Teaching Metrology - Vernier vs Digital

Caster

An Early Cover
Trusted Information Resource
I have been away for quite a while!

Lots of changes in my life, good to see some old familiar faces still here.

I am still working full time, but have started teaching evenings to try to ease into semi-retirement.

I have a basic metrology course upcoming....so I need someone to talk me into teaching vernier scales instead of digital.

This course is quality engineering, not machining.

Would rather teach MSA than vernier reading in the limited time I have ...what am I missing?

Cheers

Caster
 

Ronen E

Problem Solver
Moderator
To me the most important notion about this topic is that digital calipers are NOT "more accurate". People see that the digital display has a 0.01mm resolution and are deceived into believing that it's meaningful. I always say "don't trust a calipers to a degree more than +/-0.5mm", and that's when measuring solid metal parts. For plastics etc. it can get worse.
 

dwperron

Trusted Information Resource
In reality, your students are much more likely to be using digital calipers in their work. I agree that you would give them more value teaching MSA than in showing them how to use an old school technology. The few that ever will need that skill can find plenty of YouTube videos out there on the subject:
 

dgriffith

Quite Involved in Discussions
The joy of a vernier scale is something your students should experience. Give the "YouTube" videos as homework for familiarization if you don't have class time. Bringing in an inexpensive 'plastic' vernier caliper and letting them handle it/pass it around shouldn't impact your schedule too much.
We have a P&W Measuring Machine built in 1948 still in great shape. It has a vernier scale and still works just fine.
 

Proud Liberal

Quite Involved in Discussions
The concepts of equipment condition, sources of operator error (Abbe's law, flinching, parallax, rounding, etc), and how to minimize I believe should be topics to cover in teaching metrology whether using a vernier or digital caliper.

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Caster

An Early Cover
Trusted Information Resource
The joy of a vernier scale is something your students should experience. Give the "YouTube" videos as homework for familiarization if you don't have class time. Bringing in an inexpensive 'plastic' vernier caliper and letting them handle it/pass it around shouldn't impact your schedule too much.
We have a P&W Measuring Machine built in 1948 still in great shape. It has a vernier scale and still works just fine.

Good idea to assign as extra homework...it is amazing to me just how little can be covered in a few hours a week of lectures
 
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Caster

An Early Cover
Trusted Information Resource
The concepts of equipment condition, sources of operator error (Abbe's law, flinching, parallax, rounding, etc), and how to minimize I believe should be topics to cover in teaching metrology whether using a vernier or digital caliper.

Thanks - good details for coverage. I touched on flinching a bit this semester when measuring tensile test bar gage length. The students were surprised to hear about it...I see awful rounding in lab reports....lots to teach
 
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Caster

An Early Cover
Trusted Information Resource
Hi all

Just a quick thread bump, teaching in the Covid reality is proving complex

I miss the human interaction, even in the hands on labs we are across a bench....we can't touch to show....

All lectures are on line and all labs are limited in class size to keep safe distancing

The students and I miss the collegiality part of the college experience

It will be intersting to see how this group copes in the real World with fewer people skills, working in a lab group with someone who doesn't pull their weight was probably a more useful life/career skill than any calibration trick they will learn

Cheers and stay safe

Joe C
 

optomist1

A Sea of Statistics
Super Moderator
at the risk of repeating....although use of digital measuring devices or instruments may in some cases be preferable, this situation is much like math vis-a-vis calculators/computers and knowledge of the manual equations, formulas and how to use.....the background and ability to use the same is very important
 
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