UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

PAPER NO EXAMINATION DATE

Second Semester 2005/2006

BEMfgE/05F/11 BEng (Hons) Manufacturing Friday

Engineering 2 December 2005
Level 2

BEME/05F/11 BEng (Hons) Mechanical

Engineering
Level 2

SERIES PAPER TIME

Nov/Dec 2005 Metrology 13.30 – 15.30 hrs

(MECH 2123)

This paper contains SIX (6) Questions, THREE (3) Questions in SECTION A
and THREE (3) Questions in SECTION B. Candidates are required to answer:

SECTION A : ANY TWO (2) Questions

SECTION B : ANY TWO (2) Questions

USE SEPARATE ANSWER BOOKS FOR EACH SECTION.

 SECTION A

Answer ANY TWO (2) Questions from this Section.

Use separate Answer Books for each Section.

Question 1

(a) (i) Explain the concept and importance of Airy points in a measurement
system. [3 marks]

(ii) A bar of 2 m length is to be supported at 3 points for a particular test.

Using Airy’s concept, calculate the positioning of the 3 points along the
bar. Justify the answer. [4 marks]

(b) An angular measurement process is achieved by placing an instrument directly

on the surface of the object to be measured. The angular deviation is read
directly from the instrument, and the latter has to have a resolution of one (1)
minute.

(i) Which instrument can be used?

(ii) Draw a schematic diagram of the instrument, and explain the

measurement process.
[10 marks]

(c) An engineer is proposing to verify (by using an electrical comparator) the

height of a rectangular component which is known to be 30.555 ± 0.001 mm.

Explain the standard procedure that needs to be used to set the comparator to
the nominal size.

Draw appropriate schematic diagrams of the setting procedure.

[8 marks]

Question 2

(a) Clearly explain the procedure to be used to check the flatness and parallelism
of a gauge block. Draw a schematic diagram of the instrument as well as other
appropriate diagrams to support the answer. [15 marks]

(b) Which instrument could be used for the accurate measurement of the effective
diameter of screw threads. Explain the measurement procedure and draw a
schematic diagram of the experimental set-up. [10 marks]

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Question 3

(a) Explain the importance of out-of-roundness measurement. The answer should

be supported with a practical example.
[3 marks]

(b) Explain the most appropriate type of instrument and measurement procedure
which can be used for the assessment of out-of-roundness of a component
weighing 2 kilogrammes. The answer should be supported with proper
justifications for the choice of the instrument. A schematic diagram of the
instrument should also be provided.
[12 marks]

(c) A production plant has received an order to make a batch of hundred (100)
high strength steel shafts. Three (3) main specifications provided by the
customer are as follows:

(i) The average roughness of the surface should not exceed 2 µm.

(ii) The shaft’s surface should have proper lubricating properties.

(iii) Following running-in wear phenomenon, it is expected that the shaft’s

surface provides 95 % of contact length with the mating surface.

The production engineer is proposing to use a 2D surface texture measuring

instrument in order to assess the quantitative surface roughness parameters.

Clearly explain (with justifications) four (4) 2D surface roughness parameters

which would be more appropriate to provide meaningful information to the
production engineer in order to assess the surface roughness characteristic of
the shafts. The answer should be supported with relevant graphs and/or
diagrams.
[10 marks]

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 SECTION B

Answer ANY TWO (2) Questions from this Section.

Use separate Answer Books for each Section.

Question 4

(a) A current of magnitude I0, is switched into a moving coil meter at time t = 0.
Sketch the possible time variations of the pointer movement and explain the
conditions prevailing under each case. [13 marks]

(b) The full-scale deflection and internal resistance of the moving coil meter
are 12.7mA and 125Ω, respectively. Design an Ayrton shunt to obtain a
multi-range ammeter with current ranges 0 to 20mA and 0 to 200 mA.
[12 marks]

Question 5

The series type ohmmeter shown in Figure Q5 uses a 12V internal battery and has a
half-scale resistance of 1500 Ω. If the meter coil has a full-scale deflection of 2.5 mA
and a resistance Rm = 50 Ω, determine:

(a) The nominal values of R1 and R2. [9 marks]

(b) The value of R2 to compensate for a 25% drop in the battery voltage. [6 marks]

(c) The scale error at half-scale mark when R2 is set at the value calculated in (b).
[4 marks]

(d) The minimum battery voltage, if R2 can be adjusted up to 200Ω. [6 marks]

Rm

R1

R2

+
Ohmmeter
E Terminals

Figure Q5

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Question 6

(a) A linear displacement measurement system consists of a sensor, signal

conditioning stage, amplifier and recorder. The linear sensitivity and error
band of each stage are given as follows:

ELEMENT LINEAR SENSITIVITY ERROR BAND

Sensor 0.4 Ω/ mm ± 0.07 Ω
Signal Conditioner 1 V/Ω ± 0.03 V
Amplifier 50 ± 0.01 V
Recorder 0.05 mm /V ± 0.1mm

Determine the error band for the displacement recorded by the measurement
system.
[11 marks]

(b) It is required to determine the power dissipation from a resistor, R, using

measurements from an ammeter and a voltmeter, as shown in Figure Q6. The
voltmeter and ammeter readings are 237 V ± 1.5% and 3.5 A ± 1%, respectively.
The voltmeter resistance, Rv, is specified as 1876 Ω ± 2%. Determine the
percentage uncertainty in the power dissipation from R.
[14 marks]
R
A

Rv
V

Figure Q6

END OF QUESTION PAPER

/fp/nr

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