Solartron Metrology is launching a handheld wireless bore gauge. By eliminating the need for cables to download the measurement data, the new wigauge wireless bore gauge (WBG) offers greater freedom in workstation design and practice.
The use of precision hand-held electronic gauges in post-process gauging is not new, but the cables connecting the tools to the receiving SPC system, printer or datalogger have long caused problems.
Downtime due to cable damage and tangles has been all too common, and cable length and routing have often dictated the design of the gauging station, leading to loss of efficiency.
Solartron's WBG class 1 Bluetooth gauge has a range of 15m or more for data transmission, even in the hostile environment of an engineering machine shop. Up to seven WBGs can be linked to a single system.
The rugged, high-precision, IP65-rated gauge is compatible with industry-standard M6 and M10 gauge head threads. The transducer is linear along its full measuring range, making it easy to set up and adaptable for applications other than bore gauging. Resolution is user-selectable up to 0.1um.
With up to 10 hours of continuous data transmission, the attached NiMH battery pack can be removed for offline recharging.
Solartron's sales and marketing director Neil Curtis says: "The industry has been asking for this type of wireless gauge for quite some time. We are delighted to be providing the solution."
Applications for the WBG are expected to be in the automotive components market and any manufacturing plant producing precision bored holes.
Designed and built in the UK, Solartron's wireless bore gauge is the first of a new range of Bluetooth-enabled linear measurement and gauging products to be released over the coming months under the company's new wigauge brand.
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