ME254

Measurements and Metrology

Lecture 21 Screw Threads2

By
B Santhi
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
NIT-Goa
Last lecture discussed

Some elements of gear measurement

As well as Introduction to screw thread

This lecture deals with

Importance of Measurement of Screw thread

Measurement of major, minor and effective diameter of Screw thread
Measurement of Screw thread
• Threads are of prime importance, they are used as fasteners.
It is a helical groove, used to transmit force and motion and also
used to fasten two components with the help of nuts, bolts and studs.

• In plain shaft, the hole assembly, the object of dimensional control is to ensure a certain consistency of fit.

• The performance of screw threads during their assembly with nut depends upon a number of parameters such as
the condition of the machine tool used for screw cutting, work material and tool.

• So, Screw Thread Measurement is important.

• There is a large variety of screw threads varying in their form we discussed it

in the last class as well as its nomenclature

• Measurement of various elements of Thread

To find out the accuracy of a screw thread it will be necessary to measure the following:
1. Major diameter.
2. Minor diameter.
3. Effective or Pitch diameter.
4. Pitch
5. Thread angle and form
Measurement of Major Diameter of screw thread

• Measurement of Major Diameter is done by the following methods

1. Screw thread micrometer (Comparator)
2. Bench micrometer

• Screw thread micrometer

-Quite suitable for measuring the external major diameter
-Micrometer is set over the master/standard cylinder having approx. dia (D) as shown in the figure above
-This process is called gauge setting
-Micrometer is then set over the Major diameter (M) and reading is recorded (R)
M = D ± (Rs ~ R ) where D= Dia. of the master

• Bench micrometer
-For getting the great accuracy the bench micrometer is used for measuring the major diameter
-In this process the variation in measuring Pressure, pitch errors are being neglected
-The fiducial indicator is used to ensure all the measurements are made at same pressure.
-The instrument has a micrometer head with a vernier scale to read the accuracy of 0.002mm
-Calibrated setting cylinder having the same diameter as the major diameter of the thread
to be measured is used as setting standard
-After setting the standard, the setting cylinder is held between the anvils and the reading is taken
-Then the cylinder is replaced by the threaded work piece and the new reading is taken
Measurement of a minor diameter of screw thread
• Measurement of a minor diameter is done by Floating carriage micrometer

• The floating carriage micrometer consists of a three units

1. A casting base carries a pair of centers, on which the treaded work piece is mounted.
2. Another carriage mounted at exactly 90°to the above, which is capable to move parallel to thread axis.
3. Another carriage mounted on the above, which is capable to move at 90° to the thread axis.
-on one end of the upper carriage, there is a fixed anvil and a fiducial indicator which ensures
that all the measurements are made at same pressure

• Measurement of major diameter

-A calibrated setting cylinder having nearly same diameter as

the major diameter of the thread to be measured is used as setting standard
-The setting cylinder is held between the anvils and readings are taken
-The cylinder is then replaced by the threaded work piece and again
the micrometer reading is noted
-Major diameter of screw thread, = D ± (R2-R1)
where D= diameter of the setting cylinder,
R1= reading of micrometer on setting cylinder.
R2= reading of micrometer on screw thread
Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread
• Effective diameter of a screw thread as the diameter of the pitch cylinder, which is coaxial with
the axis of the screw and intersects the flanks of the threads in such a way so as
to make the width of threads and widths of spaces between them equal.

• So, it is a notional value which can not be measured directly.

• Hence an indirect approach to be followed i.e. Measurement by wire method

• Principle

Small, hardened steel wires (best-size wire) are placed in the groove and the distance over them
is measured as part of the measurement process.

• There are three methods of using wires to measure effective diameter

One-wire method
Two-wire method
Three-wire method
Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread by One wire method
• The only one wire is used in t is method.

• The wire is placed between two threads at one side and on the other side
the anvil of the measuring micrometer contacts the crests

• First the micrometer reading is noted on a standard gauge whose

dimension is approximately same to be obtained by this method

• Micrometer readings are taken at two or three different locations and the average value is calculated

• This value is compared with the value obtained with the standard gauge

• The resulting difference is a reflection of error in the effective diameter of the screw
Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread by two wire method
• Two-wire method of measuring the effective diameter of a screw thread is given below

• In this method wires of suitable size are placed between the standard and the micrometer anvils

• First the micrometer reading is taken and let it be R

• Then the standard is replaced by the screw thread to be measured and the new reading is taken

• Difference between reading over the standard and the screw thread is taken as a measurement of Effective diameter

Effective diameter E = T + P T = Dimension under the wires

where P = Correction factor P depends on diameter of wire, pitch angle of thread

-T = M − 2d
Where M= Dimension over wires
d = diameter of the best-size wire Effective diameter
-P value can be calculated using the formula based on the type of thread
for eg P = 0.87 X p for (ISO & Unified) thread
P = 0.96 X p = 1.166 x d for (BSW) thread
Where p = Pitch
d = mean diameter of wires used
P = Difference between effective dia and dia under the wires
Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread by two wire method- contd.,
• The effective diameter can not be measured directly but can be calculated from the measurements made.

• Wires of exactly known diameters are chosen such that they contact the flanks at their straight portions.

• If the size of the wire is such it contacts the flanks at the pitch line, it is called the ‘best size’ of wire which can be
determined by geometry of screw thread.

• The screw thread is mounted between the centers and wires are placed in the grooves and reading M is taken as
described in earlier slide

• Two wire method

Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread by two wire method- contd.,

Best Wire Size: If the size of the wire contacts the flanks at the pitch line, called
the best size wire, determined by the geometry of screw thread P
 Measurement of Effective Diameter of screw thread by three wire method
• It is the most accurate method of measuring effective diameter

• In this three wires of equal and precise diameter are placed in the groves at opposite sides of the
screw

• In this one wire on one side and two wire on the other side are used

• The wires enables either may be held in hand or hung from a stand

• This method ensures the alignment of micrometer anvil faces parallel to thread axis

• Effective diameter is calculated from the measurements made and using the expression given below

Note: Derive this expression on how is it obtained by using the figure given as did for two wire method
Task to do

Derive an expression on how to obtain effective diameter by using three wire method
Why three wire method is more effective for measuring effective diameter ?

In the next class,

we will see about more on measurements of other screw thread elements

Thank You