ME254

Measurements and Metrology

Lecture 7 Standard error and Angular Measurements 1

B Santhi
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
NIT-Goa
Last lecture discussed

Standard error
Some of the Angular measurements devices

This lecture deals with

some more Angular measurements devices
Sine bar
• A sine bar is made up of a hardened steel beam having a flat upper surface.

• Material of sine bar - high carbon, high chromium hardened, ground and stabilized steel

• The bar is mounted on two cylindrical rollers and the axes of the two rollers are parallel to each other
They are also parallel to the upper flat surface at an equal distance from it.

• The size is specified by the distance between the centres of the cylinders, which is 100, 200, or 300mm.

• It is one the most accurate angle measuring device

• The accuracy attainable with this instrument is quite high and

the errors in angular measurement are less than 2 seconds for angle up to 45°

• the accuracy of angle measurement depends upon the accuracy with which length L, of the sine bar
and height h under the roller is known
Sine bar- Contd.,
• It works on the principle of sine i.e uses the ratio of the length of two sides of a right triangle
in deriving a given angle that’s the name

• The sine bar in itself is not a complete measuring instrument. sine bars make indirect measurements

• Another datum such as a surface plate is needed, as well as other auxiliary equipment,
notably slip gauges, and indicating device to make measurements.

• Sine bars used in conjunction with slip gauges constitute a very good device for the precise measurement of angles.

• Apart from measuring angles, sine bars can be used for locating any work to a given angle within very close limits

surface plate
 Use of Sine Bar for Angle Measurement
• According to the figure shown in the picture below, Sin θ = h/ L.

• Possibility of error due the usage of gauge blocks can be avoided by calculated that also

• For error in angle measurement,

differentiating h with respect to θ => dθ/ dh = secθ L

• Therefore, the error in angle measurement dθ, due to an error dh in height h is proportional to secθ

Note : sec θ increases very rapidly for angle greater than 45°
Therefore, sine bars should not be used for measurement of angles greater than 45°
and if at all they have to be used, sine bars should measure the complement of the angle rather than the angle itself
Steps for ‘Measuring unknown angles or locating any work to a given angle’
• For this purpose the surface plate is assumed to be having a perfectly flat surface,
so that its surface could be treated as horizontal. The workpiece is placed as shown in figure

• By knowing, h can be found out and any work could be set at this angle as
the top face of sine bar is inclined at angle θ to the surface plate.

• For better results, both the rollers could also be placed on slip gauges Checking of unknown angles.

• Many a times, angle of a component to be checked is unknown.

In such a case, it is necessary to first find the angle approximately with the help of a bevel protector.

• Let the angle be 8. Then the sine bar is set at an angle θ and clamped to an angle plate.
Next, the work is placed on sine bar and clamped to angle plate as shown in Fig.

• And a dial indicator is set at one end of the work and moved to the other, and deviation is noted.
Again slip gauges are so adjusted (according to this deviation) that dial indicator reads zero across work surface.

• If the dial indicator shows any deviations, adjustments in the height of slip gauges is done
to ensure that the work part surface is horizontal.
• The difference in height corresponding to the dial gauge reading is incorporated in the slip gauges,
and the procedure is repeated until the dial indicators show zero deviation.
Angle gauges
• Angle gauges are used for measuring and setting out angles in the workshops where precision work in the
measurement of angle is required.

• These are wedge shaped steel blocks and their working faces are finished in the same manner as slip
gauges,
which enable them to be wrung together in combinations.

• The first set of a combination of angle gauges was devised by Dr G.A. Tomlinson of the National Physical
Laboratory, 1939 which provided the highest number of angle combinations.

• His set of 10 blocks can be used to set any angle between 0° and 180° in increments of 5’
Angle gauges –contd.,
• The gauges are about 75mm long and 15mm wide, and the two surfaces that generate the angles are
accurate up to ±2". Current angle gauges are available in sets of 6, 11, or 16.

• Most angles can be combined in several ways. Each angle gauge is engraved with the symbol ‘<

• To minimize error, which gets compounded if the number of gauges used is increased, it is preferable to use
the least number of angle gauge blocks.

• The laboratory master-grade set has an accuracy of one-fourth of a second.

While the inspection-grade set has an accuracy of ½", the tool room grade set has an accuracy of 1".
Building up of angles using Angle gauges

• For eg 57 could be built up as 45 + 15 - 3

and 42°35′20‘’ could be build using 16 block set as shown in figure

• When the angles of the gauges need to be added up, the symbol < of all gauges
should be in line
• When an angle gauge is required to be subtracted from the combination, the gauge
should be wrung such that the symbol < is in the other direction.
Applications of Angle gauge
Specific applications of angular gage blocks can be listed as follows

(i) Inspecting and refining the setting accuracy of tilt table with graduated segments
can be done with angle gauge blocks

(ii) It is used for providing a reference angle, or a compensating angle, for inspecting angular features
on workpiece, whose configuration makes them adaptable for inspection with the aid of angle gauge block.

(iii) Angular gauge blocks can also be used for checking the circular dividing accuracy of rotary tables
and dividing heads.

(iv) Setting a revolving work-holding table or a magnetic chuck into the required tilt position is done
with angular gauge blocks.
Clinometer
• A clinometer is a special case of application of spirit level for measuring, in the vertical plane, the incline
of a surface in relation to the basic horizontal plane, over an extended range.

• The main functional element of a clinometer is the sensitive vial mounted on a rotatable disc, which
carries a graduated ring with its horizontal axis supported in the housing of the instrument

• The bubble of the vial is in its centre position, when the clinometer is placed on a horizontal surface and
the scale of the rotatable disc is at zero position.

• If the clinometer is placed on an incline surface, the bubble deviates from the centre.
It can be brought to the centre by rotating the disc. The rotation of the disc can be read on the scale.

• It represents the deviation of the surface over which the clinometer is placed from the horizontal plane

• Most clinometers in a metrology laboratory provide readings up to an accuracy of 1’.

• Precision clinometers can be used if the accuracy requirement is up to 1"
Autocollimators
• Angle comparators are the metrological instruments used for finding
the difference between two nearly equal angles

• The most widely used angle comparators are ‘Autocollimators’

They are designed to measure small angles by comparison.
They are quite accurate and can read up to 0.1 seconds, and may be used for distance up to 30 meters

• It is used for various applications such as precision alignment, verification of angle standards,
and detection of angular movement, among others.

• Main principles used in an autocollimator are

(a) the projection and the refraction of a parallel beam of light by a lens
(b) the change in direction of a reflected angle on a plane reflecting surface with change in angle of incidence.
Principle- Autocollimators
• When a beam of light strikes a flat reflecting surface, a part of the beam is absorbed and
the other part is reflected back.

• If the angle of incidence is zero, i.e. incident rays fall perpendicular to the reflecting surface,
the reflected rays retrace original path as shown in figure

• When the reflecting plane is tilted at certain angle, the total angle through which the light is
deflected is twice the angle through which the mirror is tilted

• If the incident rays are not at right angle to the reflecting surface they can be brought to the focal
plane of the light sources by tilting the reflecting plane at an angle half the angle of reflection as
shown in Figure

• From the diagram, OO’ = 2* f = x, where f is the focal length of the lens.
Thus, by measuring the linear distance x, the inclination of the reflecting surface Ɵ
can be determined.

• The position of the final image does not depend upon the distance of the reflector from the lens
Working of Autocollimators

• In practice, the work surface whose inclination is to be obtained forms the reflecting surface and the
displacement x is measured by a precision microscope which is calibrated directly to the values of inclination

• There are variety of Autocollimators are available. The optical system of an autocollimator is shown in Figure

• The target wires are illuminated by the electric bulb and act as a source of light since it is not convenient to
visualize the reflected image of a point and then to measure the displacement x precisely.

• The image of the illuminated wire after being reflected from the surface being measured is formed in the
same plane as the wire itself.

• The eyepiece system containing the micrometer microscope mechanism has a pair of setting lines which
may be used to measure the displacement of the image by setting to the original cross lines
and then moving over to those of the image.
Task to do:

Calculate the gauge block buildup required to set a 10 cm sine bar to an angle of 30°

Checking of unknown angles of heavy component more than the size of sine bar

Build an angle 37°, 25°2’7’’ using angle gauge

Check for variety of Autocollimators

Thank You