Historically, in-process gaging has not been widely used in the machine tool industry, but today that’s changing. Gaging companies have been evolving their products and making them easier to use, while enabling users to do more with gaging routines.
“Work smarter, not harder.” It’s a term often heard by just about anyone who has ever set out to perform a task. It can be found on inspirational posters and do-it-yourself home repair manuals as well as articles on life management and corporate handbooks.
Manufacturers typically use two different techniques to assess part conformance and process control: either in-process gaging or final inspection. In-process gaging is measuring the part while it is still in the process of being manufactured and using that data to, sometimes, adjust the process, other times for part conformance.
There was a time, not so long ago, when everyone knew that “in-process” gaging meant installing a jump-on gage on a grinder to tell the control when the workpiece was at size.