As with every other function in modern manufacturing operations, inspection is subject to the management team’s efforts at cost control or cost containment. It is good business sense to maximize the value of every dollar spent, but it also means that hard choices must be made when selecting handheld gages.

Surfaces are designed into products to reduce friction, “store” lubricants, provide a high luster finish or be the proper texture to hold paint (but not show the actual surface of the paint). 

Air gaging has many advantages as an inspection method. It is quick and easy to use, and requires little skill on the part of the operator.

It’s certainly not news that more and more gages are being forced out onto the shop floor. Tight tolerance measurements that were once performed by a trained inspection technician are now being done right next to the machining center, most likely by the machine tool operator.

As part tolerances tighten, both form and surface finish have a bigger influence on the size and function of the product. And with pressures on manufacturing to be more productive, it is no longer viable for checks of surface or form to be performed on a measuring system in a quality room.

Calibration is not just about having stickers on your equipment with dates that say everything is okay.

It’s certainly not news that more and more gages are being forced out onto the shop floor.

Like every other function in modern manufacturing operations, inspection is subject to management’s efforts at cost control or cost containment.

Air gaging allows you to measure many jobs faster, more conveniently, and more accurately than by using other gaging methods. In the measurement of hole conditions, air gaging is unsurpassed for speed and accuracy, while in checking any dimensional characteristic, air offers sufficient magnification and reliability to measure tolerances well beyond the scope of mechanical gages.

With its long range of motion, the digital height gage can be thought of as a giant caliper, but one with the accuracy of a much more sophisticated benchtop gaging system.