Need to assure the quality of your parts as you develop them? If so, check out these new tools from Mitutoyo America (www.mitutoyo.com/) that you can use from prototype to production.

The new line of Digimatic Height Gages have been designed for improved ergonomics. For example, there is a slider-handle control that is offset from the body by 10°, thereby providing a more natural, comfortable hand position. The base is redesigned so that it can function as a hand grip. Control button size is increased, and the buttons are located so that the most-often used are positioned for ready access. Additionally, the display has large, 11-mm characters to minimize eye strain. There is no sacrifice in measurement accuracy, however. The gages provide measuring accuracy from ±0.001 in. to ±0.003 in., with a repeatability of ±0.0005 in. Resolution can be set to 0.0005 in. or 0.0002 in.

 The ID-C Digimatic indicator is an easy-to-use indicator that provides variable resolution settings and a calculator function. The plunger release stroke has been extended and the lifting function expanded, thereby making it easier to use. The display area is increased by 50%, and data-hold and data-output functions are added to facilitate the use of the tools.

Then, because you might be measuring something that isn’t where you have a PC, there’s the U-Wave system, which provides wireless data communication from a hand-held measuring device up to 60 ft. away. Data obtained can be loaded into Excel or SPC software through the use of the U-Wavepack software that is a part of the system.