composite assemblies,
or to similarly finished surfaces of
auxiliary plates for length
measurements - ISO 3650-1998

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 5 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 6

1
 Johansson, 1917 Lapping
• At a conference in • On a sewing
Stockholm machine modified
for the purpose!
• Carl Edvard
Johansson

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 7 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 8

Physics of wringing Physics of wringing...

• Force of adhesion: 300N
– Atmospheric pressure much less
• Some metal to metal contact, but too
small for metallic bond to form
– Resistance measurements show area of
contact 10-3 mm2
• Fluid between blocks provide much of
the force
– Adsorbed water vapour, grease added
– Fluid’s internal bonds, surface tension
• Wringing film thickness depends on
fluid and surface finish, and time left
together
– Generally 10 nm, varies from 25 nm to less
than 0

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 9 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 10

Physics of wringing... Wringing procedure

• Wringing film can grow, shrink or show
complicated cycles of growth and
shrinkage
• Thickness shrinks as a new block is
repeatedly wrung
• As blocks wear and scratch, wringing
becomes erratic
• Clean surfaces with ethanol
• Check for burrs
• Apply a small amount of oil/vaseline
and spread evenly over the surface
• Wipe off excess oil

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 11 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 12

2
 For 2 thick gauge blocks Two thick blocks...
• While applying a small
• Bring the two amount of pressure, gently
turn one gauge block on
measuring faces into
the other. You will feel the
contact with each two blocks stick together
other at right angles
• Slide one gauge block over
the other so that the sides
of the gauge blocks are
flush with each other
• Video

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 13 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 14

Thin to thick Two thin blocks

• Place one end of thin
• Temporarily wring one
gauge block onto one end of the thin gauge blocks
of thick gauge block to a thick gauge block
• Applying pressure evenly that will be used as a
over entire wringing support
surface, slide thin gauge • Wring the other thin
block over the other until gauge block to the first
the two measuring faces block
coincide with each other • Remove the thick gauge
block
Video
04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 15 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 16

Thermal Stabilization Time Length of a gauge block

• Perpendicular distance between any
particular point of the measuring face
and the planar surface of the same
material and surface texture upon
which the other measuring face has
100 mm, bare hands been wrung
• ISO 3650 : 1998, 3.2

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 17 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 18

3
 Central length of a gauge
Length includes…
block
• Length of a gauge block taken at the • Wringing interval,
centre point of the free measuring face eventually, included in
definition of length
• ISO 3650 : 1998, 3.3
• Hence any number of
gauges can be added
without correction
• Interferometric length
unaffected by phase
change while reflection

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 19 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 20

Gauge Block sets M88/2 set

Size (mm) Increment No of pieces
(mm)
1.005 - 1
2.001-2.009 0.001 9
2.01-2.49 0.01 49
0.5-9.5 0.5 19
10-100 10.0 10
Total 88
+ 2 wear blocks?
04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 21 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 22

Selecting for a known length Finding an unknown length

• Estimate using rule within 0.5mm
• Start with the least significant digit • Trial length (mm) Result Action
• Example: 49.061 • 45 NOT GO Try 44.5
• 49.061 - 4.000 = 45.061 • 44.5 GO Try 44.8
• 45.061 - 2.001 = 43.060 • 44.8 GO Try 44.9
• 43.060 - 2.060 = 41.000 • 44.9 GO Try 44.95
• 41.000 - 1.000 = 40.000 • 44.95 NO GO Try 44.92
• 40.000 - 40.000 = 0.000 • 44.92 GO Try 44.93
Between
• 44.93 NO GO Accept 44.92
04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 23 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 24

4
 Grades Choosing grades
• L is the block nominal length in mm • Grade K
– For calibration of other gauge blocks
• Grade Allowable deviation (microns)
• Grade 0
• K (0.05 + 0.0001L)
– For calibration of gauges, instruments
• 0 (0.10 + 0.0002L) • Grade 1
• 1 (0.20 + 0.0004L) – For inspection of components
• 2 (0.40 + 0.0008L) • Grade 2
– During production for setting, etc

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 25 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 26

Price vs grade Materials

• Hardened steel
– Common, cheap
• Tungsten carbide
– Harder, denser, expansion 1/3 steel
• Chrome carbide
– Density similar to steel, expansion 2/3
• Ceramic
– Softer than steel, Zero coefficient of
04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 27
expansion
04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 28

Ceramic Gauge Blocks Calibration

• Comparators for grades 0, 1, 2
• Interferometry for K
– Kosters
– NPL

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 29 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 30

5
 Reference:
• The Gauge Block Handbook; NIST
Monograph 180 with Corrections; 2005
Gauge Blocks • http://emtoolbox.nist.gov/Publications/
NISTMonograph180.pdf
Applications

04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 31 04/11/2020 www.dhanish.in 32