Experiment No.

2c
Dimensional measurement using Digital height gauge
Dheeraj Kumar
SC17B011
IV Sem, Aerospace Engineering, B.Tech.
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
(Dated: January 15, 2019)
This report is aimed at the applications of a digital height gauge in the metrology industry.
Lengths (or heights) can be measured using simple rulers, callipers, micrometers, dial indicators, slip
gauges or Digital height gauges. A Digital height gauge is the digital counterpart of the vernier height
gauge and has a superior accuracy compared to most of the other length measuring instruments. A
height gauge is a measuring device used for determining the height of objects, and for marking of
items to be worked on. The external and internal dimensions of a work piece were measured using
a digital height gauge. Further angle of a tapered face, diameter, and pitch circle diameters were
obtained. Digital height gauge also gave insight regarding the perpendicularity and parallelism of
surfaces.

In modern manufacturing industry the measurement

of height ,or for that matter length, is of crucial im-
portance and utmost care should be taken regarding
the accuracy of the results obtained. Height gauges, 1.2. Callipers
as the name suggests, are instruments which are used
to measure length of certain certain features. Earlier A calliper is a device used to measure the distance be-
height gauges were much more accurate than other con- tween two opposite sides of an object. The tips of the cal-
temporary length measuring instruments but even they liper are adjusted to fit across the points to be measured
couldn’t muster least counts smaller than 0.1 mm. A and then the calliper is then removed and the distance
height gauge with a vernier scale attached to it is termed read by measuring between the tips with a measuring
as a Vernier height gauge and they have a least count tool, such as a ruler. There are various types of callipers
of upto 0.02 mm. A Digital height gauge is the digital currently in use most prominent being dial, vernier. An-
counterpart of the vernier height gauge and has a superior other variation is a digital calliper. This popular refine-
accuracy compared to most of the other length measur- ment replaces the analog dial with an electronic digital
ing instruments. In addition to the smaller least count display that displays the reading as a numeric value. A
digital height gauge also has some other advantages over vernier calliper is shown in figure 1
tradition height gauges such as, its ability to measure
the parallelism and perpendicularity. Angles can also be
measured easily using a digital height gauge. This report
describes the working of a digital height gauge.

1. STATE-OF-THE-ART

There are multitude of ways in which one can measure

length. The following are some of the length measuring
instruments currently in use.

1.1. Ruler (Scale)

FIG. 1: Calliper detail view.
The earliest measurements of lengths were done using
a ruler whose standard lengths varied from place to
place. For example the length of right foot of the ruling
monarch was considered as one ’foot’ in ancient Egypt. 1.3. Micrometer
Ruler is still one of the prominent methods of measuring
lengths upto 1 mm least count. 1 metre of a meter scale A micrometer sometimes known as a micrometer
1
is define as the distance light travels in 299792458 seconds. screw gauge, is a device incorporating a calibrated screw
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widely used for accurate measurement of components in bars, callipers, and dial indicators. Gauge blocks are the
mechanical engineering and machining. The spindle is main means of length standardization used by industry.
a very accurately machined screw and the object to be
measured is placed between the spindle and the anvil as
shown in a figure 2. The spindle is moved by turning the
ratchet knob or thimble until the object to be measured
is lightly touched by both the spindle and the anvil.
Some micrometers are provided with a vernier scale on
the sleeve in addition to the regular graduations. These
permit measurements within 0.001 millimetre to be
made on metric micrometers.

FIG. 3: Metric gauge block set.

2. MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

2.1. Digital Height Gauge

FIG. 2: Micrometer.
A height gauge is a measuring device used for deter-
mining the height of objects, and for marking of items to
be worked on. These measuring tools are used in met-
1.4. Dial Indicator alworking or metrology to either set or measure vertical
distances. Unlike the traditional vernier and dial height
In various contexts of science, technology, and gauges a digital height gauge has refined resolution and
manufacturing, an indicator is an instruments used can also perform actions like finding angle between sur-
to accurately measure small distances and amplify faces, parallelism or perpendicularity of a surface. It can
them to make them more obvious. Many indicators also be used to measure a circle’s diameter and pitch
have a dial display, in which a needle points to grad- circle diameter of a given set of circle. A digital height
uations in a circular array around the dial as shown gauge consists of a gauge stand, electronic display unit
in figure. Such indicators, of which there are several and a scriber as shown in the figure 4. Scriber constitutes
types, are often called dial indicators. This kind of dis- a probe which is sensitive both on the upper and lower
tance amplifying instrument is also know as a dial gauge. side.
The details regarding the height gauge used in the ex-
periment are given in table I.

1.5. Slip Gauge TABLE I: Specifications of the digital height gauge used
for the experiment.
Slip gauges are a system for producing precision
Range of operation 0-600 mm
lengths. The individual gauge block is a metal or ce-
Method of operation Manual
ramic block that has been precision ground and lapped
Accuracy 10 microns
to a specific thickness. Gauge blocks come in sets of
blocks with a range of standard lengths as shown in fig-
ure 3. In use, the blocks are stacked to make up a desired The apparatus has two modes of operations, namely
length. An important feature of gauge blocks is that they Set 1 and Set 2. In set 1 only lower part of the probe
can be joined together with very little dimensional uncer- is active whereas in set 2 both lower and upper parts
tainty. The blocks are joined by a sliding process called of the probe are active. Set 1 mode does not require
wringing, which causes their ultra-flat surfaces to cling any calibration while set 2 needs to be calibrated, which
together. A small number of gauge blocks can be used is done using a C-block. Set 1 can be used to measure
to create accurate lengths within a wide range. They are height or angles. For Diameter and Pitch circle diameter
used as a reference for the calibration of measuring equip- set 2 is used. Linear measurements can be done in set 2
ment used in machine shops, such as micrometers, sine also.
 3

(the machine does not show red light). Now the handle
was locked. Work piece was shifted and adjusted such
that the yellow bubble is in the centre and then the
handle was unlocked. Now the process was repeated
for finding the topmost point. The data was fed in the
machine and thus the it gave the required diameter.

The measurement of Pitch circle diameter was also

done in set 2. First the x coordinates of the centres
of three smaller circles were estimated by applying pre
load on the upper and lower most point o the smaller
circles. Now the work piece was rotated by 90 deg.
The y coordinate of the centres was found using the
same process. The data was fed in the machine and it
produced the PCD. The diameter was computed by the
machine by taking the centres of the three circles as the
centre of the pitch circle.

Angular measurement was done in set 1 mode. In

order to find the angle of a tapered surface first some
small blocks were placed between the base of the
instrument and the work piece. Pre load was applied
FIG. 4: A digital height gauge. on the point that happened to be under the stylus in
that arrangement. Now one of the blocks were removed
and pre load was applied in the same manner as the
3. MEASUREMENT STRATEGY AND previous one. This concludes our x dimension part. For
PROCEDURE the y component the height of the removed block was
measured by first taking the datum reference and then
The machine was started by long pressing the start applying pre load on the top surface of the block (the
button till red light started glowing. Further the handle surface which was facing on the side in the previous
was unlocked. arrangement). The instrument calculated the angle
using the trigonometric relation given in the following
In order to measure outer dimensions such as heights equation,
of members set 1 was used. In set 1 the probe is used to y
set the datum (reference point). Handle was moved till tan θ =
x
the probe reached the ground and some preload was set
two time. Thus the reference was set. Now the linear Parallelism was measured in the set 1 mode. The top
measurement was taken by touching the required surface surface to be studies was given some pre load and then
using the probe. The machine showed the result as the the handle was locked. Now a button on the side of
distance between the datum (set in the last step) and the machine was pressed which pushed air through the
the chosen point of contact. bottom surface of the instrument allowing easy handling
and movement of the machine (just like a hovercraft).
For the measurements of inner dimensions or diamet- The stylus was moved from one end of the work piece to
rical measurements such as that of a circle or a pitch the other. The data was entered and the machine gave
circle set 2 was used. Calibration of both the upper the parallelism value.
and lower part of the probe is required for set 2. Apply
some pre load on both lower and upper part of the For Perpendicularity measurement a peripheral acces-
standard distance (of a C-block) of 20 mm. The datum sory was used with a stylus protruding on the side. The
was calibrated again. Now the inner distance was taken rest of the procedure was same as the parallelism process
by sequentially applying pre load on lower and upper only difference being that the stylus was aligned perpen-
part of the probe. The apparatus displays a number dicular to the last case. The perpendicularity was quan-
by calculating the distance between the two touch points. tified as an angular deflection value.

To get the diameter of a circle the calibration process

was same as that of the inner dimensions. Further, pre 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
load was applied on the estimated lowermost point of
the circle using the lower part of the probe. Care should The measurements obtained for the first specimen is
be taken such that the pre load does not exceeds a limit given in figure 5.
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deflection was found to be 0 deg 170 19”.

Parallelism test gave the distance between upper most

and the lower most point on the surface to be 0.163 mm.

The height gauge gave fairly accurate (upto 9 micron!)

readings for most of the measurements involved.
5. CONCLUSION

The external and internal dimensions of a work piece

were measured using a digital height gauge. Further an-
gle of a tapered face, diameter, and pitch circle diam-
eters were obtained. Digital height gauge also gave in-
sight regarding the perpendicularity and parallelism of
surfaces. The digital height gauge was found to be an ac-
curate measurement device regarding the measurements
of heights and linear distances upto 0.009 mm.

5.1. References

FIG. 5: Specimen 1. • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List-of-length,-

distance,-or-range-measuring-devices/
The measurements obtained for the second specimen
• https://www.sempre-metrology.com/measuring-
is given in figure 6.
instruments

• https://www.hunker.com/12276796/list-of-
measuring-tools-for-length

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre-Prototype-
metre-bar

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale-ruler-Metric-
units

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calipers-Dial-
caliper

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge-blocks

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometer-
Reading
FIG. 6: Specimen 2. • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator-(distance-
amplifying-instrument)
For perpendicularity test the maximum angle of