The term optical tooling or Optical Alignment refers to surveying techniques that have been introduced into the aircraft and other industries to make accurate dimensional layouts possible.
The place for Optical Tooling is in alignment, which is the geometric orientation of various components of a system, such that all components can work harmoniously as they were designed to. This is different from three-dimensional measurement technologies. These technologies, for example, can take measurements over the curve of a satellite dish to determine if the dish has the proper curvature.
Optical instruments increase linear accuracy and decrease measurement time– all while providing stable, repeatable reference lines with no deviation. The science of optical metrology , utilizing optical tools, makes it possible to achieve the highest degree of accuracy when aligning precision systems that are straight, flat, plumb or square.
The Optical Tooling / Optical Alignment instruments are mainly of Three Types
- Jig Transit
- Alignment telescope
- Precision sight level / Tilting Level
These instruments answer this basic questions
Is it straight?… Is it level?… Is it plumb?… Is it square?
In answering these questions, Optical Tooling combines very high accuracy with a great degree of flexibility. That is, not only can optical tooling provide excellent answers to these four questions, but the very same tools can be used over and over to measure a wide variety of things – everything from paper mills to particle accelerators.
Alignment Telescope
Jig Transit
Precision Sight Level
One reply on “Optical tooling and Optical Alignment Instruments”
Very nice post. I am facing problems with my Alignment telescope. Reading changes when I rotate Telescope 180°. I think I need Calibration