Solex Pneumatic Comparator

A comparator is a precision instrument used to compare the Dimensions of a given working component with the actual working standard.  There are different types of comparators are available. Solex Pneumatic Comparator is coming under the Pneumatic Comparators. Let us discuss this in detail.

Solex Pneumatic Comparator

Solex Air Gauges Ltd. is one of the biggest and most popular pneumatic comparators industry in the USA. And this Solex Pneumatic comparator is developed and marketed by this company.

Solex Pneumatic comparator is used for the inspection of both internal diameters. With some additional attachments, this can also be used for external measurements.

Working Principle of Solex Comparator

Following is the schematic representation of the Solex Pneumatic comparator.

From the above schematic diagram of the Solex pneumatic comparator, we can understand the working principle easily.

• Compressed air is entered into the tube from the factory sir supply line, and it is filtered and passes through the pressure regulator and regulated about the pressure of 2 bar.
• Now this pressurized air will be passed into the dip tube which is immersed into the water tank as shown in the above figure.
• The dip tub will be positioned in terms of depth “H” will regulate the effective air pressure in the system at the input side.
• When there is high pressure of air regulated in the dip tube against the pressure opposed by the water in the water tank the air will leak out of the water tank in the form of water bubbles and will escape into the atmosphere.
• This will ensure that the pressure of the air which is passing through the control orifice will be constant as we required.
• Ther is a measuring head placed on the workpiece connected by the flexible tube to the control orifice.
• When air passes through the control orifice and the measuring head and escapes through the measuring orifice inside od the measuring head.
• Due to the clearance between the measuring orifice and the workpiece, back pressure created and influenced the manometer tube’s water level.
• As we have observed that, within a limited measuring range change in pressure varies linearly with change in the internal dimension of the workpiece.
• Therefore a change in the linear dimension of the workpiece can be directly read from the linearly calibrated scale.
• This Solex Comparator has a high degree of resolution and variation in the dimension up to a micrometre can be obtained easily.
• With the Solex Comparator, we can amplify up to 50,000 is obtainable in this gauge.

Advantages of Pneumatic Comparators

1. A very high degree of magnification is possible.
2. No wear takes place on the workpiece due to no contact of the comparator to the workpiece.
3. High accuracy can be achieved due to very few moving parts.
4. Suitable to measure the diameter of holes.
5. The best instrument to determine the ovality and taper of the circular holes.

Disadvantages of Pneumatic Comparators

1. Low speed of response compared to other types of comparators like optical comparators.
2. an accurate pressure regulator is required. and the apparatus is not portable.
3. The scale is not uniform.

Conclusion

We have discussed the Solex comparator with a neat schematic diagram and give some of the advantages and disadvantages for the Solex comparators. Let us know what do you think of this Solex Comparator and also read more about the Pneumatic comparators here.