Best Caliper for Shop Use? Digital vs. Dial Caliper vs. Vernier-type

M

MysterHK

#11
I have always been preferential to dial calipers because finding the tolerance differential is as simple as telling time on an analog clock.

One advantage with dial calipers is that they are more likely to remain in a "self-zeroing" state, whereas digital calipers have to be zeroed when you turn it on. One thing to remember though, regardless of what you choose, if there is any debris on the face, your caliper will be off.

Try this experiment: turn on a digital caliper, clean the faces and zero it. Now open it up and rub your thumb against the edge of the jaws. Close the jaws and see if it's reading zero. Odds are good that it will read 0.0005" to 0.001". All you have left behind are skin cells. A dial caliper will most likely be instantly and visually calibrated the moment you close the jaws.

It would be good to have experience with all three of them, though.

I personally use a 6" inch and 12" dial caliper for measuring part features and a 24" Vernier Caliper for checking overall dimensions on formed parts.

As far as brands go, I like Mitutoyo, Starrett, Tesa, and especially, Brown and Sharpe.
 
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C

CliffK

#12
When I first came in here in 2001, most all calipers and mics were vernier. Old ones brought in by the Japanese management. OK for experienced Japanese ooperators, but way too difficult to read for people who have never even been in a factory before. We didn't have much confidence in the accuracy of the documented readings.
Digital measuring devices make a big difference for operators to understand, quicker, and simpler.(KISS)
I think we've come to a point where this is the most significant consideration. Reading verniers seems to be a lost art, no longer practiced and not teachable. The problem my old eyeballs have with the teeny marks doesn't make it any easier.
 

Stijloor

Staff member
Super Moderator
#13
I think we've come to a point where this is the most significant consideration. Reading verniers seems to be a lost art, no longer practiced and not teachable. The problem my old eyeballs have with the teeny marks doesn't make it any easier.
I take a vernier caliper over anything else. The more parts, the more can go wrong. With my (bifocals) glasses, I can read OK. When my Clients use vernier-type calipers and micrometers, I still teach folks how to read vernier scales. No problem. Let's not give up on something that has worked for hundreds of years.

Yeah, I know....I may be old-fashion...:D That's OK.

Stijloor.
 
F

FRASER_025

#14
all we use in my lab is starret the are a great product and we have never had any problems with them
 
M

Matt M - 2009

#15
I have found that all the top names perform well, but as a whole dials don't stand up over time. When it is really critical, I use vernier and I'm in my thirties, so that may be why I don't mind (the eyes are working, at least for now). We unfortunately live in an age where if the tool does not tell you what to do, the operator can't do it. Have any of you ever had a cashier close out the sale without typing in what you gave them. They have to make change on their own and some simply can't do it. The digital age has it's down side.
 

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#16
I've discovered that our "standard" for purchase has been a China no name that isn't worth the shipping price we paid.

I'm looking for suggestions for a new caliper standard for purchase, a caliper that will be used by operators for in-process inspection purposes and hold up in their environment. Currently I'm leaning towards dial but could consider digital. We found a great deal on SPI, is anyone using these calipers?

My concerns on digital is unable to hold a zero calibration.
I choose to address this (a caliper that will be used by operators for in-process inspection purposes and hold up in their environment) portion of your post.

In our high tech contract machining/manufacturing environment, we progressed from vernier to dial to digital instruments primarily for the speed with which readings could be made. As experienced as I was, it still took me nearly 3 times as long to make a determination on a vernier as on a dial and about 6 or 7 times longer than on a digital. If it took me that long, it was certainly a similar situation with most of our workers. Regular cleaning and calibration against standard gage blocks was an important part of our work instructions.

Our most compelling reason for switching to all digital instruments was the fact we could tie them directly into computers and eliminate the mistake-prone step of transcribing the reading to an inspection sheet. It also eliminated coffee spills, fingerprints, grease, oil, cutting fluid smears, etc. on the inspection sheets. It also prevented a worker from "fudging" a reading to save time (or because the worker was lazy or didn't want to admit a nonconformance.) Customers received either electronic copy or fresh printout of the inspection sheets (no faded "tenth Xerox copy of a tenth Xerox copy.") For in-process inspection and SPC charting, this was an absolute miracle in terms of increased efficiency.

Bottom line:
I would have paid triple for the digital instruments because of the net savings my organization realized from using them and because we had a regular inspection/repair/replacement program that offset any problems with out-of-calibration events which might result in nonconforming material reaching a customer.
 

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#18
How was "fudging" prevented?
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to expand the answer!

Employee couldn't write down a number within tolerance - the computer automatically took the reading from the instrument. To fudge was more difficult with the automated setup - if the part was undersize, the operator had to struggle to hand set the instrument within the spec limits. If it was oversize he had to struggle to "shrink metal!" Fudgers want the easy way!

SPC samples (5) went into a special holder in the order they were selected and held for potential recheck if a nonconformance were found in the succeeding shift. Fudging would have to be a multi-operator conspiracy over multiple shifts to succeed. We continually sought ways to make it easier to do the right thing than the wrong thing - the essence of "mistake proofing!"
 

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#19
Employee couldn't write down a number within tolerance - the computer automatically took the reading from the instrument. To fudge was more difficult with the automated setup - if the part was undersize, the operator had to struggle to hand set the instrument within the spec limits. If it was oversize he had to struggle to "shrink metal!" Fudgers want the easy way!

SPC samples (5) went into a special holder in the order they were selected and held for potential recheck if a nonconformance were found in the succeeding shift. Fudging would have to be a multi-operator conspiracy over multiple shifts to succeed. We continually sought ways to make it easier to do the right thing than the wrong thing - the essence of "mistake proofing!"
There's nothing there to prevent anyone from fudging. All you have to do is open the caliper to the desired number and push the button. Where's the struggle? As far as potential conspiracies are concerned, the situation is no different from using a dial caliper and writing the readings down.
 
G

Gordon Clarke

#20
I'd avoid a dial caliper for reasons that I can explain via e-mail. I'd compare a vernier to a bean counter - it works but who uses it nowadays? :) When's the last time you calculated square root using pencil and paper? Digital calipers with brand names have become really reliable and I can give you quite a bit of information on this if you want. My e-mail is fmsabc(at)gmail(dot)com so it's up to you if you want to get in touch or not
 
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