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Digital Micrometers

Or digital calipers, if you prefer.

Do you or have you used them?

How well did they work?

MORE IMPORTANTLY, how do they work?,What makes them tick?) Thanks. -Rod-
 
I have both digial micrometers as well as calipers. I cant speak for other brands, but my Mitytoyo's produce consistant and accurate results.
 
I only use digital mics and calipers, now. I still have the analog varieties but haven't used them in years. I particularly like the ability to zero the instrument at any location and then have an instant read out of differences between items being measured. Being able to switch between inch and metric can be a help in some situations where you are given metric data to compare against.
 
I use both digital and old style analog or manual; all Starrett with one Browne & Sharpe digital mike. They are all quality precision instruments and have never had any problems. The Starrett 6" digital calipers I have measure down to .0001, have metric settings, can be used as a comparator, etc. This is one area you do not want to scrimp on. Buy quality tools the first time and you will never have to buy again. Spend a few extra dollars and get a calibration standard, so that you can verify the accuracy of your readings and re-calibrate, if necessary.
Chino69
 
Hi Rod,

I've been curious about how they work too. I didn't find a detailed explanation for how they work,yet) but I found some interesting articles regarding what to buy. Note the recommendation in the Long Island Indicator article to prefer Mitutoyo over Starrett when buying digital mics/calipers. Whether or not the writer is to be trusted is up to you to decide but they don't seem impressed by Starrett.

In reading the article on errors and problems, I realized it may not be such a good idea to buy them on eBay, which I have done in the past. I have had good luck so far but maybe it's not such a good idea to continue the risk. There are some real apes out there.

The digital mics seem to use some kind of encoded reference on the rotating barrel and the microprocessor detects and counts these ticks as the barrel is turned. The caliper does the same thing but it's a long encoded strip rather than a barrel on threaded rod.

A key point that seems to not be discussed much is that the digital gages report measurements with a much finer resolution than their accuracy truly delivers. No matter what kind of gage you get, you need to know how accurate it truly is while you're reading it.

http://longislandindicator.com/micrometers.html

http://www.qualitydigest.com/feb99/html/body_gages.html

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/0603gage.html
 
Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. I know I need to upgrade but need and ability are two different things.

Sling N Glove, that's what I was curious about. I assumed some sort of a magnetic index that could be read but also had to consider the possibility of a small laser, infrared, etc. Since I'm still on analog calipers, well, I had no way to know. -Rod-
 
Mitotoyo makes good instruments but we don't use them in our calibration lab. All of our precision instruments are made by Starrett. I work for a large utility that does extensive testing of all the equipment it uses from a reliability and quality standpoint. If Mitotoyo made a better product than Starrett, we would have been using them a long time ago. Starrett has been around for a long time and is a leader in the industry. Mitotoyo makes excellent equipment and I would rate them as good as Starrett but I think you would be hard pressed to prove they are better. Again, our company does alot of extensive research and development for the products it uses so there must be a valid reason for using Starrett; cost and product support are part of the equation as is reliability and ability to take abuse and still perform. I've read the above threads, especially the one from Long Island Indicator. They make the statement that Starrett doesn't make a good micrometer. That statement is totally worthless without some factual data to back it up. When I read a statement like that, particularly from a so-called authority, the credibility switch gets turned off. I do the same thing with opinions.
Chino69
 
Chino69,

By all means if your lab has any spares or tossaways, feel free to send one my way for some rigorous caliper-afterlife testing. :thumb: -Rod-
 
USAPatriot,
Our precision instruments get calibrated every calendar quarter and very rarely does anything get so damaged that it gets scrapped. I believe it is company policy to destroy any piece of equipment that does not meet specification or calibration standards. By doing so, this ensures this piece of equipment will not be used in a critical application; sorry.
Chino69
 
That's ok. I think I'm going to ask around and see what I can find. Barring that I might buy an el cheapo and disassemble it. I need to find out what makes them work. -Rod-
 

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