Matthew Johnson

Praise Okeadu
Noah Curfman
Dial Caliper
Introduction
A dial caliper is a precise measuring instrument used in the engineering and manufacturing
industry. Calipers have several capabilities such as measuring the width, depth, thickness, and
diameter of an object. A dial caliper is commonly used to measure objects with tight tolerances
such as engine parts, aircraft components, and most other products made out of metal.
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Components
The dial indicator moves clockwise inside the dial to determine a measurement with an
accuracy to the thousandths decimal place.
The bezel clamp is used to calibrate the caliper. To calibrate the caliper, loosen the
bezel clamp and rotate the bezel so the dial indicator is pointing to zero, and re-tighten
the bezel clamp.

The lock screw is used to hold the moveable jaw in place so that a recorded dimension
will not be lost if the caliper is accidentally bumped.
The bar is the immovable portion of the caliper which contains a number scale divided
into tenths of an inch.
The fine adjusting roll is turned with the thumb to adjust the measurement in order to
improve accuracy.
The inside measuring contacts are used to measure the internal diameter of an object.
The outside measuring contacts are used to measure the external diameter or width of
an object.

The user can use the depth rod to find the vertical dimension of features, or the depth of
holes.
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Capabilities
The dial caliper can measure a variety of features to an accuracy of one thousandth of an inch
(.001). The dimension measured can then be locked into place using the lock screw to prevent
accidental adjustment.
1."How to Use a Dial Caliper," Gateway Community & Technical College, n.d., accessed November 24, 2015,
http://www.gateway.kctcs.edu/~/media/Gateway/Academics/STEM/AS6_HowToUseaDialCaliper.ashx.

Matthew Johnson
Praise Okeadu
Noah Curfman

Outside Measuring Contact Capabilities:

The outside measuring contacts can determine the distance between two parallel planes
that do not face one another as seen in the diagram below. Additionally the outside
measuring contacts can measure the external diameters of cylindrical shapes.

Inside Measuring Contact Capabilities:

The inside measuring contacts can measure the distance between parallel planes that
face one another as seen in the diagram below. The inside measuring contacts can also
measure the internal diameters of cylindrical shapes.

Depth Rod Capabilities:

The depth rod is capable of measuring the distance between two parallel planes that
face in the same direction as seen in the diagram below.

Operation
The following section provides an example that shows how the components of the caliper work
together to carry out the function of measurement.
First the operator needs to adjust the moveable jaw to fit the object being measured. Apply
enough pressure to hold it in place, but not too much because it could give an incorrect
measurement.
Next, when reading the caliper the bar must be read first before reading the dial. The bar is
divided into tenths of an inch, while the dial is divided into thousands of an inch. For instance, if
you are trying to measure 1.212 on the dial caliper, the bar will read 1.2 and the dial would read
12. The number on the dial is added onto the end of the number on the bar.
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Conclusion
With a proper understanding of how a dial caliper works a wide variety of features can be
quickly and easily measured. Like any tool, using a dial caliper efficiently requires practice.
Once one is familiar with the dial caliper, features can be accurately measured to an accuracy of
one thousandth of an inch.

1."How to Use a Dial Caliper," Gateway Community & Technical College, n.d., accessed November 24, 2015,
http://www.gateway.kctcs.edu/~/media/Gateway/Academics/STEM/AS6_HowToUseaDialCaliper.ashx.

Matthew Johnson
Praise Okeadu
Noah Curfman
Glossary
Plane - Any flat surface
Moveable Jaw - the part of the measuring contacts that moves

Matthew Johnson
Praise Okeadu
Noah Curfman

Sources Cited
STEM. "How To Use a Dial Caliper." n.d. Accessed November 24, 2015.
http://www.gateway.kctcs.edu/~/media/Gateway/Academics/STEM/AS6_HowToUseaDialCaliper
.ashx.