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An area gauge is a tool used in metalworking and manufacturing to draw precise lines on stationary materials. It can determine if planes are horizontal, locate the center of cylinders, compare measurements, and draw parallel lines. In automotive manufacturing, it refers to performance indicators on a vehicle’s dashboard.
In the world of metalworking and manufacturing, an area gauge is a tool for drawing – which is basically a precise way of measuring – lines on certain stationary materials. These tools are also sometimes known as machinist’s gauges or tracing blocks, and are particularly useful when it comes to doing things like determining whether planes are truly horizontal. They can also help locate the precise center of the cylinders which is really useful in a number of mechanical settings and jobs that require precision assembly. The term also has some relevance in the world of automotive manufacturing, although the meaning here tends to be very different. Vehicles often have surface gauges on their dashboards to indicate how the vehicle is performing in a variety of metrics, and users read these more or less like moving dials. The name is the same, but very little about functionality or usability carries over.
Physical characteristics
The instrument typically has a steel base upon which an adjustable vertical arm is mounted. In most cases, one or two scribers are mounted on the arm; in this context, a “transcriber” is a sharp instrument used to mark or otherwise scrape a material to note the precise point of measurement. They can usually be adjusted with both coarse and fine adjustment, and the choice between them is most often a matter of circumstances and material.
In smaller size gauges, these adjustments can be 4 inches 7 inches (about 10 cm 18 cm) and in larger sizes, 9 inches 12 inches (about 23 30 cm). When used to mark material, draftsmen may scrape lines across a surface or remove a paint top; both are more or less permanent, but do not change the functionality of the marked material and in most cases the markings are made in out of the way places that will go unnoticed. In some models, the pen can be replaced with a pencil to make lines less permanent.
Leveling uses
Perhaps the most common use of the tool is to determine whether an object’s surface is truly horizontal. The production of many different electronic devices and machinery requires this, as does the assembly of most high-tech equipment. When things aren’t level, the pieces might appear to fit together, but they typically do so that long-term functionality could be damaged or at least negatively impacted.
To get an accurate reading, the machinist usually moves the gauge by hand over the surface of the object. The pointer will tell the driver precisely how far the surface of the object is from its base. If the number varies, the surface is not perfectly horizontal.
Cylindrical measurement
Another frequent application is to find the center of a cylinder. This is more common than many people think, particularly in the world of mechanical repair and machinery assembly. The tool can be used to find the center of an object that has a round cross section. The object, usually a cylindrical rod, is placed in a so-called “V-holder”, which holds the rod horizontally. The area gauge will measure the distance from the top of the circle to the bottom and the halfway point will be determined and then marked. The cylinder is then rotated approximately 90 degrees in the V-block and the process repeated. The result is an “x” that marks the exact center of the cylindrical surface.
Drawing comparisons
These tools can also be used to compare the measurements of different parts to make sure they have exactly the same measurements. This is especially important in cars and other things that are built in tandem, with two parts that are supposed to be the same or mirror images of each other. It is usually important to make sure they are exactly even before proceeding in order to pave the way for smooth trades and this indicator can make that assessment quite easily. It can also be used to draw parallel lines, which can help assembly workers know where to place various parts.
Unrelated use in automobiles
An area meter on a vehicle’s dashboard is a plate that provides the driver with various performance indicators. This includes the MPH (miles per hour) or KPH (kilometers per hour) gauge which shows vehicle speed, the RPM (revolutions per minute) gauge which shows engine rotations, and the throttle gauge which shows how full or empty the gas tank is. Other common vehicle performance indicators include the engine heat gauge, oil gauge, and battery gauge. These tools don’t actually mark anything and only measure in real time. Their main goal is usually to give drivers more control, which is completely unrelated to precision in manufacturing.
