What are the different types of caliper?
What are the different types of caliper?
The different types of calipers are dial calipers, vernier calipers, digital calipers, jenny calipers, spring point calipers and micrometers!
Dial Calipers
Dial Calipers have a dial that displays the measurement with an indicator needle.
This measurement is then combined with the reading given on the scale running along the beam of the caliper.
Dial calipers are used to take outside measurements, inside measurements, step measurements and depth measurements.
Vernier Caliper
Vernier Calipers have dual scales that run along the top and bottom of the caliper, and show both imperial and metric measurements.
They are capable of measuring outside and inside diameters and most will measure depth.
Digital or Electronic Caliper
Digital calipers are the latest innovation in caliper technology. Instead of a rack and pinion mechanism, an internal microprocessor calculates the position of the jaws and shows the reading in a display window.
Jenny Caliper
Jenny calipers are sometimes called odd leg calipers or hermaphrodite calipers.
They are used to draw a line a set distance from the edge of a workpiece but are also useful for locating the centre of a workpiece.
Spring Joint Caliper
The space between the legs can be altered by twisting the screw and nut. They can be used to take either inside or outside measurements.
As they do not have a graduation scale, spring joint calipers must be checked against a measuring tool such as a ruler or micrometer.
Micrometer
Micrometers are devices used to measure very small distances, usually to 1/1000 mm.
They are widely used in mechanical engineering for precisely measuring the thickness of blocks, outer and inner diameters of shafts and depths of slots.
