Bringing Gage Calibration In-house Reaps Benefits for Ohio Manufacturer
A horizontal setting instrument meets accuracy needs while cutting calibration time and expense.
When pneumatic cylinder manufacturer IMI Norgren, Inc. (formerly Mosier Industries, Inc.; Brookville, OH) was looking to trim costs on outside calibration services for its gages, the company decided to try something different. It invested in instruments to do the job in-house.
Dirk Moody, IMI Norgren's QA engineer/manager, was seeking an instrument that could provide at least 0.00005 in. accuracy. He found what he wanted in the Fowler/Trimos TELMA horizontal setting device from Fred V. Fowler Co. Inc. (Newton, MA). Fowler had originally recommended a more accurate – and more costly – calibration device to meet the accuracies specified, but Moody found that the majority of the gages could be fully verified by the Fowler/Trimos TELMA instrument.
Savings and Benefits
As a result, not only is IMI Norgren saving more than $24,000 a year in direct costs, but also bringing the gage calibration in-house provides quick turn-around. What used to take three weeks is now done in a day. And, according to Moody, "We used to tie up our micrometers two to three days. Now, I can do it in our own metrology lab in 15 minutes for each micrometer."
Moody has integrated gage calibration into the daily routine, which has proven to be beneficial. "We schedule two hours a day to keep [the gages] all up to snuff," explains Moody. "It also helps me to have more confidence in our gages' accuracy. If I question a gage, within 30 minutes I can verify its accuracy."
With the quality check regimes used on the TELMA horizontal setting instrument, Moody can calibrate a whole range of instruments – including pin and plug gages, micrometers, length standards, thread plug gages, set-thread plug gages, indicators, and bore gages.
The newest version of the TELMA has an updated measurement system. Its electronic display unit functions are adapted to meet horizontal measurements such as min/max. It also has RS-232-C data output, and the scale has been relocated to the back of the instrument for better protection. Its listed accuracy is 0.003+ (L[M]/300) mm.
Verifying Parts
The company also uses gaging equipment to verify the parts it makes, which are to tolerances from ±0.015–0.0001 in. The benefits? In addition to being able to ensure equipment is working efficiently, the amount of time saved by doing the calibration in-house is impressive, Moody says. "TELMA's accuracy is perfect for our particular accuracy needs. Actually, I'm getting a 0.00003 in. for a 3-in. length – more than four times the accuracy Fowler itself guaranteed."
With its calibration focus on ensuring the accuracy of gaging instrumentation in a short amount of time, Moody has "… the confidence to assure our customers that our gages are fully accurate to manufacturers' standards. That results from our improved ability to calibrate our gages accurately, quickly and economically. In addition, the added benefit is that our gages are not tied up in an outside calibration organization."
For more information, contact Fred V. Fowler Co., Inc., 66 Rowe St., Newton, MA 02466. Tel: 800-788-2353; Fax: 617-332-4137.