Toolmakers Microscope - GreatGages

From the Model T to the EcoSport with Toolmakers Microscope

In 1908, the first Model T cars manufactured by the Ford Motor Company rolled off the assembly line in Detroit and become one of the first cars available to the common man. About 50 years later large gas guzzling cars like the Cadillac Eldorado, Lincoln Continentals and Chrysler 300s with large rear fins were status symbols for the growing suburban population.

When gas became expensive in the 1970s the taste for these large cars gave way to smaller vehicles. The Japanese Automakers like Toyota and Honda offered high-quality cars that simply knocked the Big Three American manufacturers (Ford, GM, and Chrysler) for a loop that took them about 20 years to recover from.

Quality Is the Key

The main issue was the quality of the automobiles. To improve the quality of their products the American manufacturers had to improve every facet of their manufacturing. This meant that every component had to be made with increased precision using systems such as the ISO 9000 “family” of quality systems.

This effort continues today not only in cars but with almost every consumer product on the market. Precision is impossible without proper measuring tools and instruments and that need is filled by GreatGages.com, a leading supplier of measuring tools like micrometers, toolmaker microscopes and data collection equipment. It is the first company to market Gage to PC interface kits.

Understanding tolerance is essential for any quality improvement effort. Tolerance is defined simply as the allowed limit of variation for a physical dimension. To illustrate, imagine a pencil manufacturer who has a customer that needs pencils that measure 10 inches but is willing to accept pencils that are between 9 inches and 11 inches. The customers' tolerance is said to be plus or minus (+/-) one inch. The same applies to any manufactured part but the tolerances are extremely small with a tolerance of +/- .001 inch (mil) or smaller being the norm. A hand-held micrometer is a useful tool but a toolmaker microscope from GreatGages.com is the best way to take that measurement.

One feature of the Toolmakers Microscope is a vernier protractor in the eyepiece of the optical tube. The vernier scale used on the protractor is named after a 17th-century mathematician named Pierre Vernier who invented the scale in 1631. Used to measure beveled angles, the protractor can measure in 0.0001” graduations with the SPI Toolmaker's Microscope available on GreatGages.com.

GreatGages.com also offers 6 different Mitutoyo Toolmakers Microscopes as well as accessories such as USB color cameras, eyepieces, and fiber optic illuminators.

Mitutoyo's Toolmakers Microscopes are compact microscopes for inspection and measurement of machined workpieces. These units offer a bright and clear field of view, which is Best Performance in Small-model Class.

Included Features of the Mitutoyo Toolmakers Microscope include...

  • The eyepiece section of the optical tube incorporates a vernier protractor.
  • Angle measurements are easily performed by turning the protractor to align the cross-hair reticle and the workpiece image.
  • Complete selection of interchangeable reticles.
  • Both transmitted and reflected illumination intensity can be adjusted to obtain optimal illumination.
  • A 2" x 2" (50mm x 50mm) XY travel stage is available.
  • A 4" x 2" (100mm x 50mm) XY travel stage is available.
  • A 15X eyepiece is standard accessory. 10X & 20X eyepieces are also available.
  • A 2X objective is standard accessory. 5X & 10X objectives are also available.

The Toolmaker's Microscope can be purchased with no micrometer heads, standard micrometer heads, or digital micrometer heads with the ability to send SPC data.

To shop for any of our Toolmakers Microscopes, click on any of the following links...

Still need help? Please don't hesitate to call us at 951-780-4233, or go to our Contact Us page on our website.