How to Save Money When Buying tungsten carbide high-quality measuring pin gauges

When considering the purchase of new pin sets, it's essential to evaluate the cost-effectiveness compared to calibrating existing sets. As a calibration house handling numerous plug gauge sets, we often advise our customers on effective practices for managing their measuring tools.

Calibration Practices

One of our recommendations involves the calibration process itself. After calibrating pins, we offer a service called "dip sealing." This process helps customers manage their gauge usage by instructing them to remove the dip seal before using the pins. Based on our observations, many companies typically use about 30% of the pins in a set. Therefore, performing annual calibration on all pins can often be unnecessary and costly.

It is important to note that using a micrometer for calibrating a pin with a . tolerance may not comply with the calibration guidelines. The tool being measured must be calibrated with an instrument that is at least four times more accurate. However, most micrometers have a typical accuracy ranging of +/- ., which can undermine the calibration validity.

Alternatives to Calibration

If high accuracy pins are not essential for your work, consider broadening the acceptable tolerance of the pins to . or . This adjustment could make micrometer calibration more viable. Alternatively, investing in a more precise measuring tool, such as a calibration center, could enhance measurement accuracy.

Quality Considerations

The quality of . pins is often questioned. Many are produced from steel that undergoes hardening, but this process may not ensure complete transformation from austenite to martensite. Without this complete transition, steel can expand over time, affecting accuracy.

Gauge manufacturers often address this issue by cold stabilizing the gauges multiple times to ensure complete transformation. However, the treatment of imported gauges in this regard remains uncertain. Additionally, lower-quality gauges are often not perfectly round due to cylindrical grinding processes that can leave lobes on the pins. In contrast, higher-quality gauges are usually cylindrically lapped, resulting in more precise round pins.

Several reputable American manufacturers, such as Glastonbury Southern Gage, produce higher-quality pins using these methods. Furthermore, imported sets often come packaged with paper and a time-consuming cosmoline-like substance that must be removed, whereas many American-made sets, like those from Van Keuren, are packaged more efficiently.

Conclusion

Understanding these factors can help you make informed decisions when looking to purchase tungsten carbide high-quality measuring pin gauges. For further information on this topic, feel free to visit us for more details or explore our offerings at RTP GAUGE.