Test equipment and positioning elements for sheet metal parts

In this blog article, we will take a closer look at test equipment and positioning elements for sheet metal parts, explain their significance for production quality and examine their application in mechanical engineering. Quality control of sheet metal parts is crucial for ensuring product quality and customer satisfaction. Precision and accuracy are essential in mechanical engineering and special machine construction. Test equipment such as test pins, positioning bushings and other high-precision positioning elements are used here, which enable an effective and reliable check of the manufactured parts.

What is test equipment?

Test equipment includes tools or devices that can be used to check the manufacturing quality of a product. It can be operated either manually or automatically, ranging from simple test gauges to complex electronic test devices.

Test equipment and test procedures play a crucial role, particularly in the quality assurance of sheet metal parts, and help ensure consistent quality.

Depending on the application area, there are different types of test equipment, such as dimensional measurement techniques (calipers), electrical measurement techniques (multimeters), thermodynamic measurement techniques (thermometers) and many more. The selection of the correct type depends on which type of product is to be tested and which parameter is to be checked.

What is the special feature of the test equipment for sheet metal parts?

This test equipment is especially designed to check the accuracy, quality and consistency of sheet metal parts. These include in particular:

• Geometric and dimensional accuracy: The test equipment must be capable of checking the shape and the exact dimensions and tolerances of the sheet metal part to ensure that it meets the specifications.
• Material testing: It is important to test the material of the sheet metal part. For example, to ensure that it has the correct hardness and does not contain any defects such as holes or shrinkage (cavities).
• Surface quality: The surface condition and quality of sheet metal parts is often critical, therefore test equipment must be able to detect unevenness, scratches or other surface defects.
• Non-destructive test: The test equipment should be selected in such a way that the sheet metal part is not damaged during the test.

Test pins and test gauge pins for inspection units

Test pins and test gauge pins are tools that are intended for the position check or alignment of components, e.g. measuring devices.

There are various types of these precision pins for testing, such as:

• Thread gauge: A thread gauge is used to determine metric external thread or internal thread according to recognized standards (DIN ISO 1502:1996-12/ASME B1.16M).
• Limit plug gauges: These gauges make it possible to quickly determine whether bore holes have been produced within specified limits.

Several factors must be taken into account when selecting the correct test pin. These include:

• the type of test to be performed.
• The diameter and length of the pin, starting from the workpiece to be tested.
• The permissible tolerances.
• The shape at its tip.

Positioning bushings for inspection fixtures

Positioning bushings for inspection fixtures (or also called testing gauge bushings) are components used in production control and quality control to ensure the accuracy and reproducibility of measurements and tests. These positioning bushings are used, for example, in testing gauges and measuring devices to check components or workpieces for their dimensional accuracy.

Positioning bushings for test components may have different shapes and sizes depending on the application. Some are simple cylindrical sleeves, while others may have special shapes or special contours to allow for more precise workpiece positioning. Positioning bushings can be designed with both female threads and with a through hole, depending on the requirements of the specific application.

In addition, the positioning bushings can also be provided with a coating (e.g. chemically nickel-plated) in order to further improve wear resistance.

Locating balls for inspection units

Locating balls (or also called fixing balls) are small balls made of hardened steel (e.g. EN 1.4125 Equiv.) with a diameter of just a few millimeters. They are used to position components and workpieces exactly on one test surface.

In addition, the precise position determination by means of this small helper also significantly increases the measuring accuracy of the inspection unit. The balls are robust and durable, so they last for a long time even under high loads.

Accessories for Inspection Units

MISUMI offers clever accessories for inspection units and includes tools used in conjunction with test gauges and measuring devices - for example, to simplify handling.

These include:

• Positioning sets: They are used for the positioning of device fastening parts and device acceptance parts. Positioning sets are critical to ensure measurements are repeatable and accurate.
• Pin holder clips: They are used to safely store test pins or measuring sensors when they are not needed.

Spacer bolts and spacer washers for inspection units

Spacer bolts and spacer washers for test equipment are manufactured with a height with very low tolerances and serve as an exact support for inspection units.

First of all, there are various materials from which spacer bolts can be manufactured. Most spacer bolts and spacer washers are made of hardened steel, as these materials have a high strength and thus enable precise measurement results. Plastic or ceramic height-keeping pins are also suitable for particularly sensitive components.

Stop elements and support elements for inspection units

Stop elements and support elements are important fastening components for test equipment that are used in various applications to position workpieces or components precisely. They play a decisive role in mechanical engineering and special machine construction, especially in testing technology and quality control. These include, for example, the metal angle scale, hinge units, sliding units, tension blocks and locating block sets.

Stop elements are primarily used to keep the object to be tested securely in place. This prevents the object from moving or slipping during the test.

Support elements have the task of providing stable support for the object. They are generally used for the accommodation of the test tools and the test equipment.

Both element types also play a decisive role in the accuracy of a measurement: If a stop element or support element is not positioned correctly, this can have an impact on the result

Tension pins for stop elements for the inspection fixtures

Test gauge locking pins are used to lock the accessories for test tools in position.

There are different types of tension pins that are used depending on the requirement.

Regular maintenance and calibration of test equipment

To ensure that the result of a test measurement is correct, the test equipment must be calibrated regularly. Calibration means that the gauge is compared with a known reference and the deviations are corrected or documented.

Maintenance is also important to ensure that the equipment is always in perfect condition.