Manufacturing workers have numerous occasions to take measurements such as diameter, depth, width, length, and height. Workers use special precision instruments to get accurate dimensional readings, including micrometers, calipers, and height gauges.
As their name suggests, height gauges are precision measuring instruments used to verify the height of a machined workpiece for quality control purposes. These are relatively straightforward instruments in which a slider with a measuring jaw moves along a vertical beam and takes measurements perpendicular to a reference plane on the instrument's base.
Typically, a height gauge is used on a
surface plate to either measure or scribe specific features from a datum plane. Those working in an inspection or layout department will frequently use a height gauge, which is indispensable in those areas.
Since there are
four basic types of height gauges—
vernier,
dial,
digital, and
electronic--we'll start by looking briefly at each.