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Using Auto Collimator Aim:: Formulae

The document describes how to measure the straightness and flatness of a specimen using an auto collimator. An auto collimator works by projecting a collimated light beam onto a reflector and measuring the angular deviation between the incident and reflected beams. To measure straightness, a line is drawn on the specimen and divided into sections equal to the length of the reflector base. The reflector is moved in steps along the line and the tilt is measured at each point using the auto collimator eyepiece. By taking multiple measurements along the line, the maximum deviation from straightness can be determined. The auto collimator allows non-contact measurement of surfaces in any plane, as opposed to a spirit level

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214 views4 pages

Using Auto Collimator Aim:: Formulae

The document describes how to measure the straightness and flatness of a specimen using an auto collimator. An auto collimator works by projecting a collimated light beam onto a reflector and measuring the angular deviation between the incident and reflected beams. To measure straightness, a line is drawn on the specimen and divided into sections equal to the length of the reflector base. The reflector is moved in steps along the line and the tilt is measured at each point using the auto collimator eyepiece. By taking multiple measurements along the line, the maximum deviation from straightness can be determined. The auto collimator allows non-contact measurement of surfaces in any plane, as opposed to a spirit level

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jeroldscd
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ex.

No :
Date

MEASUREMENT OF STRAIGHTNESS AND FLATNESS

USING AUTO COLLIMATOR

Aim:
To measure the straightness and Flatness given specimen using auto collimator.
Apparatus required:
Collimator unit, Base, plain reflector,
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Testing square with auto collimator.


Level auto collimator unit on a stand a table.
Straighten the light.
Observe measuring graphical through the eye below.
The smallest discussion of linear scale is measured.
Bring plain reflector in front of the auto collimator to get reflector.
Depending upon the verification in surface.
Using micrometer provided for eye piece we can measure the
frequency up in lose.

Formulae:

Deviation= Sin (A-B)


Where angle in rad & Distance A-Bin mm
Theory:
Increasing demand for product reliability and efficiency has placed a corresponding
emphasis on the geometric integrity of components and their assembly. In engineering
applications, one often comes across the problems of measurement, of-geometrical
parameters such as alignment, straightness, squareness, flatness, etc.
At many places it is required that the surfaces must be perfectly straight, e.g., in a
lathe it is desired that tool must move in a straight path to generate perfect cylinder and it is
possible .only when the controlling guide ways are themselves straight. Also straight line or
plane is the basis of most methods of measurements. The quality of straightness in
precision engineering is represented by straight edge.

Figure 1 - Theory of operation: autocollimator uses collimated light beam to project


the reticles image on a reflector (mirror) and measures the angle deviation between the
incident and return image with an angular dial.

The fundamental principle about straightness measurement is given by Bryan.


According to Bryan principle, a straightness measuring system should be in line with the
functional point at which straightness is to be measured. If this is not possible, either the
sideways that transfer the measurement must be free or angular motion or angular motion
data must be used to calculate the consequences of the offset.
Definition of straightness of a line in two planes. A line is said to be straight over a given
length, if the variation of the distance of its points from two planes perpendicular to each
other and parallel to the general direction of the line remains within the specified tolerance
limits; the reference planes being so chosen that their intersection is parallel to the straight
line joining two points suitably located on the line to be tested and the two points being close
to the ends of the lengths to .be measured.
The tolerance on the straightness of a line is defined as the maximum deviation in
relation to the reference straight line joining the two extremities of the line to be checked
(Fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Profile of surface with respect to reference straight line.


Principles of operation
Tests for straightness can be carried out by using spirit level or auto-collimator.
The straightness of any surface could be determined by either of these instruments by
measuring the relative angular positions of number of adjacent sections of the surface to
be tested.
So first a straight line is drawn on the surface whose straightness is to be tested.
Then it is divided into, a number of sections, the length of each section being equal to the
length of spirit level base or the plane reflector's base in case of auto-collimator.
Generally the bases of the spirit level block or reflector are fitted with two feet so that
only feet have line contact with the surface and whole of the surface of base does not
touch the surface to be tested. This ensures that angular deviation obtained is between
the specified two points. In this case length of each section must be equal to distance
between the centre lines of two feet. The spirit level can be used only for the
measurement of straightness of horizontal surfaces while auto-collimator method can
be used on surfaces in any plane.
In case of spirit level, the block is moved along the line on the surface to be tested in
steps equal to the pitch distance between the centre lines of the feet and the angular
variations of the direction of block are measured by the sensitive level on it.
Angular variation can be correlated in terms of the difference of height between two
points by knowing the least count of level and length of the base. In case of measurement
by auto-collimator, the instrument is placed at a distance of 0.5 to 0.75 meter from the
surface to be tested on any rigid support which is independent of the surface to be tested.

The parallel beam from the instrument is projected along the length of the surface to be
tested. A block fixed on two feet and fitted with a plane vertical reflector is placed on the
surface and the reflector face is facing the instrument.
The reflector and the instrument are set such that the image of the cross wires of the
collimator appears nearer the centre of the field and for the complete movement of
reflector along the surface straight line, the image of cross-wires will appear in the field
of eyepiece, the reflector is then moved to the other end of the surface in steps equal to
the centre distance between the feet and the tilt of the reflector is noted down in second
from the eyepiece.
The autocollimator projects a beam of collimated light. An external reflector reflects all
or part of the beam back into the instrument where the beam is focused and detected by a
photodetector. The autocollimator measures the deviation between the emitted beam and
the reflected beam. Because the autocollimator uses light to measure angles, it never
comes into contact with the test surface.
Visual autocollimators rely on the operator's eye to act as the photodetector. Micro-Radian
visual autocollimators p r o j e c t a pinhole i m a g e .
The operator v i e w s t h e
reflected p i n h o l e i m a g e s through an eyepiece. Because the human eye acts as the
photo detector, resolution will vary among operators. Typically, people can resolve from
3 to 5 arc-seconds. Because the human eye is a b l e t o d i s c e r n m u t i p l e i m a g e s
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y , visual a u t o c o l l i m a t o r s are s u i t a b l e f o r measuring multiple
surfaces simultaneously. This makes them ideal alignment instruments in applications like
aligning laser rod ends or checking parallelism among optics. Visual autocollimators can
also be equipped with an eyepiece reticle for aid in lining up test optics to a master
reference.

Parallel to the Axis:

Sl.no

Distance from
ref A-B ( mm)

MSR
(Min)

Micrometer
(Sec)

Result-
degree

Deviations
(mm)

1.

2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

Result:
Thus the straightness and Flatness are determined using autocollimator.
Graph:
Deviation Vs Distance from reference
1. Auto collimator works on the principle light reflection, it concerned with the idea that
flat surface will reflect light at ------------- angle.
2. The main scale is divided into ---------- divisions each reads ------- min.
3. The accuracy of the device is ---------4. The alignment between the auto-collimator and reflector should be checked at both
extremes of the operational distance to -------------5. Determine the maximum straightness error with respect
to a) A line joining end points
b) The least square line.
6. Discuss and compare your results.

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