Height Gages Make Short Work of Quality Assurance
Fowler’s Sylvac Z-Cal Height Gages

The Swiss are highly acclaimed for their craftsmanship of wristwatches, delectable chocolates and anonymous bank accounts. In many ways, Switzerland has become synonymous with quality, an idea that few consumers care to dispute. If you’re looking for detractors from this line of thought, don’t bother asking the employees of Starn Tool and Manufacturing Co. in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The company uses Sylvac of Switzerland’s Z-Cal electronic height gage, distributed exclusively by Fred V. Fowler Co., to cut inspection time on its precision components by 75 percent.

Starn Tool and Manufacturing Co. manufactures thousands of components for the automotive, medical and aerospace industries, as well as for consumer products and prototype machine parts. The components are fabricated on a large number of machine tools that work on numerous materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, copper and nonferrous materials such as polycarbonates, nylon and delrin. “We manufacture products from 0.01 to 10 in. thick with typical tolerances as close as 0.0001 in.,” explains Ralph Lindsey, vice president of manufacturing at Starn.

For a time, Starn used gage blocks, test indicators and planer gages to evaluate measurements on its myriad parts. Although this method was effective, it was also time-consuming and required more inspectors. Recognizing an opportunity for improvement, Starn outlined its top priorities--high quality, low costs and rapid delivery of its final product--and began searching for the optimum measurement instrument. “We first saw the Z-Cal gages at the International Manufacturing and Technology Show in Chicago a few years ago and purchased three of them soon after,” says Bill Starn, CEO of Starn. “The Z-Cal gages have shortened our inspection time and enabled us to check fine tolerances much faster.”

The ability to check angle positions, side corners and the flat plane of angles is critical to the company’s success. The versatility of the Z-Cal gage reduces the amount of time needed to set up the numerous other tools that would be required in its absence. Used for measuring slots, holes, intricate forms and the location of each feature, the Z-Cal gages offer a degree of flexibility that has greatly enhanced Starn’s production capability. “With this electronic height gage, we can get the measurements we need faster than ever,” says Lindsey.

“The Z-Cal permits us to reduce inspection time on each part, sometimes by as much as 75 percent,” reports Joetta Catalano, Starn’s quality manager.

“The Z-Cal has also provided us with a much faster way for checking roll dimensions by eliminating time-consuming setups,” adds Jon King, CNC mill supervisor at Starn.

With customers such as Delphi, Boeing and Lockheed-Martin, Starn couldn’t afford the glitches common to implementing a new tool or system. A smooth transition to the new gages was imperative, and the Z-Cal didn’t disappoint. Used both on the production floor and in its climate-controlled inspection laboratory, the Sylvac gages proved simple and their use intuitive. “It’s relatively easy to train people in their use,” says Lindsey. “The instrument can be operated with only one hand, and it requires extremely light measuring pressure. Within a half-hour of receiving the gages, they were being used.”

Although Fowler’s Sylvac Z-Cal gages come in a larger 24 in. model, Starn’s production requirements necessitate only the 6 in. and 12 in. models, which provide 0.00016 in. and 0.0002 in. degrees of accuracy, respectively. In addition, all measuring functions of the Z-Cal gage are controlled by a five-button keypad devoid of complicated programming. The gage’s probe speed is proportional to finger pressure on the control buttons, a feature that allows Starn employees to monitor the pulse of the company’s quality efforts with each measurement.

Fowler’s Sylvac Z-Cal Height Gages

Benefits

• Reduces inspection time
• Ideal for exceptionally tight tolerances
• Versatility eliminates need for extra instruments
• Accurate to 0.00016 in.

www.fvfowler.com