Fowler/Bowers XT bore gage heads can have the anvils specially machined to be able to measure internal splines. Fowler and Bowers design the custom anvils based directly off of the end user’s technical drawing. There are three key dimensions that need to be taken into consideration:
- Between pin dimension
- Pin diameter
- Number of teeth
Fowler/Bowers spline heads are generally based off of a 2-point contact measuring head. 3-point spline heads are available but not very common. Bowers mounts the exact size pin on the end of both measuring anvils. The end user has a choice of using tool steel or carbide pins. Depending on the pin diameter, the special head can be designed to measure pitch diameter (most common), major diameter, or minor diameter. This could be done with ball contacts as well but pins are much more robust and can handle a little more abuse from operators. The number of teeth needs to be taken into consideration because Bowers may have to offset the anvils if the spline has an odd number of teeth.
The special spine head can then be inserted into the spline and the measurement of the spline is then displayed on the readout of either the pistol grip or electronic holemike. Mechanical or analog holemikes are not recommended by Fowler or Bowers for special applications. The pistol grip is a better choice and will save time if the end user needs to measure a high volume of splines. Depending on how often the spline heads are being used, the operators should keep a close eye on the pins for any wear.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about Fowler/Bowers spline heads, please email [email protected].