8/19/2014 Uses of comparators

http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 1/9
Chapter 3
Comparators

3.1. Uses of comparators:
3.5. Electrical Comparators:
Home
3.1. Uses of comparators:
The various ways in which the comparators can be used are as follows:

i) In mass production, where components are to be checked at a very fast rate.
ii) As laboratory standards from which working or inspection gauges are set and correlated.
iii) For inspecting newly purchased gauges.
iv) Attached with some machines, comparators can be used as working gauges to prevent work
spoilage and to maintain required tolerances at all stages of manufacturing.
(v) In selective assembly of parts, where parts are graded in three or more groups depending upon their
tolerance.

3.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of various Types of Comparators:
Advantages of Mechanical Comparators:

i) These are usually cheaper in comparison to other devices of amplifying.
ii) These do not require any external supply such as electricity or air and as such the variations in
outside supplies do not affect the accuracy.
iii) Usually the mechanical comparators have linear scale which is easily understood.
iv) These are usually robust and compact and easy to handle.
v) For ordinary workshop conditions, these are suitable and being portable can be issued from a store.

8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 2/9
Disadvantages:
i) The mechanical comparators have got more moving parts than other types. Due to more moving
parts, the friction is more and ultimately the accuracy is less.
ii) Any slackness in moving parts reduces the accuracy considerably.
iii) The mechanism has more inertia and this may cause the instruments to be sensitive to vibration.
iv) The range of the instrument is limited as the pointer moves over a fixed scale.

Advantages of Optical Comparators:
i) it has small number of moving parts and hence a higher accuracy.
ii) In the optical comparators, the scale can be made to move past a datum line and thus have high range
and no parallax errors.
iii) It has very high magnification.
iv) Optical lever is weightless.

Disadvantages:
i) As the instrument has high magnification, heat from the lamp, transformer etc. may cause the setting
to drift.
ii) An electrical supply is necessary.
iii) The apparatus is usually large and expensive.
iv) When the scale is projected on a screen, then it is essential to use the instrument to a dark room in
order to take the readings easily.
v) The instruments in which the scale is viewed through the eyepiece of a microscope are not convenient
for continuous use.

Advantages of Electrical Comparators:
i) the electrical comparators have got small number of moving parts.
ii) It is possible to have a very high magnification and the same instrument may have two or more
magnifications. Thus the same instrument can be used for various ranges.
iii) The mechanism carrying the pointer is very light and not sensitive to vibrations.
iv) As the instrument is usually operated on A.C. supply, the cyclic vibration substantially reduces errors
8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 3/9
due to sliding friction.
v) The measuring unit can be made very small and it is not necessary that the indicating instrument be
close to the measuring unit, rather it can be remote also.

Disadvantages:
i) It requires an external agency to operate i.e., the A.C. electrical supply. Thus the vibrations in voltage
or frequency of electric supply may affect the accuracy.
ii) Heating of coils in the measuring unit may cause zero drift and alter the calibration.
iii) If only a fixed scale is used with a moving pointer then with high magnifications a very small range is
obtained.
iv) This is usually more expensive than mechanical instrument.

Advantages of Pneumatic Comparators:
i) The gauging member does not come into contact with the part to be measured and hence practically
no wear takes place on the gauging member.
ii) It has usually very small number of moving parts and in some cases none. Thus the accuracy is more
due t less friction and less inertia.
iii) Measuring pressure is very small and the jet of air helps in cleaning the dust, if any, from the part to be
measured.
iv) It is possible to have very high magnification.
v) The indicating instrument can be remote from the measuring unit.
vi) It is very suitable device for measuring diameter of holes where the diameter is small compared with
the length.
vii) It is probably the best method for determining the ovality and taperness of the circular bores.

Disadvantages:
i) It require elaborate auxiliary equipment such as accurate pressure regulato.
ii) The scale is generally not uniform.
iii) When indicating device is the glass tube, then high magnification is necessary in order to avoid the
meniscus errors.
iv) The apparatus is not easily portable and is rather elaborate for many industrial applications.
8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 4/9
v) Different gauging heads are required for different dimensions.


3.3. Reed Type Mechanical Comparator:

In mechanical comparator, the gauging head is usually a sensitive, high quality, dial indicator mounted
on a base supported by a sturdy column. Fig. 3.1 shows the reed type mechanical comparator.
The reed mechanism is frictionless device for magnifying small motions of spindle. It consists of a fixed
block A which is rigidly fastened to the gauge head case, and floating block B, which carries the gauging
spindle and is connected horizontally to the fixed block by reeds C. A vertical reed is attached to each
block with upper ends joined together. These vertical reeds are shown in the figure by letter D. beyond this
joint extends a pointer or target. A linear motion of the spindle moves the free block vertically causing the
vertical reed on the floating block to slide past the vertical reed on the fixed block. However, as these
vertical reeds are joined at the upper end, instead of slipping, the movement causes both reeds swing
through an arc and as the target is merely an extension of the vertical reeds, it swings through a much wider
arc. The amount of target swing is proportional to the distance the floating block has moved but of course
very much magnified.

The scale may be calibrated by means of gauge block (slip gauges) to indicate any deviation from an
initial sitting.
Comparators using this type of linkage have sensitivities of the order of 0.25 micron per scale division.
The mechanical amplification is usually less than 100, but it is multiplied by the optical lens system. It is
available in amplifications ranging from 500 to 1000.







8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 5/9







Fig. 3.1.

3.4. The Sigma Comparator:
Fig. 3.2 shows the constructional details of the Sigma Mechanical Comparator.
The vertical beam is mounted on flat steel springs A connected to fixed members, which in turn are
screwed to a backplate. The assembly provides a frictionless movement with a restraint from the springs.

The shank B at the base of the vertical beam is arranged to take a measuring contact, selecting from the
available range.
The stop C is provided to restrict movement at the lower extremely of the scale.

Mounted on the fixed members, is the hinged assembly D carrying the forked arms E. this assembly
incorporates a hardened fulcrum (provided with means for adjustment of controlling the ratio of
transmitted motion) operative on the face of a jewelled insert on the flexible portion of the assembly.

The metal ribbon F, attached to the forked arms, passed around the spindle G causing it to rotate in
specially designed miniature ball bearings. Damping action to the movement is affected by a metal disc,
8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 6/9
mounted on the spindle, rotating in a magnetic field between a permanent magnet and a steel plate. The
indicating pointer H is secured to a boss on the disc.

The trigger J (opposite K) is used to protect the measuring contact. At the upper end of the vertical
beam, an adjusting screw is provided for final zero setting of the scale.

A new patented feature is shown at K. this is magnetic counter- balance which serves to neutralize the
positive "rate" of springs reaching on the measuring tip. In this way a constant pressure over the whole
scale range is achieved.

The instrument is available with vertical capacities of 150 mm, 300 mm and 600 mm and magnifications
of 500, 1000, 1500, 3000 and 5000. the scales are graduated in both English and Metric systems.

The least count which one division represents is of the order of 0.25 microns.
Advantage: it has got a bold scale and larger indicating pointer.

Disadvantages:
i) Due to motion of parts, there is wear in the moving parts.
ii) It is not as sensitive as optical or other type of comparator due to friction being present in the
moving parts.










8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 7/9




Fig. 3.2.

Amplified by a simple optical system involving the projection of an image. The usual arrangement
employed is such that the mechanical system causes a plane reflector to tilt about an axis and the image of
an index is projected on a scale on the inner surface of a ground- glass screen. Optical magnifications
provide high degree of measuring precision due to reduction of moving members and better wear
resistance qualities. Optical magnification is also free from friction, bending, wear etc.

The whole system could be explained diagrammatically by Fig. 3.3, which gives very simple
arrangements and explains the principle of above comparator.

In this system, Mechanical amplification l2/l1 And optical amplification = l4/l3 2
It is multiplied by 2, because if mirror is tilted by an angle , then image will be tilted by 2 . Thus
overall magnification of this system = 2 (l2/l1) (l4/l3)

Thus it is obvious that optical comparators are capable of giving a high- degree of measuring precision
owing to high magnification and the reduction of moving members to minimum. Further these possess
8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 8/9
better wear resistance qualities as the only wearing members are the plunger and its guide and the mirror
pivot bearing. Another advantage of the optical comparators is that provision of an illuminated scale
enables readings to be taken without regard to the room lighting conditions. The point of importance in
optical comparator is that mirror used must be of front reflection type and not of normal back reflection
type. In normal back reflection type there are two reflected images, one each from front and back, see fig.
3.4. Thus the reflected image is not well defined one, as one bright and other blurred image are observed.
If front reflection type of mirror is used, then it requires considerable care in its use to avoid damage to the
reflecting surfaces.














Fig. 3.3. Principle of optical comparator.





8/19/2014 Uses of comparators
http://telc.tanta.edu.eg/hosting/pro5/containt/L3.htm 9/9






Fig. 3.4.

Next
1- 2