SCREW THREAD MEASUREMENT

Prof.Md.Khaled khalil
 Terminology of Screw Threads

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 Important Elements of Screw Threads

There are six elements of a thread, errors in any one of

which may caused rejection.
These are major, minor, and effective diameters, pitch, flank

angles, and profile at the root and crest.

The most important of these elements are the effective
diameter, the pitch, and the flank angle.

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 Effect of thread elements on Error

Error in the major diameter may cause interference with the

mating threads, or reduction in flank contact, or in the case of
internal threads, weakness by reduction of wall thickness.

Errors in the minor diameter may cause interference, reduction

of flank contact, or weakness by reduction of cross section at
the root.

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 Effect of thread elements on Error
Errors in the effective diameters determine the amount of
slackness or interference between the flanks of mating
threads.
With the major and minor diameters at their maximum
limits, if the effective diameter is small the thread will be
thin on an external screw and thick on an internal screw.
The reverse conditions prevail if the effective diameter is
above its basic value.

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 Effect of thread elements on Error

Errors in pitch are the errors in the effective diameter helix

measured parallel to the axis of the screw thread and are of three
types:
Periodic error,
Progressive Error,
Erratic Error.

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 Periodic errors
 Periodic errors are those which vary in magnitude along the length of
the thread and recur at regular interval. If they recur every revolution
the thread is called “drunken”.

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 Periodic errors and their Possible sources
Periodic error are most frequently caused:
By lack of square-ness in the thrust bearing of the lead
screw used to produce the thread.
If the pitch of the screw being cut is not equal to that of
the lead screw.

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 Periodic errors and their Possible sources

By eccentric mounting of the gears between the lead

screw and spindle.
By errors in the teeth of these gears.

By errors in the lead screw itself.

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Progressive errors and their Possible sources
If the pitch of the thread is uniform but is longer or shorter
than its nominal value, the error is called “progressive”. This
may be caused
By a change in length due to hardening.

By errors in the pitch of the lead screw.

By faults in the saddle guide-ways.

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 Erratic errors and their Possible sources
Erratic errors are those which vary in an irregular manner
along the length of the thread. Their causes are often
difficult to identify. Possible sources are
Faults in the machine
Irregular cutting action resulting from non-uniformity in the
material of the screw

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 Floating Carriage Diameter Measuring Machine

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 Measurement of Major Diameter
Major Diameter of Plug Gauge  S  ( B  A)
Plug Gauge Standard Cylinder
Diameter of standard  S

A S
Reading over standard  A B

Reading over Plug Gauge  B

Micrometer Anvil

Fudicial Indicator

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 Measurement of Minor Diameter
Minor Diameter of Plug Gauge  S  ( B  A)

Diameter of standard  S

Reading over standard  A B A S

Centre
Reading over Plug Gauge  B V-piece

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 Measurement of effective diameter

Effective diameter E  T  P

Diameter under the wire  T  S   B  A

B A S
P  a constant whose value depends on
the diameter of the wire and on the
pitch and angle of the screw thread.

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 Measurement of effective diameter
In right angled triangle OAB
 d 
OA  OB. cos ec  . cos ec
2 2 2
d 
AG  OA  OG  (cos ec  1)
2 2
In right angled triangle AFD
 p 
AF  DF . cot  . cot
2 4 2
Fig.: Measurement of effective diameter

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 Measurement of effective diameter contd.

p  d 
FG  AF  AG  . cot  (cos ec  1)
4 2 2 2

p  d  
E  T  2  FG  2  . cot  (cos ec  1).
4 2 2 2 
p  
i, e. P  . cot  d (cos ec  1)
2 2 2

Fig.: Measurement of effective diameter

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 Measurement of effective diameter contd.

p
 p 
OG  OB  BD sec  sec Dia.d
2 4 2 O

C
 p 
B D

OD  BD tan  tan G
2 4 2 E
T
θ/2
A
Fig.: Measurement of effective diameter

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 Measurement of effective diameter contd.
p  p 
 DG  OG  OD  sec  tan p
4 2 4 2
p   Dia.d
  sec  tan 
4 2 2 O

C
p   B D
P  2 DG  2.  sec  tan 
4 2 2 G

p   E
  sec  tan  T
2 2 2 θ/2
A
Fig.: Measurement of effective diameter

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 Measurement of Included Angle by Wires
of Different Size

The included angle is found from the formula

d 2 d1

 2 2 d 2  d1
sin  
2  D2 D1  d1  d 2  D2  D1    d 2  d1 
 2  2   2   2
  

Fig.: Measurement of Included Angle by Wires

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 Measurement of Included Angle
 d 2  d1
sin 
2  D2  D1    d 2  d1 

Distance between centres of wires

1
 O1O2    D2  D1  d1   d 2   c
2
Difference between radii of wires
1
  d 2  d1   r  r
2  sin 
2 c
Fig.: Measurement of Included Angle by Wires

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 Measurement of Error in the Angle
 
  .r  .c
r c
 1 1 r
 cos . .  .r  2 .c
2 2 c c
 1  r
   2. sec . .r  2. sec . 2 .c
2 c 2 c
2
  c.r  r.c 
c c r2 2

Fig.: Measurement of Included Angle by Wires

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 Correction for Rake
 
cos cot
2 2 p 2
2  2 
Rake correction c  . . A 1  A. sin  A . sin 
2

2 2
d  2 2
d
Where A 
p 2d T d
For 60 threads c  0.076
0

T  d  2
p 2d
For Whitworth threads c  0.086
T  d  2
p 2d
For BA threads c  0.105
T  d  2
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 Correction for Compression
2
 2

A 3  A 3 
Compression correction e  0.001 1 mm 0.00004 1 in 
E3  E 3 
 

Where A is the measuring force in N(lbf) and E is effective

diameter in millimeters(inches)

 Corrected effective diameter  E  T  P  c  e

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 The End

Thank You !

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