Comparators

Dr. N. VENKAIAH
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
NIT Warangal 506 004
Disclaimer
The content presented here is not entirely my own. Some portions are taken from different
sources with great regard. This content is solely for class room teaching and not for any
commercial use.

“The success of our life depends upon the quality

of our thoughts. But the quality of our thoughts
depends on the people we have in our life.”
-Anonymous
 Comparators
General Principle
A comparator indicates the difference in size between the standard
and the work being measured by means of some form of pointer on a
scale at a magnification which is sufficient to read to the required
accuracy.

Advantages
 Not much skill needed on the part of the operator

 Calibration of instrument over full range is not required

 Zero error does not have any effect

 A high magnification results in greater accuracy

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Types of Comparators

1. Mechanical

2. Mechanical-Optical

3. Pneumatic

4. Electrical

The principles and practice of measuring methods are more important to the
practical metrologist than the details of these instruments

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Mechanical Comparators

Dial Gauge
 Direct mechanical magnification using
levers and gears
 Measuring range: 13 mm (usually)
 Unit divisions: 1 μm

Dial Indicator
 The Sigma Comparator
 The plunger is mounted on a
pair of slit diaphragms to have a
frictionless movement. A knife
edge contact for the moving
member.

 First stage magnification: L/x

 Second stage magnification: R/r

 Total magnification: L/x . R/r

 Magnification is adjusted by
tightening or slackening the
screws attaching the knife edge to Schematic of sigma mechanical comparator
the plunger thus adjusting the
distance x.

 Driving drums of different radii “r”

can also be provided to change
the magnification. 5
 The Sigma Comparator cont…
Available in the magnification range of 300 to 5000

The same mechanism is used for all the magnifications

- Excellent design

Advantages:
 Safety: Knife edge moves away from moving block when
the plunger moves, avoiding shock loads.

 Dead beat readings

 Fine adjustments

 No Parallax error

 Constant measuring pressure. Photographic view of sigma

mechanical comparator

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Mechanical-Optical Comparator

Principle of optical comparator

Mechanical amplification = 20/1 = 20 units.

Optical amplification = (50/1)x2 = 100 units.
Total Magnification = 20x100 = 2000 units.

The factor 2 in optical amplification is explained using figs 7

 Point source of light in focal
plane of a collimating lens

Projection of a point source being

reflected from an inclined reflector

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 Optical comparators are capable of giving a high degree of the
measuring precision owing to high magnification and the reduction
of moving parts

 Mirror used must be of front reflection type and not of normal

back reflection type

Back reflection type mirror Front reflection type mirror

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 Pneumatic Comparator
 Variations in work piece size affect the
aperture of escape of the air, and the Ps
corresponding variation in back
pressure is utilized to indicate the
actual dimension
Control orifice, O1

 Air is passed at a controlled pressure Pb

(source pressure Ps ).

 Control orifice O1 is constant. Effective Measuring

orifice, O2
d
size O2 is varied by changing distance
Workpiece
“d”.

 As “d” varies, back pressure (Pb) also

varies. This gives a chance to measure
“d”.

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Pneumatic Comparator cont…

Characteristic curve of back-pressure pneumatic system

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Pneumatic Comparator cont…
Equation of the straight line portion is given by

Pb A
= a− b 2
Ps A1

Pb
Where ' a ' is intercept on axis
Ps
a =1.1 for all practical values of Ps

‘b’ is the slope. Its value decreases as Ps increases.

b = 0.6 when Ps = 0.13 kg/cm2

b = 0.4 when Ps = 5 kg/cm2

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Pneumatic Comparator cont…

Solex pneumatic gauge

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