Introduction to Comparator:

 Comparators are one form of the linear measurement device.

 It is quick and more convenient for checking a larger number of identical
dimensions.
 Comparators normally will not show the actual dimensions of the
workpiece. They will show only the deviation in size.
 This cannot be used as an absolute measuring device but can only
compare two dimensions.

Principle of comparator
The general principle of the comparator is to indicate the difference in size between
the standard and work being measured by means of some pointer on the scale with
sufficient magnification.

Comparators can give precision measurements, with consistent accuracy by

eliminating human error. They are employed to find out, by how much the
dimensions of the given component differ from that of a known datum. If the
indicated difference is small, a suitable magnification device is selected to obtain the
desired accuracy of measurements. It is an indirect type of instrument and used for
linear measurement. If the dimension is less or greater, than the standard, then the
difference will be shown on the dial. It gives only the difference between the actual
and standard dimension of the workpiece. To check the height of the job H2, with the
standard job of height H1

principle Of Comparators
Initially, the comparator is adjusted to zero on its dial with a standard job in position
as shown in Figure(a). The reading H1 is taken with the help of a plunger.

Then the standard job is replaced by the work-piece to be checked and the reading
H2 is taken. If H1and H2 are different, then the change in the dimension will be
shown on the dial of the comparator. Thus the difference is then magnified 1000 to
3000 X to get a clear variation in the standard and actual job.
Definition of Comparators:

In short, Comparator is a device which

(1) Picks up small variations in dimensions.
(2) Magnifies it.
(3) Displays it by using indicating devices, by which comparison can be made
with some standard value.
Need for a comparator

 A comparator is used in mass production to inspect the components to

close tolerance with a high degree of precision and speed
 Use of line standards such as vernier caliper and micrometre required
considerable skill
 Many dimensions can be checked in a very short time.

Classification of Comparators
1. Mechanical Comparator: It works on gears pinions, linkages, levers, springs, etc.
2. Pneumatic Comparator: Pneumatic comparator works by using high-pressure
air, valves, back pressure, etc.
3. Optical Comparator: Optical comparator works by using lens, mirrors, light
source, etc.
4. Electrical Comparator: Works by using step-up, step-down transformers.
5. Electronic Comparator: It works by using an amplifier, digital signal, etc.
6. Combined Comparator: The combination of any two of the above types can give
the best result.

Types Of Comparators:
1. Mechanical comparators

 Dial Indicator
 Reed Type comparator
 Sigma Comparator
 Johansson Mikrokator
2. Mechanical Optical Comparators

 Optical Lever
 Zeiss Optimeter
 Zeiss Ultra Optimeter
 Zeiss opt test Comparators
3. Electrical and Electronics Comparators
4. Pneumatic Comparators
5) Fluid Displacement Comparators
6) Projection Comparators
7) Multi check Comparators
8) Automatic Gauging
9) Electro-Mechanical Comparators
10) High Sensitive Calibration Comparators

 Brookes Level Comparators

 Eden-Rolt Millionth Comparators

Characteristics of Good Comparators:

1. It should be compact.
2. It should be easy to handle.
3. It should give a quick responses or quick results.
4. It should be reliable, while in use.
5. There should be no effects of the environment on the comparator.
6. Its weight must be less.
7. It must be cheaper.
8. It must be easily available in the market.
9. It should be sensitive as per the requirement.
10. The design should be robust.
11. It should be linear in scale so that it is easy to read and get a uniform response.
12. It should have less maintenance.
13. It should have a hard contact point, with long life.
14. It should be free from backlash and wear.

Mechanical Comparators:

Working Principle of Mechanical comparators:

The magnification of plunger movement can be obtained mechanical means such as

levers, gear and pinion arrangement, or other mechanical means.

JOHANSSON “MIKROKATOR:

 Johansson “Mikrokator‟ is a mechanical comparator having a magnification

of about 5000.
 It works on the principle of a button spinning on a loop of string.
 The instrument consists of a plunger, twisted thin metal strip, spring elbow,
pointer, etc.
 A very light glass pointer is attached to the Centre of the twisted strip.
 The two halves of the strip from the Centre are twisted in opposite
directions, so that any pull in the strip causes the Centre and hence the
pointer to rotate.
JOHANSSON MIKROKATOR DIAGRAM

 One end of the strip is fixed to an adjustable cantilever strip and the other
end is attached to an arm of spring elbow.
 The measuring plunger is mounted on a flexible diaphragm. Its inner end is
attached to the other arm of spring elbow.
 Thus the vertical movement of the plunger transmitted to the metal strip
through the elbow.
 Any vertical movements of the plunger make it to twist or untwist.
 This will cause the pointer to rotate by an amount proportional to the
change in the length of the strip
 Magnification of the instrument depends upon the length, width, and a
number of twists of the twisted strip.
 It can vary by changing the length of the strip with screws provided on
adjustable cantilever strip.

SIGMA COMPARATOR:

 This is a mechanical comparator providing magnification in 300 to5000.

 It consists of a plunger mounted on two steel strings (slit diaphragms). This
provides a frictionless linear movement for the plunger.
 The plunger carries a knife-edge, which bears upon the face of the moving
block of a cross-strip hinge.
 The cross-strip hinge is formed by pieces of flat steel springs arrange at
right angles and is a very efficient pivot for smaller angular movements.
 The moving block carries light metal Y-forked arms. A thin phosphor
bronze ribbon is fastened to the ends of the forked arms and wrapped
around a small drum, mounted on a spindle carrying the pointer.
 Any vertical displacement of measuring plunger and hence that of the
knife-edge makes the moving block of the cross-strip hinge to pivot.

Sigma comparator diagram

 This causes the rotation of the Y-arms. The metallic band attached to the
arms makes the driving drum and hence the pointer to rotate.
 The ratio of the effective length (L) of the arm and the distance (X) of the
knife edge from the pivot gives the first stage magnification
 The ratio of pointer length (R) and radius r of the driving drum gives second
stage magnification of the instrument.
 The total magnification of the instrument is thus (L/X× R/r).
 The magnification of the instrument can be varied by changing the distance
(X) of knife-edge by tightening or slackening of the adjusting screws.
Advantages of Mechanical Comparators

 They are cheaper compared to other amplifying devices.

 Do not require electricity or air and such the variations in the outside
sources do not affect the accuracy.
 They have a linear scale robust and easy to handle.
 It is suitable for ordinary workshop and also easily portable.

Disadvantages of Mechanical Comparators

 They have more moving linkages, due to which friction is more and
accuracy is low.
 Any wear, dimensional faults in the mechanical devices used will also be
magnified.
 The range of the instrument is limited because the pointer moves over a
fixed scale

OPTICAL COMPARATOR
Introduction

There are no pure optical comparators but the instruments classed as optical
comparators obtain large magnification in these instruments contributes principles
through mechanical magnification
All-optical comparators are capable of giving a high degree of measuring precision.

Working principle of Optical comparators:

The operating principle of this type, of the comparator, is based on the laws of light
reflection and refraction. The magnification system depends on the tilting of a mirror,
deflects a beam of light, thus providing an optical lever.

Principle of the optical lever

If a beam of light AC is directed on to a mirror as shown in the figure, it will be

reflected onto the screen at O as a dot. The angle Ɵ at which the beam strikes the
mirror is equal to the angle Ɵ at which the beam is reflected from the mirror. When
the plunger moves upwards vertically, causing the mirror to tilt by an angle „α‟ as
shown in the figure.
principle of optical comparator

Then the reflected light beam moves through an angle “2α” which is twice the angle
of tilt produced by the plunger movement. The illuminated dot moves to “B” thus a
linear movement “h” of the plunger produces a movement of the dot equivalent to the
distance OB on the screen. It also clear that as the distance (OC) of the screen from
tilting mirror increases, greater will be the magnification and is called the principle of
enlarge image.

Zeiss ultra- Optimeter

 The optical system of this instrument involves a double reflection of light

and thus gives a higher degree of magnification.
 A lamp sends light rays through the green filter to filter all rays except
green light, which causes less fatigue to the eye.
 The green light then passes through a condenser which via an index mark
projects it on to a movable mirror M1. It is then reflected to another fixed
mirror M2 and back again to the first movable mirror.
 The objective lens brings the reflected beam from the movable mirror to a
focus at a transparent graticule containing a precise scale that is viewed by
eye-piece.
 The projected image of the index line on the graticule can be adjusted by
means of a screw in order to set the initial zero reading.
 When correctly adjusted, the image of the index line is seen against that of
the graticule scale.
 The end of the contact plunger rests against the other end of the first
movable mirror so that any vertical movement of the plunger will tilt the
mirror.
 This causes a shift in the position of the reflected index line on the
eyepiece graticule scale, which in turn measures the displacement of the
plunger.
Zeiss ultra- Optimeter diagram
Advantages of optical comparators:

 Optical comparators have few moving linkages and hence are not
subjected to friction, wear, and tear.
 High accuracy of the measurement.
 The magnification is usually high.

Disadvantages of optical comparators

 An electrical supply is necessary to operate these types of comparators.

 The size of these comparators are highly, and costly.
 Since the scale is projected on a screen, it is essential to use these
instruments in a dark room in order to take the readings easily.

Pneumatic Comparators:

 These instruments utilize the variations in the air pressure or velocity as an

amplifying medium.
 A jet or jets of air are applied to the surface being measured and the
variations in the backpressure or velocity of air caused due to variations in
loused to amplify the output signals.
 Based on the physical phenomena, the pneumatic comparators are
classified into two types.
Flow or velocity type
Backpressure type.
Solex Pneumatic Comparator:

 This instrument was first commercially introduced by Solex Air. Gauges

Ltd. It uses a water manometer for the indication of backpressure.
 It consists of a vertical metal cylinder filled with water up to a certain level
and a dip tube immersed into it up to a depth corresponding to the air
pressure required.

Solex pneumatic gauge diagram

 A calibrated manometer tube is connected between the cylinder and

control orifice as shown in the fig.
 The pressure of the air supplied is higher than the desired pressure, some
air will bubble out from the bottom of the dip tube and air moving to the
control volume will be at the desired constant pressure.
 The constant pressure air then passes through the control orifice and
escapes from the measuring jets.
 When there is no restriction to the escape of air, the level of water in the
manometer tube will coincide with that in the cylinder.
 But, if there is a restriction to the escape of air through the jets, back
pressure will be induced in the circuit and level of water in the manometer
tube will fall.
 The restriction to the escape of air depends upon the variations in the
dimensions to be measured.
 Thus the variations in the dimensions to be measured are converted into
corresponding pressure variations, which can be read from the calibrated
scale provided with the manometer.
Advantages of Pneumatic Comparators:
1. Very high magnification
2. Less friction, wear, and inertia
3. Less measuring pressure
4. Determines ovality and taper of circular bores

Disadvantages of pneumatic comparators:

1. Scale is generally not uniform

2. Requires compressor and accurate pressure regulator
3. Nonportable
4. Less sensitivity

Difference between Mechanical Comparator and Pneumatic

Comparators

Mechanical Comparator Pneumatic Comparator

1) Mechanical comparators are robust Pneumatic Comparators are not portable and compact in design
and compact in design.

2) Usually, the Mechanical comparators The scale is generally not linear

have a linear scale.

3) Due to more moving parts, the It has few numbers of moving parts and in some cases none.
friction is more which reduces the Thus, the accuracy obtained is more due to the absence of friction
accuracy. and inertia.

4) Less degree of magnification as It is possible to obtain a high degree of magnification

compared to pneumatic comparators.

5) Less costly as compared to other Cost is high as compared to mechanical comparators

comparators.
Electrical comparator

Working principle of Electrical comparators:

These instruments are based on the theory of Wheatstone A.C. Bridge. When the
bridge is electrically balanced, no current will flow through the galvanometer
connected to the bridge, and the pointer will not deflect. Any upset in the inductances
of the arms will produce unbalance and cause deflection of the pointer.

Introduction

 Electrical comparators are also called as electromechanical measuring

systems.
 This is because they use an electro-mechanical device that converts
mechanical displacement into an electrical signal.

LVDT
Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) is the most popular electro-
mechanical device used to convert mechanical displacement into an electrical signal.
It is used to measure displacement.

Advantage of electrical comparator

 A small number of moving parts.

 Possible to have very high magnification.
 Used for a variety of ranges.
 Remote operation can also be done.

The disadvantage of electrical comparator

 Required an external agency to operate i.e., A.C. power supply. 10

 Heating coils may cause zero drift.
Difference between Gauges and Comparators:

Sr.
Gauges Comparator
No.

1. Gauge is device designed to compare the Comparator is device designed to compare known
manufactured component against the given known, known – unknown, unknown- unknown
drawing. parameters.

2. The gauge can only verify the manufactured Comparator gives the readings of measurement of
component is accepted or rejected. the manufactured component.

3. Low in cost More in cost

4. Easy to use on the shop floor Needs pneumatic or other sources to use on shop
floor

5. Limited range of application Large range of application

6. Example- Ring gauges, Plug gauges, Snap Example - Pneumatic, Electrical, Mechanical
gauges comparators

Difference between Measuring Instruments and Comparators:

Comparison between measuring instrument and comparators are as follows,

Sr. no. Mechanical Instrument Comparator

1. It does not give any magnification. It gives magnification.

2. Skilled operators are required. Semi-skilled operators are required.

3. Observational error is occur. Parallax error is occur.

4. Maintenance is less. Maintenance is more.

Sr. no. Mechanical Instrument Comparator

5. The remote controlling is not possible. It may be operate by remote.

6. A Uniform response is not obtained. Uniform response is obtained.

7. Used for checking and measurement. Used for comparison.

8. Less sensitive. More sensitive.

9. Example. Vernier caliper Example: Sigma comparator, Dial Indicator

Applications of Comparators:

Comparators are used for Following purposes:

1) Comparators are used as laboratory standards.

2) Used as working gauges to prevent work spoilage and to maintain required
tolerance at all important stages of manufacture.
3) Used as final inspection gauges.
4) Used as a receiving inspection gauge for checking parts received from outside
sources.
5) For checking newly purchase gauges.