Application of an On-machine Gage for Diameter Measurements

This paper describes the design analysis and application of a laser based gage made specifically for measuring parts on the machine tool to a high accuracy. The tri-beam gage uses three beams of light to measure the local curvature of the part in a manner similar to a V-block gage. The properties of this design include: calibration that is independent of the machine tool scales, non-contact damage free operation, low cost of the gage, and the ability to measure parts in motion.