Introduction:
In any industry, you would find the screws and the nuts as primary tools. These tools require checking at regular intervals. An ill-fitting screw can spell havoc for the machinery. Therefore, it becomes imperative that you check the screws and the nuts using implements known as the thread gauges. The industry workers use the gauges to inspect the cylindrical parts such as shafts and holes. The most common tools are the Go and the No Go gauges.
Common Types of gauges
There are two kinds of gauges. They comprise the ring types and the plug types. They have entirely different types of uses. You use the thread ring gauges to measure the accuracy of the threads on the outer portion of the rods or pipes. They are also useful to measure the pitch of the screws. The thread plug gauges have the utility of checking the accuracy of the threads in the inner portion of the holes and nuts, etc. Based on the nature of the machinery, you can find three types of gauges. They are the Pitch gauges, NPT thread gauges, and the NPTF gauges. We shall look into each of the three types of gauges in brief.
The Pitch gauge:
The pitch is the underlying thread gauge. Industry workers use this gauge to measure the pitch of the screw head. It is not a precision tool. It determines the profile of the given thread. They use it to categorize the thread by the shape and the pitch. The main advantage of these kinds of thread gauges is that it does not take much time for measuring and calculating the thread pitch of the screw.
The NPT Gauges:
The full form of the NPT Gauge is the National Pipe Thread Taper Thread gauges. You use these ring type of gauges to check the accuracy of the external threads such as those on screws etc. At the same time, the plug types have utility to measure the efficiency of the internal threads. These are precision tool instruments.
The NTPF Gauges:
The National Pipe Thread Fuel gauge has to meet higher standards. They have the necessary uses as well. Also, these NTPF fittings are precise tools forming a kind of a dry seal when you tighten them. These thread gauges have utility for checking the accuracy of the thread crest and the root. The peak and the root form the highest part and the lowest portion of the screw. You also use these gauges to check the pitch of the screws.
The importance of the gauges:
Checking the accuracy of the tools is very important. You may never know what damage an ill-fitting screw or nut can cause. At the production level, you would not have an idea as to where they would be using these screws and nuts. Hence, the prime duty of the industry is to ensure that they are accurate when they leave the factory.
Final words:
The thread ring gauges and the thread plug gauges have tremendous utility in every kind of industry.